Dayton "Dirt" - November 29, 2014

At the nursery things are ready for the Christmas season with wreaths, roping, grave blankets, poinsettias and of course Christmas trees. Some of the poinsettias “acted” somewhat strange this year as they were a little late with the full extent of their color with some even now not quite ready to “pop out of the oven”. Growing plants for sale is much the like preparing a delicious meal from the addition of ingredients in the correct amounts, precise timing in the oven or on the stove, stirring, mixing . . .

In the plant world, fertilizing on time, trimming, keeping insects and disease at bay, soil supplements, watering, the withholding of water (sometimes) and so on to have to go together to make a quality saleable plant and the actions taken must be timely as in cooking in which one missed essential step could ruin things.

After a flurry of activity of customers ordering their grave blankets and other cemetery decorations in order to have them in place by Thanksgiving, construction is still going on of the blankets and pillows as the later placement orders come in along with keeping the ready to go stock area full for those that want to pick up and place their own decorations.

Other coming-up chores will be the shipment of a few thousand un-rooted cuttings that will have to be prepared for sticking in specially made rooting sells that we set on the heating tubes from the hot water boiler. With the soil temperatures kept at 72º - 73º the cuttings will begin to root in 1 week and will be lifted from this bottom heat in 3 weeks to prepare for geranium cuttings from our stock plants purchased last October. Even in winter the greenhouse needs attention. Plants in cold storage need attention and then there’s always something that needs fixed or painted or cleaned.

A major remodeling of the main store building seems to be going along smoothly although the building will not open until spring so that the Owl Barn market is open through the Christmas season and for the winter seminars coming up.

Time to go while the weather holds from winter’s icy grip. Instead of Black Friday, remember our many blessings that continue year round after Thanksgiving and of which we are in the habit of taking for granted.

Tom