It is definitely spring. Record temps one day. Cold, windy, and wet the next. Here at the nursery, we are still expecting frosty mornings to happen throughout this month. It is very easy to get tricked into thinking it is safe to put out tomatoes, but not for us. I know there are plenty of you who live in the thermal banana belts in the county, so you might be okay. Those of us who live on the valley floors, cold pockets, and higher elevations know better. Always keep in mind that it takes longer for the soil to warm up after winter than the air temps. If the soil is still cold, warm-season vegetables do not take off. This is especially true for cucumbers, melons, and basil. Planted too early, they wither and die. That being said, this is a good month to get your squash, beans, cucumbers, and melons started indoors if you plan on growing from seed. We suggest you use our EBStone Seed Starter mix with some GreenAll Organic Potting Soil with Sure Start as a grow medium.
Once the soil has warmed up, it is very important that you add nutrition back into the soil. Annual plants like vegetables are pretty greedy and suck a lot of nutrients out of the soil. After all, they only have a season or two to live. EBStone Soil Booster is specially formulated to replace what has been lost. Chicken, Steer, and Worm Casting are also excellent choices. Adding calcium is also important. You can do this with Ag Lime or Oyster Shell. Gypsum is another source and can help loosen up clay soils. The healthier the soil, the healthier the plant. The healthier the plant, the more it is able to fight off insects, disease, and harsh climate conditions. This includes feeding all your pots, perennials, trees, and shrubs now if you haven’t already.
As most of you know, we have always been as organic as possible here with our spray, fertilizer, and soil offerings. One of the ways we do that is by offering ladybugs, ladybugs with lacewing eggs, preying mantids, and beneficial nematodes. Beneficial nematodes are microscopic but attack grubs and other detrimental things like fruit tree borers while they are pupating in the ground. We get the all-purpose variety, although there are a few specialty ones that target a more specific group, like fleas in the yard. If you have been having borer problems or find lots of white grubs in your beds as you are digging, you should consider nematodes.
Our tulip bulb pots are bursting with color and sure add to the eye candy here. The redbud at the end of the street is in full bloom and is awesome as ever. Last year’s fruit trees are blooming, along with the miniature nectarines and peaches. We have potted up all our bare-root fruit trees, but will offer them at 20% off early bird special price for April. We still have blueberries, figs, grapes and other berries in liner pots for you to purchase to add to your edible landscape. Camellias and Hellebores are awesome. The roses are really leafing out, and we expect flowers to be happening by the end of the month.
Summer bulbs are in stock now. We only get a few Dahlias in this way, as most of you prefer to buy the plants in bloom when we get them in later. Also available are Canna Lilies, Caladiums, Elephant Ears, Liatris, Crocosmia, and Tiger Lilies, plus a few others. Our spring offering of seed potatoes just arrived a month late. We have Yukon Gold and Red Pontiac. I don’t know about you but I love those little spring potatoes.
Who doesn’t get satisfaction from a vase of cut flowers fresh from their garden? Right now, we have some great ‘cuts’ available for you to try out your flower arranging skills. We have 6-packs of American Legion Poppies, fragrant Stock, fragrant Sweet Peas, Indian Summer daisies, Godetia, Snaps, White Lace Flower, and Cosmos. In 4-inch pots, we have Carnations. Later, we will have Dahlias, Zinnias, and Sunflowers. We also carry the seed for a lot of these wonderful annuals that are used outside and in.
Our little greenhouse is once again full of plug-grown petunias, callies, lobelias, and bacopa, along with our custom color combo baskets. Some of the petunias are rooted and out for sale already. I know they are sorta pricey in the 4 inch, but you just can’t get those specially bred colors by seed. They really are awesome and still a favorite with the customers. The 6-pack availability for petunias has been spotty so far, but we do have a few colors in stock. Pansies are done at our growers, but we can usually get Violas for a longer period of time. These will go through the summer if you plant out of afternoon sun.
We received an order from Little Prince out of Oregon. They have a great selection of varieties of callies, along with the best place I know to get 4-inch ferns. We stocked up on both. We were also able to get some Toad Flax, Hardy Ground Orchids, and the west coast native Wild Ginger. The Wild Ginger makes a lovely, small-scale ground cover. You can find these, along with the ferns, in the shade areas. We also have some Tillies in stock now, also from Little Prince.
Pollinator attracting plants are popular these days and with good reason. After all, we would half-starve if our food sources of fruits and vegetables didn’t get properly pollinated. Some of the best perennial pollinator plants in stock now are Yarrow, Sages, Nepetas, Ornamental Oreganos, Lavender, and Rosemary. European honey bees are only part of the picture. Did you know there are over a thousand varieties of native bees in California? Planting some natives is more crucial than ever. As more native habitat disappears, it falls on us to simulate an eco haven in our own yards.
Have you checked out our map? Chelsea made it. Also, pencil in Sunday, April 27th, as our Spring Sharp Event Day. Ron can only come on a Sunday from 10-1. That is, if it isn’t raining, cold, and miserable. You never know.
Closed Easter Sunday, April 20th
April Specials
GreenAll Organic 2 cu. ft. Potting Soil
Buy 3, 4th FREE
20% OFF potted (previously bare root) fruit trees.
Does nut include nuts, olives, or citrus.
Cool Season Vegetable Starts 20% OFF
Hellebores 20% OFF
Onion and Garlic Bulbs 20% OFF
