The heat. The chinch bugs. The deer and squirrels. Summer landscaping during the Texas summer can be a challenge. But if anyone knows how to keep your lawn and flower beds thriving, it’s Keith Houck of Westview Nursery and Landscaping, the family-run company his dad and grandfather opened 71 years ago.
He shared some clear, actionable advice that will make it easy to enjoy a lush landscape all summer long.
Water heavy, long and deep — but not too often
“Water is 95% of what it takes to keep things alive and doing well through the summertime,” Houck said. “So you have to water heavy, long and deep — then let the soil get to a dry point before you water again.”
Roots go where the moisture is, so the deeper you water, the deeper the root system will grow. But if you keep the surface wet, the roots will stay shallow. What’s more, if your grass is wet all the time, it can cause fungus problems.
The type of watering system you use also makes a big difference. The pulsating or rotating sprinklers you hook your hose up to aren’t very effective, because they hit each area for only a few seconds before moving on.
The best way to water your lawn is with a sprinkler system that consistently reaches every inch of grass. Your beds, though, will do best with a mist head. Both also have different watering needs, so you can run each system on different schedules.
Fertilizers, weed killers, insecticides and pest repellents
Each season requires a different approach, and it’s crucial to know which products to use and when to apply them.
“Take grub worms and chinch bugs. You have to kill them during their 30-day reproductive cycle in the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August,” Houck explained. “If you treat the problem too early, there will be enough of them left to reproduce and do major damage.”
Fertilizers and weed killers need to be timed right, too. In the fall and late winter you need pre-emergent weed killers, while in the spring, when grass is just starting to emerge, you need a good fertilizer.
Westview’s FertiGreen program makes it easy to maintain the beauty of your lawn and landscaping. They’ll come out four times a year and apply the seasonally correct fertilizers, weed killers and pesticides to your yard at exactly the right time.
“The products we use are made right here in Texas and were basically created for this particular area,” he said. “They know what our soil consists of and what needs to be applied to make our yards look good. A lot of these northern fertilizers won’t work half as well down here as they might in other areas.”
To deal with deer, squirrels, rabbits and other critters that like to make a meal of your garden, Westview has a variety of nonpoisonous repellents to help keep them away. They also have a selection of plants that repel insects, so you can enjoy your patio in comfort all summer long.
Service
Walk into a big chain nursery and it’s hard to find anyone to help you, and even when you do, they might not have much knowledge about gardening and sometimes even give you the wrong information. But service and know-how are what Westview is known for.
“You pull in here, step out of the car, and somebody’s going to greet you,” Houck said. “We train our people to be knowledgeable, and if someone doesn’t know the answer to your question, they’ll find someone who does.”
That’s the great service you get with a family-run business that’s entering its fourth generation — with a fifth on the way.
For more information about Westview, please visit westviewnurseryandlandscaping.com.
