Dayton "Dirt" - May 18, 2012

The weather has been just about right for planting although the nights could be a little warmer and just a little more rain would be nice. The greenhouse is at its peak inventory right now for most items although we do have plants in production that will be ready for Memorial Day and going on into June. As our newspaper ads have stated “our perennial production house just keeps pumping out more and more gallons of perennials” The new facility will enable us to produce higher quality plants because of the movable roof which keeps the plants cool and at the same time can be used to create 30% shade which keeps the plant roots cooler too. Many of the Rhododendrons are out of peak bloom now when normally they are in full bloom on May 20th. With the early warm weather in March and all the subsequent freezes, I thought at least these freezes could destroy the flower buds on our new blueberry planting so that the plants could put on more growth without the flowers getting in the way; however, I see now that most of the flowers are turning into berries! Today my grandmother, Myrtle Dayton, would have been 108 years old being born in Barberton in 1904. At her last home in Barberton, I can still see my grandmother fussing over her Herbert azalea on the north side of the house and showing off her layering of the plants branches to produce new plants. The azalea is still there on the corner of Park and 7th St. but I wish someone would treat it to alleviate it from a lacebug infestation. As long as the azaleas are out of bloom, they should be treated now with the Bayer tree & shrub protection product. Soon the gardens will be all planted with many gardeners in that age old contest of having the first ripe tomato. There are several enzymes in a tomato that must come together in order to produce that delicious, fresh-picked tomato flavor instead of the flavor of a cardboard box that is hard to swallow from imported winter tomatoes! See you in the greenhouse. Tom