Newsletter & Tips

March has started out a bit cool this year. Winter wants to hang on. Which it can until the 20th which is the first day of spring. Lots of nice rain this year. A little too much at once a few times, but we need the moisture so no complaints. 38 inches since October here at the nursery. Considering the warmer weather coming and the ground is good and moist, be ready to start fertilizing soon. As soon as deciduous trees and shrubs have their full set of leaves, you should give them their first fertilizing of the year. A balanced fertilizer works well for most things. Use a rhododendron, camellia, azalea fertilizer for your acid loving plants. Fertilize azaleas and rhododendrons after they are done blooming. Same thing for camellias. Citrus should use a citrus fertilizer. Lots of citrus may be looking a bit yellow after the winter and all the rain. Start fertilizing as soon as the danger of frost is past. I think it is safe now but considering how cool we have been, maybe wait another week or so. Fertilize citrus monthly through the growing season. Speaking of citrus, we now have our citrus and avocados …

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Bare root season continues through February. The selection of bare root fruit trees and roses is still very good. We have had plenty of rain this winter and it is an excellent time to plant bare root fruit trees. If we are holding trees for you that have already been paid for, remember that they must be picked up by the end of February. At the end of the month we pot up what has not been sold bare root and then the price goes up. Take advantage of bare root prices and get your fruit trees in now. Final Dormant Spraying is Due This Month The third and final dormant spraying of your deciduous fruit trees is due this month. With all the rain we are having it is very important you get this done to avoid leaf curl and other possible diseases. You should have done two sprayings already and the final one should be done before flowers come out. We sprayed the nursery orchard for the final time last week because some of the apricots were ready to bloom. If the buds stay closed, we will probably try for one more as added insurance against leaf curl …

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Onion Plants: Walla Walla, Red Torpedo, Red Candy Apple (Sweet red onion), Candy (Sweet yellow onion). $5.30 per bundle. 50 to 75 plants per bundle. Seed Potatoes: Yukon Gold, Red Norland, Russet, Kennebec. $2.35/ pound. Hours: 9 to 5 Monday through Saturday, 10 to 4 Sunday 743-4856

Bare root season is now in full swing. We have 90% of our fruit trees in stock with a couple more shipments due in within a couple of weeks with the balance of the fruit trees. We will also have bare root shade trees soon. Bare root berries, and vegetables such as artichokes and asparagus are also available now. Blueberries, figs, and pomegranates in pots are in as well. We have free coffee or hot chocolate or tea during bare root season. Most standard sized fruit trees are $20.00 and most semi-dwarf fruit trees are $22.00. There are exceptions. Complete price lists are available at the nursery or via email by request. Bare root season goes now through the end of February. The selection of fruit trees is very large, but don’t wait till the end of the season to shop. Once a variety is sold out, it is gone until next year’s bare root season. At the end of February, the trees that are left, which should be few, are potted up and sold later in the year and the price is higher after we pot them. We also still have our full regular inventory for whatever you might …

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We’ve had a nice early season storm this year. It will soften the ground and is a really nice start. Hopefully lots more to come this winter. Even though we have had what feels like a winter storm it is still fall. With the rain we had and still fall, if you have not done your fall fertilizing yet you should do it as soon as possible. Some trees are starting to show fall color but you can still get the fertilizing done. This fertilizing is important because it gives plants a good boost and also gives them stored food for winter. Next spring they will use that stored food for growth as soon as the weather warms. A balanced fertilizer is good for amost everything in the landscape. Citrus trees would like a citrus fertilizer and this should be the last application for them for the season. Don’t feed them in the winter. Rhododendrons and azaleas should not be fertilized now unless it is with a bloom fertilizer. This will help give more blooms next spring. The same could be used on Dogwoods if you have one that does not want to bloom well. It may help. After this …

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August is a good time to start planning for the fall planting and if it is not too warm you can get a jump on the fall planting season. Remember that fall is the best time for planting trees and shrubs. Especially trees. I know the ground is hard after the summer but if you start a hole and soak it and then dig a little more and soak it, pretty soon the hole you need for the tree or shrub is done and it is a fairly painless way to dig a hole. Continue to water deeply for the balance of the summer and into fall and be sure that if mulch you added at the beginning of the summer is getting thin, add more to keep the moisture you are applying in the ground. Bare Root Fruit Tree List I now have the Bare Root Fruit Tree list for bare root 2017 completed and available. The list is of all that will be in January of 2017. Click on the link following and you can look at it and hopefully print it if you like. Plan out your orchard. If you want to reserve trees for the bare …

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