Wow! Monday, May 30th is Memorial Day that is the same day as the traditional Decoration Day.
While it’s traditional to “finish” planting the garden on Memorial Day, June is a great time to continue planting succession crops of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans and sweet corn. The heat-loving crops will keep the bounty of the garden coming if succession plantings are installed every two weeks up until about July 4th.
Cool season vegetables such as broccoli and brussel sprouts don’t work well with the heat of summer and long days but I have had good luck planting cabbage for a late crop in fall. Potatoes will do very well when planted in late May and June as they will be very productive. The tubers can be harvested after the killing frost and then stored for winter use.
Be careful of thrip attack on your Roses, Dahlias and Gladiolus as these insects are very difficult to control once established. Thrips have piercing mouth parts and extract plant juices from growing points and flowers which tend to reduce bloom or make it non-existent. I recommend Captain Jack’s Bug Brew which has the active ingredient Spinosad. Two sprays with this product at 5 day intervals should get the bugs under control. If your not sure, bring a plant sample in a plastic bag and we’ll do a diagnosis so that you don’t use the wrong product because of an incorrect diagnosis.
Come on down to check out our “killer” clematis as many are blooming right now. We have the old and the new Evision Clematis that will make your garden glow.
Tom
Friday, May 27, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Dayton "Dirt" - May 20, 2011
Finally, this week it’s safe to plant about anything in the way of flowers and vegetable plants as long as you still are wary in case of a light frost.
For flower beds, whether perennial or annual, I like to mix in the product Sweet Peet into the ground just before planting. An application of about 2" of Sweet Peet is all that is needed to work into the top 6 inches of garden soil. In addition, the plants will thrive when about a ½ inch to 1 inch layer of Sweet Peet is applied as a mulch. Sweet Peet will “feed” new plants and not rob them of nitrogen as would bark or wood mulch.
Peat Moss is not a good garden mulch for most plants because of its extreme acidic nature and the fact that when it dries completely, it is almost impossible to wet which causes water to runoff on the soil instead of the water being absorbed by the soil.
Remember too that when you buy your flower and vegetable plants from Dayton’s, if the plants do not originate from seed but from a cutting to make for more identical plants, they are virus free in that the plants are virus indexed to be sure all viruses are out of the plant. Viruses which can build up in plants overtime can cause lack of vigor, lack of flowers and just plain poor growth. These harmful viruses do not pass from the parent plants to its progeny when the young plants germinate from seed.
We still have product staged for selling through this month and the first half June but after that the annual greenhouse will begin to wind down.
Be sure to come in to see us while the selection is still good.
Soon, those of you in our garden club will be getting your summer newsletter that will have some coupons that just might interest you!
Tom
P.S. Don’t forget we have free liquid fertilizer in the greenhouse. Just bring your own jug!
For flower beds, whether perennial or annual, I like to mix in the product Sweet Peet into the ground just before planting. An application of about 2" of Sweet Peet is all that is needed to work into the top 6 inches of garden soil. In addition, the plants will thrive when about a ½ inch to 1 inch layer of Sweet Peet is applied as a mulch. Sweet Peet will “feed” new plants and not rob them of nitrogen as would bark or wood mulch.
Peat Moss is not a good garden mulch for most plants because of its extreme acidic nature and the fact that when it dries completely, it is almost impossible to wet which causes water to runoff on the soil instead of the water being absorbed by the soil.
Remember too that when you buy your flower and vegetable plants from Dayton’s, if the plants do not originate from seed but from a cutting to make for more identical plants, they are virus free in that the plants are virus indexed to be sure all viruses are out of the plant. Viruses which can build up in plants overtime can cause lack of vigor, lack of flowers and just plain poor growth. These harmful viruses do not pass from the parent plants to its progeny when the young plants germinate from seed.
We still have product staged for selling through this month and the first half June but after that the annual greenhouse will begin to wind down.
Be sure to come in to see us while the selection is still good.
