Jeff Rice

The month of October was much wetter than a normal October. I’ve heard the second wettest on record in some spots to even more in other spots. Here at the nursery we had 5.25″ of rain in October. Lots of things needing done before the rain didn’t get done for me but it looks dry for a bit now so time to get caught up. And still an excellent time for getting fall planting done. Dormant Spray on Fruit Trees This month you will need to be thinking about spraying your first dormant spray on your fruit trees to prevent leaf curl. Use liquid copper and horticultural oil to spray the trees when they are dormant. Looking at the orchard here at the nursery, it looks like about 3 weeks or so and they will need their first spraying. Once the trees have lost their leaves is when you want to do your first application. You will do two more applications after for a total of three. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentines Day are easy dates to remember. But you have to watch the weather and the trees. Sometime they will not have lost all of their leaves by Thanksgiving and …

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July started off nice and cool after a petty warm June. There have been a few temperature spikes but overall it’s pretty nice. Get out and do planting and landscaping early and it’s nice and cool. Many of our customers find they have the most time in the summer to do their planting. And planting in the summer is fine. Plant early in the day or in the evening if possible so it is easier on you. Plants will handle the transplant just fine but do make sure you give additional water for the first week or so after planting to make sure it is kept well hydrated. Water the new planting well and then water in with Superthrive mixed in water. This will eliminate any transplant shock that may occur. Then keep the plant moist but not soggy while it is getting it’s root system established. If you are using a timed drip system that runs for very short periods, you will need to supplement with a hose periodically. A slow trickle for an hour or two works well about once or twice a week along with the drip system. Also mulch well around your trees and shrubs to …

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Fruit Trees that were potted in January are now ready for sale. We have an assortment of apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums rooted and ready for sale. All are in 5 gallon size containers. We are selling on a first come first serve basis only. Sorry no reservations. Come in early for best selection. We have another batch of fruit trees that were potted at the end of bare root season that should be ready in a couple of weeks. I will send out an email letting everyone know when they are ready. I will also post it on the Facebook page.

Many things are needing to be done in the landscape during April. Rhododendrons should have the flower trusses that are spent snapped off at the base as soon as they fade. Don’t wait until all the flowers have finished blooming to remove them because the plant will expend energy making seeds that would be better used to add new foliage when it has completed the bloom cycle. Fertilize them right after flowering with a rhododendron azalea camellia fertilizer now and then again in 30 days and a final time 30 days after that. The same treatment applies to azaleas when they are done blooming. All those daffodils that were so beautiful earlier are no longer beautiful. Don’t cut off the leaves while they are still green. While the leaves are green, fertilize them with a high phosphorous fertilizer or one labeled “bulb food”. They bloomed early this year but here at the nursery the leaves are still green and the fertilizing can still be done. Hopefully it is the same with yours. The old leaves can be pulled up when they have turned yellow or brown. Keep on top of the aphid problems and the fungus problems which might be …

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March Gardening Tips Fertilizing It’s time to start fertilizing. Almost everything should be fertilized soon. As soon as deciduous plants have their full set of leaves fertilizing should be done I’ve actually done it in timing with the rain and had the rain water it in for me. If the rains time themselves right, it makes it easy. Hopefully we get more rains in the next several weeks to help with that. For most plants you should use a balanced fertilizer or an all purpose fertilizer. The three numbers will be the same such as 16-16-16 or 5-5-5 for organics. When fertilizing trees and shrubs apply the fertilizer at the drip line and work it into the soil. Make sure the plant is watered well before applying the fertilizer and water the fertilizer in after application. We carry 16-16-16 in 20 pound bags priced @ $19.99. We have organic balanced fertilizer from DR. Earth in 12 pound and 50 pound bags as well as 4 pound boxes. We also carry a full line of organic fertilizer for all other fertilizing needs. Vegetable Gardens Prepare the soil with good ammendments. Also incorporate into the soil a vegetable fertilizer and bone meal …

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