The seasonal change

I haven’t posted much at this blog over the last few months. It’s just we have been so busy at the nursery this year there hasn’t been the time. After work Monica and I head for the garden where we de-compress, which does not include blogging. With the rain today it has come to my attention that the garden is ready for it’s seasonal change. In addition I found a baby deer inside the gate, trying to get out. The first animal intrusion into the garden this year. It got our by ripping down the fence.

So it’s time to start pulling out some of our tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers to make way for fall vegetables like broccoli, and cauliflower. We have already planted the first broccoli and are getting the bed ready for lettuce and radishes. If we don’t plant now they will not be ready in time before the cold of winter settles in.

Don’t wait any longer to make the change. Like so many things in life, timing is important. In vegetable gardening it can be the difference between having vegetables to harvest in fall and winter, and having nothing to harvest. The fresh rain today, the first in many months, helps set the mood for the fall and winter garden. Change is in the air.

We will be having a fall and winter vegetable garden workshop at the nursery next Saturday the 14th, from 10 am to 11. It’s free, and will give you the information needed to have a bountiful garden this year and next.

Bare root goodies

I love the bare root season. All sorts of fun stuff to plant. Fruit trees are the first thing everyone thinks of when it comes to bare root. There are lot’s of other fruiting plants that can be planted bare root, yet are not trees. Blueberries are the most popular of the fruiting bushes these days. We sell blueberries in pots during spring, but you can get them bare root right now. They are smaller than the ones in pots, but they are also half the price. Be sure to plant two different types of blueberries for cross pollination.

Asparagus, strawberries, and rhubarb are also sold bare root. As a matter of fact asparagus can really only be planted during the bare root season. It’s not sold in pots later, like strawberries or rhubarb will be. There are also the berries like blackberries and raspberries that are sold bare root. Bare root season is full of possibilities.

In our face paced lives we have come to expect that the plants we want to grow will be available when we want them. Want to plant a fruit orchard in summer? Well then the garden center should have the fruit trees then, right? Want Rhubarb to plant in fall? Well the garden center will have them then, right?

Gardening is about the seasons. Different seasons are for different aspects of gardening. To expect the garden center to have a lot of fruit trees in summer is wrong. Most likely the fruit trees will be gone by summer and planting fruit trees during summer is not healthy for the trees. They like to be moved and planted while they are dormant, in winter. That’s just the way it is! Grandma and grandpa knew that winter was bare root season. After being off the farm for a couple of generations we have forgotten what to do during the different seasons.

It’s time to become attuned to the seasons again. If you want to grow fruit trees, and bushes you have to work with nature, not against her. It some times come down to deciding what it is that’s important in our lives. Do we want to spend our time running around trying to do a million things at once? Rather wouldn’t it be better to do fewer things, but do them better? When I think of all the well meaning people who plant fruit trees and don’t succeed it’s sad. So often the extra time necessary to care for the trees is not allocated and they suffer. Fruit tree gardening does not have to be hard, but it does require forethought and an awareness of what to do each season.

This is the season to plant fruit trees and bushes. Don’t wait until the end of February, it may be too late to find the varieties and quantities you want. With the increase in interest in fruit tree gardening, I think we will run out of the fruit trees earlier than in years past. Remember, the best time to have planted that tree was ten years ago. The second best time to plant is right now!

Fruit tree sales are brisk

Ed Livo, our fruit tree sales rep standing by a fruit tree prunned low for ease of care. See how much easier it would be to pick the fruit and care for a tree that is kept small like this one.

I am excited about the bare root fruit tree sales . People seem to be responding to events around them   by taking back control in areas of their lives. Growing you own fruit can be such a rewarding project on so many levels. I think there are two reasons people are more interested in growing there own fruit this year. The first is safety. People are concerned about what goes on their food, and whether it will be bad for their health. Growing their own fruit they will know exactly what has been applied to the fruit trees. Want to go organic? Your choice.

The second reason is flavor. I am always pointing out the white fleshed nectarines to folks. Some say they don’t want buy nectarines since they never taste good. I think they feel this way since the only nectarines they have tried are the hard as rock ones in the store. Fresh picked nectarines are fantastically flavored, even better than peaches. So flavor is something that compels one to start a fruit garden.