Soon, those of you in our garden club will be getting your summer newsletter that will have some coupons that just might interest you!
Tom
P.S. Don’t forget we have free liquid fertilizer in the greenhouse. Just bring your own jug!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Dayton "Dirt" - May 13, 2011
Is now a good time to plant? My answer is “it depends”. If the weather outlook looks safe from frost for at least the next week and temperatures look somewhat “normal” without an extended cool to cold period the answer to the “time to plant” question is yes.
If your property is out in the open in the country or subject to frequent spring frosts then the answer is no and, it depends on what your planting.
Trees and shrubs, perennials, roses and such are always “plantable” although a covering of a sheet or frost blanket may be necessary on frost susceptible blooms like azaleas. Flowers on dogwoods, flowering crabapples and most other shrubs are frost resistant so generally you never worry about these hardy garden and landscape companions.
I think you’ll notice that our perennial guru, Maggie has selected numerous new perennials for your review that will be easy to spot in the perennial house by signage that of course, states that it is new! It seems these days everyone is looking for new and unusual plants.
When having lunch with my dad several years ago and about one year before he died at the age of 79, he stated that in businesses you have to change things as the customers get used to the same old stuff and that the same old doesn’t fly anymore. I’m sure you can fill in the blank with the four-lettered word he actually used. When he told me this, it hit me that the stereotype of “old people” not wanting change really is not accurate. Whether it’s electronics, automobiles or other new gadgets or plants. Change is all around.
Tom
If your property is out in the open in the country or subject to frequent spring frosts then the answer is no and, it depends on what your planting.
Trees and shrubs, perennials, roses and such are always “plantable” although a covering of a sheet or frost blanket may be necessary on frost susceptible blooms like azaleas. Flowers on dogwoods, flowering crabapples and most other shrubs are frost resistant so generally you never worry about these hardy garden and landscape companions.
I think you’ll notice that our perennial guru, Maggie has selected numerous new perennials for your review that will be easy to spot in the perennial house by signage that of course, states that it is new! It seems these days everyone is looking for new and unusual plants.
When having lunch with my dad several years ago and about one year before he died at the age of 79, he stated that in businesses you have to change things as the customers get used to the same old stuff and that the same old doesn’t fly anymore. I’m sure you can fill in the blank with the four-lettered word he actually used. When he told me this, it hit me that the stereotype of “old people” not wanting change really is not accurate. Whether it’s electronics, automobiles or other new gadgets or plants. Change is all around.
Tom
Friday, May 6, 2011
Dayton "Dirt" - May 6, 2011
With Mother’s Day just two days away, many of you will be hunting for that “special gift” for mom. Most moms love flowers and jewelry but with my being in the “flower” business for so long it’s really not a Mother’s Day gift if I give my mother some type of flower. The other problem I have is that my mother likes jewelry ok but rarely, if ever will wear it as she really doesn’t get that excited about it which every year places me in quite a pickle.
I hope that all of you will notice the decrease in pricing of many of the plants throughout the nursery especially in the greenhouse. Hanging Baskets and the 4 inch “Proven Winner” type plants such as Cascading Petunia, Verbena, Bacopa, etc. have fallen by as much as 25% from last year due to our new production facility that enables us to produce more and eliminate the “middle man”.
Although we always did grow our own greenhouse product, space was limited. Now with all the extra space, we’re able to offer more in the way of new and unusual stuff too that the “big” growers don’t like to grow.
Be sure to take a walk or better yet bring mom to take a walk through our Azalea allee just east of the main entrance to the store as thousands of Azalea’s are coming into bloom.
Wolf Creek Gardens that is north of the nursery property is accessible on foot with Dogwoods, Azaleas, Redbuds and shade perennials starting to pop and show off their “skills”.
It’s a good time to be alive!
