The weather so far this fall has been excellent. Some nice rain today and nice and cool. The forecast for this winter as far as I can tell is for a normally wet winter. Time will tell but seems to be a consensus among many of the forecasts I’ve seen. FALL IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS
Our BARE ROOT FRUIT TREE LIST FOR JANUARY 2024 is now available. We have copies available at the nursery or I can email you a list upon request.
Fall fertilizing should be done now or very soon. If you have not done your fall fertilizing yet you should do it as soon as possible. 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 almost 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.
The weather is now ideal for fall planting of trees and shrubs. Fall planted trees and shrubs develop roots through the cooler fall and even into the winter and then are ready to take off and grow next spring and will be well established by summer to get through the heat of the summer with no problems.
Next month we will be getting in our Blueberries, pomegranates, figs and also berries. I don’t know of the exact dates but I will notify via email and on our Facebook page when they come in.
Don’t forget to do your dormant spraying of your fruit trees this winter during the dormant season. It is too early now, but the first spraying will need to be done in November. Use copper mixed with horticultural oil or Neem oil and spray the entire tree as well as the trunk. Rake up leaves from this year when they fall to help reduce the spread of the fungus that causes leaf curl. Remember to spray 3 times during the dormant season. We suggest Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentines day as easy dates to remember.
Enjoy this beautiful fall weather we are having. And remember that fall is the best time for planting trees and shrubs.
We hope to see you soon.
Jeff
