Closed Easter Sunday
March just plain got away from me. I did not expect to have so much to do so early in the year, like watering every day when we had all our bare root to pot, veggie starts to do, and plugs and baskets to plant. Plus a lot of orders coming in to do, taxes to finish, etc. So here I am on April 1, just setting down to write the newsletter and list our April specials.
Can you believe the weather? I don’t think it rained at all in March, and the days were so warm that it got everyone thinking it is time to plant summer annuals and vegetables. If you have lived here long enough, you know it is still early, and we can still frost. As a matter of fact, there is a good chance that if the clouds clear early tonight, it will get to the low 30s here at the nursery. We have a lot of things covered with frost cloth for tonight. That being said, the weather is unprecedented, with many high-temperature records being set for Middletown this month. It is anybody’s guess, including my usual go-to weather report, that has been so off this year for the frost forecast.
Continue feeding and preparing your beds for planting. Remember that annuals are heavy feeders. Annual is sort of a misnomer because it does not mean every year, as you would think. It means they germinate, grow, flower, set seed, and die within a season or the year. Perennials are the ones that can last for more than a year. They know they are in it for the long haul and do not gobble up nutrients like annuals do. It is very important to add GreenAll Soil Booster, manure, and worm castings to your vegetable pots and beds to start before you plant. That being said, it is also beneficial to top dress your perennials every year with organic matter to replenish what they have used. Remember, a typical soil is only 5% organic matter, the rest being mineral, air, and water. The more organic matter, the better a majority of plants do. Your soil is a whole ecosystem of its own, and it is important to feed the soil, and the soil feeds the plant.
Availability of vegetable starts has been limited to tomatoes, basil, and peppers. We are just getting in some beans, squash, cucumbers, and eggplant. No melons yet. Even our growers were not ready for an early spring. Keep in mind that summer vegetables do not like cold, wet soil or temps below 40 at night. Basil, cucumbers, eggplant, and melons detest temps below 40. Often, planting too early gives you disappointing results, and vegetables planted later do better. Just saying.
Seed sales have been increasing every year, and we have been reordering on a weekly basis to keep our seed racks stocked. I think there are two factors here. One is economics, and the cost of living these days. The other is that people want to grow their own food and flowers and want to know they can do it, from planting a small seed to having more zucchini than they can handle, along with beautiful bouquets on the dining room table.
Check out this year’s selection of mossy baskets, just in time for Easter. There is also a moss bunny, who, along with ducklings are the non-official animal of spring. We just received this year’s order of ‘living rocks’ and twisted cactus. The little clematis starts should be here any day. Summer bulbs are here, and the spring seed potatoes, rhubarb tubers, and asparagus crowns have finally come. Just in and not even unpacked yet is the new to us bioherbicide Firehawk. It is made with nonanoic fatty acid and works by stripping the weeds of their protective waxy skin coating, causing them to desiccate, aka dry up. This was developed by regenerative farmers and is safe to use. It is nonselective, which means it does not get on the plants you want, only the ones you don’t want. There is no residual in the soil from use.
We flew through our first round of ladybugs, and the reorder is taking longer to get here than I had hoped. We also have a fresh batch of beneficial nematodes and mantid egg cases. I have some borer issues in my nectarine tree, and I treated the soil around my fruit trees with nematodes. They attack bad insects that are pupating in the ground, like some borers and grubs. Spray your apple trees when the fruit is dime, nickel, and quarter-sized for codling moth. You can monitor for insects with our sticky traps or put two in every tree for control. Use Neem as it is a life cycle interrupter and a repellent if you need to spray for insects. Remember to do any spraying early or late, when beneficial insects are not active.
The redbuds are over, but many people in the county have lilacs, and they are blooming now. So is some of the wisteria we have for sale here. Ceanothus, aka Ca. Lilac or Wild Lilac is in color and should be starting to bloom around the county. Azaleas are blooming at the nursery and are available for purchase. Remember these prefer acid soil and a bright shade spot. Also, try to keep in mind that if you are looking for plants for a shady spot, we do not keep them in our sunny areas, and vice versa. The area north of the pond under several trees is a good place to look for shade plants. Out in the open areas is a good place to look for plants that need sun.
Is the world getting crazier, or has it always been this way? The therapeutic value of flowers, physical action, a restive spot, and nature has long been established. Gardening covers all those bases. We are here to help.
April Specials
20% Off
- Locally grown Aeoniums
- Cool Season Vegetable Starts while supply lasts
- 2025 Crepe Myrtles and Rose of Sharons
- EB Stone Sure Start
50% Off
- Aloe maculata – Guessing on type, and we propagated way too many
Buy 3, 4th Free
- GreenAll 2 cu ft Organic Potting Soil
