DFW gardeners . . .

[gardenmom5]

does anyone know if a monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) will grow in the DFW area?  I'm not worried about the cold hardiness -but heat?

 

dd has an accepted offer on a house, and this one will probably go through just fine. she spent extended time in southern chile - where the tree is native.  I thought I'd send her one for her yard if it will grow there.

[....]

My 14 year-old spends every waking moment reading about plants, so I asked her this morning about that tree.  She says it's a fairly hardy tree, but it might have a hard time at night during the summer, because the temperatures don't drop much.  Also, it would probably need to be watered, because we don't get much rain here in the summer (we're in DFW also).  She also said you could make a Bonsai out of that tree.  I don't know how to do that, but apparently she does!  LOL.   :tongue_smilie:  She said if you go the Bonsai route, it needs to be put outside in the sun for awhile every day (or you can use a grow light).

 

There are patches of evergreens here (well, you know, since you live here).  Lake Ray Roberts - bunch of evergreens...Dinosaur Valley area has pines and stuff.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Evanthe

[gardenmom5]

thanks - my dd lives in dfw, not me. 

 

(throw her in the briar patch - her favorite cousin moved down there and one of her closest friends/bridesmaids starts a job down there in two weeks.  plus, her bff since 6th grade is in houston.  this is the closest they've lived to each other since  they graduated from high school.)

[IfIOnly]

That's a thoughtful idea!

 

I've received great advice for gardening in our area via a Facebook group. Maybe the FB search feature or Google will pull up a DFW group that can be asked?

Edited September 12, 2016 by ifIonlyhadabrain

[Happy]

DFW has a couple of types of soils...most of us have black clay. One of the questions, I'd ask someone is if that tree can take an alkaline soil. Black clay is generally alkaline.

 

If she is lucky enough to have purchased a home with red soil, yay! Lots of plants, trees, and shrubs like the red soil. It's generally more acidic.

 

I don't grow some trees and shrubs because of my lovely alkaline soil and well water.

 

Talking with a good garden nursery--Weston's in Fort Worth or North Haven in Dallas comes to mind--would be useful.

[gardenmom5]

I have no idea what type of soil, but thanks for the tip. It's a newer house, in west ft worth/area. there are a couple deciduous trees in front, and just grass in the back.

[....]

I have no idea what type of soil, but thanks for the tip. It's a newer house, in west ft worth/area. there are a couple deciduous trees in front, and just grass in the back.

 

We have a newer house in west Fort Worth area and our soil is red clay.  She might have red clay, too.