Tom
I hope that all of you will notice the decrease in pricing of many of the plants throughout the nursery especially in the greenhouse. Hanging Baskets and the 4 inch “Proven Winner” type plants such as Cascading Petunia, Verbena, Bacopa, etc. have fallen by as much as 25% from last year due to our new production facility that enables us to produce more and eliminate the “middle man”.
Although we always did grow our own greenhouse product, space was limited. Now with all the extra space, we’re able to offer more in the way of new and unusual stuff too that the “big” growers don’t like to grow.
Be sure to take a walk or better yet bring mom to take a walk through our Azalea allee just east of the main entrance to the store as thousands of Azalea’s are coming into bloom.
Wolf Creek Gardens that is north of the nursery property is accessible on foot with Dogwoods, Azaleas, Redbuds and shade perennials starting to pop and show off their “skills”.
It’s a good time to be alive!
Tom
Friday, April 29, 2011
Dayton "Dirt" - April 29, 2011
The weather has been really depressing with the cold and non-stop rain.
It seems though that things are looking up with the sunny forecast this weekend.
Our perennial house and annual flower greenhouse are loaded with lots of the old and lots of the new.
In perennials, we have over 100 new varieties as well as new annuals and tropicals in the annual flower house.
The outside sales yard is overflowing with trees and shrubs but many of our tea roses and climbers are not due to the extreme weather of the past month.
Without a doubt our selection of new Japanese Maples and dwarf conifers is astounding.
Maggie, our perennial expert, is in the perennial department while Melody is in the annual flower house.
Sometimes the people that work in each section don’t see each other for days so that its like working in 2 parts of the United States!
Our new greenhouse for flower production is in full swing now so that this “factory” is rolling out the flowers from 4” pots to large hanging baskets.
Come on over and take a walk around.
The tulips we planted last fall and winter are just starting to bloom and I think it will make you feel as you have just stepped into Holland!
Hope for some sun with rain once a week….
Tom
It seems though that things are looking up with the sunny forecast this weekend.
Our perennial house and annual flower greenhouse are loaded with lots of the old and lots of the new.
In perennials, we have over 100 new varieties as well as new annuals and tropicals in the annual flower house.
The outside sales yard is overflowing with trees and shrubs but many of our tea roses and climbers are not due to the extreme weather of the past month.
Without a doubt our selection of new Japanese Maples and dwarf conifers is astounding.
Maggie, our perennial expert, is in the perennial department while Melody is in the annual flower house.
Sometimes the people that work in each section don’t see each other for days so that its like working in 2 parts of the United States!
Our new greenhouse for flower production is in full swing now so that this “factory” is rolling out the flowers from 4” pots to large hanging baskets.
Come on over and take a walk around.
The tulips we planted last fall and winter are just starting to bloom and I think it will make you feel as you have just stepped into Holland!
Hope for some sun with rain once a week….
Tom
Dayton "Dirt" - April 22, 2011
It’s strange that Easter is this Sunday on April 24th in that it seems incredibly late and nearly time to plant annual flowers and heat loving vegetable plants like peppers and tomatoes.
The greenhouse of annual flowers and vegetable plants will be open tomorrow on April 23rd but please don’t expect everything to be ready as you must remember that it’s still too early in the season.
Much of flower production is aimed to mid-May availability as it should be because of the increased likelihood of favorable weather. I hope you like our new display of Easter flowers and tropicals in the first bay of our greenhouse as it was time for a change.
Don’t forget today is Earth Day as it’s been celebrated every April 22nd since the first Earth Day in 1970. Earth Day is a reminder that if we don’t take care of our environment, it won’t take care of us.
In the book Wilderness Warrior about Theodore Roosevelt, it’s quite amazing that one of our most fascinating President’s was able to set aside vast tracts of land for future generations of Americans as he swept aside a landslide of dissent because of mining, logging and numerous other commercial interests. In the early 20th century, he was truly the environmental President. To celebrate Earth Day, planting a tree for you and future generations to enjoy is a capital idea.
