Guides from the yard
Guides on mulching, soil, trees and shrubs, and seasonal work in Houston, plus a calculator for figuring cubic yards.
Topics
Mulching
Mulch regulates soil temperature, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds - when it is finished material, applied at the right depth, and kept off the trunk.
MulchingSoil
Topsoil has no standard definition. Three things decide whether a lawn or a bed establishes: soil structure, organic matter, and whether the compost in the blend is finished.
SoilTrees and shrubs
Trees fail after planting for a short list of reasons: the hole was dug too deep, circling roots were never cut, the backfill will not drain, mulch was piled against the trunk, or the tree went dry through its first Houston summer.
Trees and shrubsSeasonal
Houston is USDA Zone 9. Fertilizing starts at the end of February and planting in March. Summer work is mowing height, watering depth, and mulch. October is fertilizer, pre-emergent, and a compost topdressing.
SeasonalGuides
Mulching
Proper mulch application for your garden beds
Fall and spring are the best times to re-dress beds. Over the season, mulch decomposes from rain and heat. That is normal: the wood breaks down and feeds soil microbes.
Read the guide
Soil
Compost-enriched soil vs. topsoil for your lawn and garden
When installing sod, seeding a lawn or building a bed, the first thought is usually to bring in topsoil. Plain topsoil can lack the organic matter a root system needs.
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Trees and shrubs
How to plant a new tree and avoid transplant shock
Hole width, circling roots, backfill, water, and mulch decide whether a new tree takes or sits in shock through its first Houston summer.
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Seasonal
How to winterize your grass for a healthy lawn
October brings cooler weather, which is when to winterize turf. Three steps: fertilize, spread a pre-emergent, and topdress with compost.
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Seasonal
Best summer lawncare practices for Houston, Texas
Summer in Houston is heat and humidity. Turf that makes it is mowed high, watered deep, and sitting on soil that can hold moisture.
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Seasonal
Spring planting in Houston
Freezes are gone, temperatures are rising, and Houston is USDA Zone 9. March is when to plant lettuce, onions, spinach, broccoli, peas, beets, and carrots.
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Seasonal
Spring fertilization
By the end of February, temperatures start to warm and it is time to feed turf for the season. Compost does most of that work, and a bagged fertilizer does the rest.
Read the guideSoil calculator
Output is cubic yards. The correction factors are Casco's own, carried over from the calculator on our previous site: 1.2 for mulch, 1.0 for soil blends, 0.8 for compost. Guidance, not a spec for your job.