Dayton "Dirt" - June 29, 2012

Well the Owl Barn is finally open with produce and the first sweet corn of the season from Ohio although not from the Seiberling farms which should have corn in a couple of weeks. I remember my dad telling me that it was like a miracle if any of the local sweet corn was ready before August! The nursery is still rolling along with much of our March potting efforts coming to fruition with the myriad of trees and shrubs now available for sale. The hot, dry weather has made extra irrigation necessary because of the phenomenal evaporation rate due to the relatively low humidity. Soon we will be getting in small plants of Knock Out roses, more perennials and hardy ferns that are for next year’s sales. The amount of potting that we do in summer has increased over the years that necessities the mixing of more potting media that consists of pine bark, peat moss and various fertilizer and lime. The mix holds water for good root growth but has 20-25% pore space for draining away excess water which, fortunately for us, drains away to our irrigation lake to be used over and over again. Be sure to check out the market while you’re at the nursery and I hope to see you at our Blueberry Festival on July 14th! Tom