There are other reasons to grow your own fruit. A chance to show your children where food comes from, and the work involved in bringing food to the table. There is also the desire by some to only buy food grown or sourced locally. Locavore is a term used to describe someone who only sources their food within a 100 mile radius. It’s a growing movement, and nothing is more local than your own backyard.

Here is a great resource for the home fruit gardener. Dave Wilson Nursery supplies our bare root fruit trees and they have a great web page that talks all about Backyard Orchard Culture. This is a technique that was developed exclusively for the home fruit tree gardener.  It utilizes semi-dwarf trees which stay smaller and makes them easier to prune and care for. It also utilizes summer pruning in addition to the dormant pruning we do in winter. It’s also about “successive ripening” which means less volume of fruit, but a more continuous supply of smaller amounts of fruit. Much better for a family.

Fruit tree sales are brisk, and I think we will sell out earlier than we have before. If you are interested in getting some fruit trees this year I would try and get into the nursery the next week or two for the best selection. Make this the year you finally start that fruit garden.

A day off!

We’re off today. Our good friend and employee Rob offered to work for us today, so Monica and I could get a day off. I think we will head up Hwy. 49 towards Nevada City. Maybe we will stop by Weiss Bros. nursery in Grass Valley. Other than that we will just enjoy having nothing to do.

With the weather in the mid-seventies it’s a perfect time to be outdoors. People come to the nursery and keep telling me we need the rain. Of course we do! Saying we need the rain in January seems to be a tradition here in northern California, where our rains seem to keep coming later and later each year. We live today! Get out and enjoy yourself, and don’t stress over the lack of rain. Around here it could all come in one month in March (let’s hope not however.)

Winter at the garden center

I want to thank Angela at Garden Bliss for a recent comment she made at my other blog The Blogging Nurseryman. She basically chided me for not posting enough in this blog. She is exactly right and gave me the kick in the but I needed to get this blog back in shape. Thanks Angela!

delecious blueberries

She wants to hear what’s exciting at the garden center right now! First off are the bare root fruit trees and bushes. Apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, pear, pluots, blueberries, etc., are all available right now. The fruits listed are just some of the varieties available. Bare root means plants sold without dirt around the roots. Trees and shrubs that go dormant in the winter can be dug out of the ground and sold just during the winter season, which around here can end in late February. The prices are the lowest of the year! Sure you can buy fruit trees in spring, but they will cost more, and wont get the benefit of early spring root growth. Fruit trees are starting to sell now, and I think you should choose the varieties you want now, before they are gone! Dave Wilson is our fruit tree supplier. They have a great resource for the home fruit gardener. Check out their info on Backyard Fruit Tree Culture. This is a way to maximize your space and get the most out of your fruit gardening. Check it out here.

fragrant daphne

The Daphne and Sarcococca are getting ready to bloom. What with the weather being so nice lately they are ready to pop. The fragrance from these two shrubs will remind you that spring is not to far away. I call Daphne The Romantic Plant since it usually blooms around Valentines day and makes a great gift!

Here in The Foothills people often buy plants that are not acclimated to the cold we get in winter. Buy visiting the nursery now you can see plants that live in the cold. This is the time to look at the “bare bones” of the garden, and see how you can improve the winter vista. Nothing helps improve ones outlook than getting into the garden and getting ones hands dirty. When you work in the winter garden you are expressing a positive outlook, since Spring ALWAYS follows winter. This year more than ever a positive outlook is needed. Just getting outside and working with the winter garden will improve you outlook, guaranteed!

A whimsical world

Harry Lauders Walking Stick

I like whimsical plants. One of my favorites is The Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick. It is actually a hazelnut that went crazy. During the growing season it has leaves that hide the twisted branches but during winter it’s full whimsy is revealed. Growing very slow it makes a great container plant.

Monica and I actually used one as our Christmas tree last year, and will again this year. It’s different, like us, and the ornaments are visible from all sides. It always gets comments from our visitors.

If your looking for something different as a gift, or Christmas Tree, you might find The Walking Stick right up your alley.

Liquidambers and fall color, or lack of

I received this question today. Thought I would pass it on to you.

Trey,

I posted this question to some blog and never got any responses…
Do you know the answer?

