I have a question...
Email your questions to Karl@TDSGardenCenter.com and we will post seasonal pertinent questions right here.
One question I get a lot is how can you tell that the evergreens (such as Christmas trees, spruce tips, balsam boughs, etc.) are fresh?
To start with we have to understand the biology of the plants. As a general rule after the second hard frost of the season the evergreens start entering their dormancy. But for the best green needle color the greens and trees need to be picked shortly after they enter dormancy, otherwise due to the lack of chlorophyl activity in the needles they lose some of their green luster. So in order for the needles to hold on to the branch the longest many trees are picked around the 1-10th of November. To provide the customer with the freshest product, I make various runs to the north shore to pick balsam boughs for our wreaths and decorations. This ensures that you are getting the freshest product directly from the source!
I can't take winter any longer, what are some of your favorite gardening websites?
One place I always start is the Monrovia Growers website. Here you can search for different plants and it gives a good indepth report on thousands of plants, many of which we carry. Another good one is the Minnesota Horticulture Society's Northern Gardener website. Those are two of my favorites, but a simple google search gives you enough reading material for days on end. Don't forget about other garden center websites, they are often very comprehensive and intriguing (much more so than mine!).
When should I be pruning my trees?
Anytime after the leaves have dropped is an acceptable time. A good rule of thumb is to prune in months with names that contain an 'r'. March and April are excellent times.
I have heard a lot about this corn gluten and how it is an organic option instead of other fertilizers. How should I use it?
Corn gluten meal is an excellent option for the organic gardener. The key to it's effectiveness is it's ability to hamper the emergence of crab grass and other broadleaf weeds in the lawn. It is also a great fertilizer. Although it is effective as a fertilizer during the whole year, if your object is to rid your lawn of crabgrass the best time for application is before the crab grass germinates. This usually occurs before the first of May. Shortly after the snow melts from your yard is a good time for application. A good rate is about 50 lbs per 1500-2000 square feet of lawn.
The temperatures are rising and I am itching to get into the garden. What can I do know to ensure success come spring?
The key to keeping our plants alive during the winter often involves some help from us. This is a critical time of year to insure plant survival for the upcoming season. Most at risk are recently transplanted items or younger plants. Currently we have a good cover of snow. This snow provides a great insulator to a plants root system. However, we are due for a January or February thaw. When the snow cover recedes it is that time of winter when our plants are most at risk. With no snow cover and an ever increasingly strong sun there can be large daily swings in ground temperature. This thawing and freezing cycle puts the most stress on plants. So the best bet to insure plant viability is to insure that during temperature dips during the late winter we must insulate a plant. This can be done by shoveling excess snow onto a plant or providing other forms of insulation to protect the plant from extreme temperature swings.
How often should I water my indoor plants?
Houseplants like their outdoor counterparts need sufficient moisture to bloom and produce beautiful foliage. This being said, overwatering houseplants is often a bigger problem than underwatering. Often the symptoms of overwatering mirror the symptoms of underwatering. These symptoms include yellowing leaves, and the older leaves on the bottom falling off or bascially the plant looking "sick".
The soil should never be "muddy". This means that the soil is holding too much water. This can lead to roots rotting and the plant slowly dying.
So only water the plant when the top of the soil feels or looks dry. Digging your finger into the soil an inch or two will help you determine if the soil is dry or damp to the touch. If dry, water the plant until water comes out of the bottom of the pot. Make sure there is adequate drainage otherwise you are at risk for root rot. So depending on the temperature and light conditions of the area around the plant, watering might be necessary only weekly or bi-weekly.