Jeff Rice

October Gardening Well the first weekend of fall did not really feel like it but after the nice soaking rain we just had and the cooler temperatures, it feels like fall. This is a great time of year and as we always tell our customers it is the best time to plant. Trees and shrubs get established without the heat but before the cold and are set to put out new growth in the spring with well established roots that will take them through their first summer without the stress from the heat that a plant with a less established root has.   Trees are starting to show fall color now with the cool nights so you can see what color you will be getting when you buy your trees.  The selection is good and the colors will be beautiful over the next few weeks.   Fall is also the time to plant bulbs for spring color. Tulips and daffodils are available now and we have them on sale at 20% off for the month of October. Daffodils are deer resistant and gopher resistant and will naturalize in this area. When planting them use a bulb food or phosphorous in …

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Gardening tips for July Well I hope everyone enjoyed the abbreviated spring this year. Did not really last too long. Rained and snowed forever and then not too long after it all stopped it got hot. Oh well, can’t do much about the weather. The biggest thing to do this month is water. When it is this hot it is time to step up the watering. Increase time on timers to give plants good deep soakings. Some signs to look for that show not enough water are wilting in the heat that does not recover when the weather cools for the evening. If water is not increased when you see this the next thing will be leaves dropping and flowers dropping before the blooms are spent. The next thing is edges of leaves will turn brown and then die back on branches. If you see any of these signs increase the water to the plant. If a plant is stressed due to lack of water or other reasons, use Superthrive. Mix 1 to 3 caps of superthrive with 5 gallons of water and soak the plant. This will help the plant to recover. Also a good idea to use it …

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Vegetable Gardens By now you should be able to hopefully be getting some vegatables. It has taken a while this year. Watch for tomato worms. Use caterpillar killer on them or pick them off and kill. Water your garden well about 2 to 3 times a week. Give it a good deep soaking when you water. You may need to fertilize one time this time of year. If you are suffering blossom end rot, add calcium. Harvest regularly to keep your garden producing. Hopefully it looks full now and not like the beginning of the season. Water Water Water With the summer heat comes the need for watering. Remember that it is better for trees inparticular to have deep soakings 2 to 3 times a week rather than daily short waterings. This will get a deeper root system and produce a tree that can withstand the long hot days much better than one that is watered daily for short periods. If you are seeing stress from the heat such as burned leaf edges, flowers fading quickly, wilting, etc., increase the amount of water you are giving. Use Superthrive to help revive a stressed plant. It seems the biggest problem we …

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Fall Planting Season Fall is almost here. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. We are starting to see a little bit of fall color on a few of the trees at the nursery. THAT MEANS FALL PLANTING SEASON IS HERE! Fall is the best time for planting just about everything, paritcularly trees. Plants that are planted in fall get the cooler weather to get roots established without the stress of the heat and transplant shock and continue to establish roots even after they lose their leaves. They will continue root devlopment with the fall and winter rains. The roots then are established and the tree or shrub is ready to take off and grow next spring and is well established before the heat of the summer and can tolerate the summer heat much better than the same plant put out in the spring. The inventory here at the nursery looks great. It is full and is ready for fall planting. If you are planning on planting trees this fall, don’t wait too late in the season. The inventory is full right now but we are not overstocked like the past couple of years. So as …

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SPRING IS COMING officially on March 20th. The temperatures are on the rise from the rather cold winter we have had — with some nice almost spring-like weath- er interspersed. By April spring has usually come for sure. The warmer temperatures encourage the production of new foliage on plants that have been resting throughout the winter months. This is the time to encourage all that fresh new growth with some fertilizer. An All Purpose Fertilizer such as 16-16-16 can be used on all deciduous trees, all fruit and nut trees and most shrubs and ground covers, etc. Some of the principal exceptions are: Fertilizing Roses – Do it every 4-6 weeks with fertilizer labeled for roses. It can be straight rose fertilizer or a product such as Bayer Advanced Garden 2-in-1 and Flower Care which includes a systemic insecticide for insect control. Fertilizing Citrus – Do it every month, except in the coldest part of the winter. Don’t encourage new tender growth that would be damaged badly, even killed, by freezing temperatures. Be sure it is a fertilizer labeled for citrus. Fertilizer Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Camellias – Do it for three applica- tions at 30, 60, and 90 days following …

