Issue 3 Volume 1
There is nothing more beautiful than an arrangement of dried hydrangeas in the fall, that is unless they came out of your garden. Here's how: Look closely at the hydrangea flower heads toward the end of the blooming season. There are actually two types of flowers on each head. You will see that the larger flowers have a tiny flower on top. Wait until the tiny flowers on top have almost opened. The color will just have begun to fade. This is the prime time to cut them. Cut stems at least 12 to 18 inches down from the base of the flowers. Remove any leaves from the stems. Place the cut flowers into a deep vase filled with clear, fresh water. The stems should submerged at least half way. Place the vase in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight. You can enjoy the flowers during the drying process. Allow the water to evaporate naturally from the vase. Once the water is completely gone, your hydrangeas should be dry and ready to use for floral decorations or craft projects. It's amazing what you can do with a dried blossom.
Make sure you have a good sturdy rake for
fall leaves. This is pretty self explanatory, a good tool makes
work easier.
Use straw for pet runs and erosion control. Decorating for fall too...
Straw makes an excellent bedding material for all manner of pets. It helps keep your loved ones dry and warm. Erosion control is very important in Oregon. The heavy rains can carry away perfectly good soil and leave you the terrible hard stuff. Straw will help disperse the falling rain so the soil isn't easily loosened and carried away. It is also a great mulch for perennials and tender shrubs.
Plant pansies for fall color - all pansies are Winter pansies. The official Fall and Winter flower is the pansy. (okay, I just made that up.) Pansies, and violas too, flower through the Fall and Winter and into the Spring and Summer. There is a wide array of beautiful colors to choose from. The caveat is that even though pansies will look great through May, you need to bite the bullet and pull them out to make room for the summer annuals. Pansies and violas will be going strong one day and then the next they can go sideways on you. This happens as the summer temperatures rise, they are a cooler weather plant.
Spray blackberries and other troublesome weeds now.
Those hard to kill brush and weeds are really susceptible to herbicides now. The plants are drawing nutrients back into the root system and will pull the herbicide with it. Thus killing the root as well as the outer foliage. We suggest Lilly Miller's Blackberry and Brush killer in the ready to spray hose and go container.
Easy-To-Use sprayer attaches right to your garden hose. There's no mixing. Just attach to a garden hose and spray. Quickly covers 4,000 square feet.
Kills blackberry vines plus scotch broom, poison oak, poison ivy, horsetail plus many woody plants. It kills completely - above and below the ground - so stumps and roots won't regrow.
Volume 1 Issue 2
Fertilize your hanging baskets weekly. Ever wonder how those "City Baskets" get soooo big and beautiful. They fertilize all the time. When you plant your baskets make sure to add in a healthy dose of slow release fertilizer, that will help get them started. Now is the time to really kick them into high gear with a water soluble fertilizer made specially for heavily blooming plants. You need to do it every week to make your baskets the envy of the town. Stop in and ask us what to use.
Use Garden Sulfur to acidify your soil.
Espoma Garden Sulfur is
the finest, most effective sulfur product available. It is an all
natural, high purity mineral that can be used both as a plant food to
provide the nutrient sulfur and as a soil amendment to correct the
problem of alkaline soil.
Espoma Garden Sulfur turns hydrangeas from pink to blue, lowers pH of
soil to its optimum range, promotes growth and dark greening of plants,
won't burn your
plants because
of its low salt index and is safe to use around children and pets (not
hazardous or toxic).
When used as part of a regular fertilizer program, it can provide a season-long source of sulfur. It is always recommended that you do a soil analysis to ensure the proper rate of application. Sprinkle 3 tbsp. Per 100 sq. ft. (1 tsp per plant) around the root zone. If possible, mix it in with your fertilizer and work it into the soil.
Watch out for petunia bud worms, tent caterpillars and other chewing insects.
There is a new organic weapon in the fight against these common pests it is call spinosad. This new organic compound will kill these feeding bugs in 2 or 3 days after application, plus it will last up to 4 weeks unlike the traditional BT. Click here for more info.
Keep your dog hydrated with the new water dog.
Ensure your dog always has access to fresh, clean water.
The WaterDog® automatic outdoor pet drinking fountain lets your dog help itself to fresh water, so you don't have to worry about stagnant or empty water bowls. WaterDog senses your dog's approach, and automatically dispenses a cool, clean stream of fresh drinking water. Smart sonar sensing technology triggers the WaterDog to turn the water on when your pet comes within three feet (one meter), and turns it off when your pet leaves. You'll never have to worry about what your dog's been drinking again!
Use shadecloth to cover your skylights and save energy.
We're all trying to stay cool and save money, so this is a quick and easy fix. If you don't have shades on the inside the next best thing is to put them on the outside. Shadecloth will diminish the amount of light (and heat) coming in your skylights. Just tack it down temporarily and lower your indoor temps dramatically.
Volume 1 Issue 1
Most likely blossom end rot in tomatoes in your garden is caused by a calcium deficiency in the soil. The easiest way to combat this is to apply an organic fertilizer with added calcium especially for this problem. Dr. Earth's Tomato and Vegetable Fertilizer is exactly what the “Doctor” ordered. Not only will you be fertilizing, you will be adding the needed calcium to save your developing fruit.
Go From This.....
To this.....
Though it may not be the prettiest thing at first lightweight groundcover cloth is an economical and easy alternative to moss or cocoa liners for baskets and planters. We all know that eventually the plants should cover the basket completely and you don't even see the moss any more, why spend the extra time and money for it. You could also use the left overs for weed barrier in the landscape or garden.
Quench, a not so new product by Zeba. It works similar to a sponge under the soil surface. It is capable of hydrating and releasing water over and over again during a growing season. The immense size and weight of its molecular structure allows each granule to absorb over 400 times its original weight in water. Then as the soil and plants require the moisture is released. This helps for longer durations between watering as well as increasing soil porosity. Use it in your planters, baskets , or anywhere it is hard to keep moist. This is an organic product and great for your garden, yard and plants.
Hummingbird feeders in the sun will grow bacteria faster than those in the shade. The hummingbirds know a clean feeder when they taste it. If yours is consistently dirty, they will move on to greener pastures. Another thing is that male hummingbirds are very territorial, they chase other males away from “their” feeder. It is better to hang 2 or 3 smaller feeders than 1 large. You will enjoy more birds for just the price of more feeders to fill.
