Dayton "Dirt" October 30, 2009

With the generally wet and cool October, it has made it more difficult to get all the fall gardening chores done.

At the nursery, we’re just about done potting trees and shrubs for this season. Some new plants that we bought and potted in our greenhouse won’t be ready for sale for at least two to three years such as a new red Mountain Laurel called ‘Firecracker’, a compact yellow Rhododendron called ‘Big Deal’ and a deciduous Azalea that is orange and yellow called ‘Arneson’s Gem’.

These items are just the “tip of the iceberg” of what will be new for 2011 and 2012.

Another nursery chore is putting the trees and shrubs to “bed” that we grew this summer for next spring’s sales. The plants will go into an over-wintering Quonset type structure that will be covered with white polyethylene plastic that will keep the wind and extreme cold off the plants even with no heat in the structures.

Some young stock such as our rooted cuttings from the summer will require a layer of ¼” thick foam to keep them a little warmer so that the bark does not crack on the young plants.

The green roof on our new building has caused quite a stir as many of the persons coming off the street try to figure it out.

I have even heard a comment from the local hardware that some think there are leaves on the porch roof!

Green roof’s are not really that unusual as they city of Chicago has a green roof on city hall as well as scattered green roofs in Columbus and Cleveland State University.

In fact, Stuggart, Germany requires a green roof for projects exceeding certain limits of size.

I’ll be sure to do a more detailed explanation of this roof when I see you at our winter seminars this winter.

Happy Gardening,
Tom