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The final spraying for leaf curl should be done this week. Don’t delay on getting it done. The warm weather will make the trees begin to bloom. Make sure to get the spraying done before the color of the blooms begin to show. If you have apricots you should use copper spray. If you don’t have apricots you can use either copper or sulfur. Mix neem oil or a dormant oil with it when you spray. It will help the spray to cling to the tree and also help to kill overwintering insects. Pruning of fruit trees and roses and other plants should be done while they are still dormant. That is another task that should be done soon. Minor pruning can be done anytime but if you have some major prunig to do, try to get it done soon. This unseasonably warm weather is going to force plants to break dormancy soon. Fertilizing will be needed when the plants have put on their leaves for the spring. A balanced fertilizer works well for most trees and shrubs. Look for fertilizer with all three numbers the same such as 16/16/16. Some plants need special fertilizer. Azaleas and Rhododendrons like acid …

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Second and third dormant spraying on fruit trees should be completed this month and in February. With all the rain it has bee hard to get it done. If you have not done your second spraying do it now and then the third should be done February usually around the middle of the month. You want to get it done before the buds are starting to show flower color. Use copper spray or sulfur spray and mix some dormant oil in with it to help it cling to the tree and also kill any overwintering insects. If you have apricot trees only use copper spray. Never use sulfur spray on apricots. Prune fruit trees and roses. Fruit trees can be pruned this month or next month but roses should wait until mid February to be sure to get past all the heavy freezes before pruning. This year I plan to have pruning clinics for fruit trees and roses. I will send an email with the dates as soon as I have them set. The ground is pretty wet right now but you can still plant bare root trees and shrubs. It is a good idea to mix compost in with …

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GARDENING TIPS FOR DECEMBER 2010 There are not a great many chores that are really necessary for the month of December, but there is one that should not be overlooked or “put off until later”, which is a very easy thing to do during this busy season which is often cold and rainy. The deciduous fruit trees are due for the second dormant spraying for the season in late December (Christmas), the last one being due in mid-February (Valentine’s Day). If the November spraying was delayed because the trees had not yet dropped leaves or rain interfered with your schedule, still try to get done as close to the recommended timing as possible. We have already had some very low temperatures in late November and hope that everyone was ready and protected their vulnerable plants. Do keep all plants well watered when freezing weather has been predicted — a wet plant will tolerate the freezing much better than a dry plant. Since water freezes at 32 degrees F., the wet soil will be kept at 32 degrees by a ‘blanket’ of ice, even though the temperature may go lower. Plants can similarly be protected by letting a sprinkler run allowing …

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GARDENING TIPS FOR NOVEMBER 2010 November is here and usually brings brisk weather with it that helps convince deciduous trees and plants that it really is time to shed their leaves. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it , and that should be a reminder to gardeners that it is time for the first application of dormant spray to prevent leaf curl on peaches and nectarines. The two most frequently used sprays are copper spray or lime sulfur spray, and it is often recommended that they be alternated from one year to the next for the best results. They both are effective on many other fungal infections, as well, such as powdery mildew, black spot, shot hole fungus and others. Read the insert that comes with whichever you decide to use and learn what other things might be protected, such as roses. The peach and nectarines need three dormant sprayings — late November (Thanksgiving), late December (Christmas) and mid-February (Valentine’s Day). They should have shed all leaves before spraying. While you are out to spray them, take a rake along and clean up any debris, such as leaves and old fruit that may have fallen. Spray the ground around …

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