While in the news it is popular to discuss environmentally friendly ways for more energy production it is less common to hear that the planting of trees is a method of combating all kinds of environmental ills from excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, soil and water erosion, flooding, destruction of wildlife habit and declining clean water supplies.
For more about the benefits of trees you have to check out the Why Trees Matter Program that Jim Chatfield , the Ohio State University specialist has championed. The poem that begins “ I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree” by Joyce Kilmer is figuratively and literally true.
Tom
The greenhouse of annual flowers and vegetable plants will be open tomorrow on April 23rd but please don’t expect everything to be ready as you must remember that it’s still too early in the season.
Much of flower production is aimed to mid-May availability as it should be because of the increased likelihood of favorable weather. I hope you like our new display of Easter flowers and tropicals in the first bay of our greenhouse as it was time for a change.
Don’t forget today is Earth Day as it’s been celebrated every April 22nd since the first Earth Day in 1970. Earth Day is a reminder that if we don’t take care of our environment, it won’t take care of us.
In the book Wilderness Warrior about Theodore Roosevelt, it’s quite amazing that one of our most fascinating President’s was able to set aside vast tracts of land for future generations of Americans as he swept aside a landslide of dissent because of mining, logging and numerous other commercial interests. In the early 20th century, he was truly the environmental President. To celebrate Earth Day, planting a tree for you and future generations to enjoy is a capital idea.
While in the news it is popular to discuss environmentally friendly ways for more energy production it is less common to hear that the planting of trees is a method of combating all kinds of environmental ills from excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, soil and water erosion, flooding, destruction of wildlife habit and declining clean water supplies.
For more about the benefits of trees you have to check out the Why Trees Matter Program that Jim Chatfield , the Ohio State University specialist has championed. The poem that begins “ I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree” by Joyce Kilmer is figuratively and literally true.
Tom
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Dayton "Dirt" - April 15, 2011
The mid point of April is usually so nice even if it is D-day or the last day to file individual income tax returns on time.
We’re just about set up now with all our outside stock and very soon the perennial and the annual houses will be open for your inspection. Traditionally we have opened the annual flower and vegetable house not before the first of May which even is too early except for the cool season vegetable plants and flowers like violas and pansies.
This year if the upcoming weather period looks decent we’ll actually open the annual flower house a week earlier than normal as many of you are ready to plant already. If anyone asks in our greenhouse if it is safe to plant out tomatoes, peppers and all the flowers our answer will be an emphatic NO! The only reason the greenhouse will be open earlier is that many customers have demanded it even though it is against our better judgement. Well do I remember talking to my mentor John Ravenstein about certain plants that I thought should not be sold because of their lack of sufficient hardiness or difficulty in growing. His reply to my concern was that “Who are you to determine what the customer should have or shouldn’t have?”
Later, I’ll see you in the greenhouse.
Tom
P.S. Remember to put traditional crabgrass preventer on your lawn this week and an organic weed & feed plus crabgrass preventer such as Espoma’s brand this week too.
We’re just about set up now with all our outside stock and very soon the perennial and the annual houses will be open for your inspection. Traditionally we have opened the annual flower and vegetable house not before the first of May which even is too early except for the cool season vegetable plants and flowers like violas and pansies.
This year if the upcoming weather period looks decent we’ll actually open the annual flower house a week earlier than normal as many of you are ready to plant already. If anyone asks in our greenhouse if it is safe to plant out tomatoes, peppers and all the flowers our answer will be an emphatic NO! The only reason the greenhouse will be open earlier is that many customers have demanded it even though it is against our better judgement. Well do I remember talking to my mentor John Ravenstein about certain plants that I thought should not be sold because of their lack of sufficient hardiness or difficulty in growing. His reply to my concern was that “Who are you to determine what the customer should have or shouldn’t have?”
Later, I’ll see you in the greenhouse.
Tom
P.S. Remember to put traditional crabgrass preventer on your lawn this week and an organic weed & feed plus crabgrass preventer such as Espoma’s brand this week too.
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