Thanks,

Can anyone tell me why some Liquid Ambers have more color than
others? I have one in my front yard which I planted five years ago.
It appears very healthy, but is dissapointing when it comes to fall
color. The pair in the greenbelt behind my house are spectacular. Is
there anything I can give the tree to coax it into a better fall
show? Mark in Temecula CA

Your question is one that is heard all he time when it comes to Liquidambers. There are two basic types of Liquidambers. Ones that are grown from seed, and grafted trees. Trees grown from seed have great variation when it comes to the colors of the leaves in fall. Some turn yellow, others reds, oranges, and pinks. The only way to know for sure is to pick out the tree when it’s turning color.

Grafted trees are supposed to turn the color of the original tree. “Palo Alto”, “Festival”, and “Burgundy” are some of the popular varieties avaiable. Soil, climate, and other variations can cause a tree like Palo Alto to have only yellow leaves instead of the promised red, yellows, and pinks.

Don’t over fertilize the tree. If it’s in a lawn it can get extra fertilizer from the lawn. Maybe feed it a couple of times on the spring. tDont feed from early summer on. Sometimes it just takes years before it finally starts to change color. I have a Palo Alto in my yard that turns yellow. It’s been there for years!

Perhaps it will next fall it will be more colorful.

Protecting your plants from the cold

We had frost just the other day. It burned the leaves on the figs and finished off the summer vegetable garden. The first frost always surprises and if you not careful you can lose that jade plant you brought up from The Bay Area. Jade plants are not the only plants that need to be protected. Most citrus, tropical hibiscus, bougainvillea, some cactus, some succulents, and houseplants should all be protected from the cold.

The solution for many of these plants is to simply bring them indoors. That ficus tree that you set out side this summer needs to be brought back in before the first frost. Really it should be brought in long before that, as temperatures in the forties can be harmful. Most all houseplant need to be kept in the house during the winter. Keep in mind that when you bring the plants indoors you should not locate them where the heater vents or fireplace is located. The heat may be too much for them.

Plants like citrus or tropical hibiscus do not necessarily need to be brought indoors. They just need to be located out of the direct cold, like on a covered patio. The cover over the patio helps quite a bit in keeping the cold off the plants. This won’t work if they are planted in the ground, of course. That is why we don’t really recommend planting tender plants in the ground. Trying to protect them each winter can be done, but forget just once and they could be doomed.

With both plants in the ground, and container plants, there are some things you can do to help. “Frost Blanket” is a lightweight material that drapes over the plant, making as much as a seven degree difference between the outside and under the blanket. Some people use plastic sheeting to cover their plants, though I don’t recommend that. Plastic, when it touches the plant can conduct the cold to the parts of the plant it touches. Plastic also doesn’t breath, which can cause problems when the sun shines, causing the plants to over heat. “Frost Blanket” breathes, and does not conduct cold to the plant.

“Cloud Cover” is a liquid that is sprayed on the plant itself. The “Cloud Cover” coats the leaves, with an invisible barrier, that prevents moisture loss through the leaves. It is this moisture loss, on cold days that can cause damage to plants. “Cloud Cover” will provide a couple of degrees of protection if applied at least a few hours before you expect frost.

One novel, and pretty way to protect some plants are Christmas lights. Hanging a string of larger holiday lights, not the little twinkling ones, throughout the plant can give a couple of degrees protection. The lights can be used in conjunction with the “frost blanket, to provide even more protection.

Many gardeners love to test the limits of their ability and climate when growing plants. The tips we have discussed will help to prevent some of the disappointment you might experience, when that 20 year old jade plant makes the move with you to The Foothills.

Hanna’s Tomato Tastings

Over at This Garden is Illegal blog Hanna has started posting her 2008 tomato tasting report. Hanna has been doing this for awhile and hers is one of the best tomato tasting on the web. She lives in the suburbs of Cleveland, OH. In her blog she ” waxes on and off about her garden, the flowers, what she wants to do in her yard and how it all fits into her everyday life”, but it’s her tomato tasting report that you will want to check in on regularly. She reviews the really odd varieties that you just don’t hear much about.

She also asks “If you do your own tomato tasting (which I highly recommend), you can either link to it from the comments here or shoot me an email and I will link to it from within this post. The point of this is to create a real review of all the 100s of varieties of tomatoes available. Life is too short to have to rely on seed sellers descriptions (have you ever heard of a bad tomato from them). Share your tomato love with the world.”

Train your vegies up.

I like to train my cucumbers, squash, melons, and other vining vegetables up using bamboo tee-pees. As the vine grows I just keep tucking the foliage into the tee-pee. The fruit develops of the ground and withing easy reach. this is a great method for vegetables grown in containers.