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Good Afternoon Great-Gardeners,
Sorry folks I have been MIA for the last month. A lot of great changes have been happening at Wilson's for spring.
I have finally finished the website. It took me a month, but it is done. There are a few minor tweaks I still have to make, but for the most part it is up and running. YEAH!
We have had many calls on planting. Early-mid March is generally the ideal time to begin planting in the garden. (With consideration for the ground being workable and not completely saturated.) However, there are many things you can do right now, such as, starting seeds indoors, building terrariums and succulent containers and preparing for the Spring ahead.
The nursery staff shook their magic eight ball and it kept replying ‘Try again later’ on whether or not Spring is truly here to stay.
Shipments of nursery stock will be starting to roll in throughout March as long as the weather holds.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, hit reply. I would love to hear from you. Have a great-gardening day.
Sincerely,
Holly
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My daffodils and tulips are starting to come up out of the ground. Do I need to cover them?
Spring blooming bulbs have built in protection against the cold, kind of like antifreeze. There is no need to cover them unless the flower part of the bulb is starting to show.
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The question is often asked, "How do I prune my fruit tree?" A specific answer is difficult since an apple is pruned differently from a peach and each tree is individually distinct. We can, however, discuss some guidelines that may "demystify" the art of pruning.
First lets consider why pruning of fruit trees is important. 1) Pruning of young trees establishes the shape of the tree so scaffold limbs will be well distributed up, down, and around the trunk. Limb breakage and trunk splitting later in the trees life can be avoided with proper initial pruning. 2) Pruning stimulates new growth of mature trees that is integral for continued productivity and long life. 3) Diseased, injured, weak, and dead limbs are removed reducing stress on the plants health. 4) Pruning opens the tree to sunlight and air reducing the incidence of disease and insect damage.
If pruning is carefully done when the tree is young, only a minimum of pruning will be needed as the tree gets older. Hence, the first several years are essential for developing the structure of the trees scaffold branches. The art of pruning gives immediate as well as long-term benefits that far outweigh the exasperation and hesitation that may proceed the job. So gather the pruning shears and lobbers and prune those fruit trees!
Before making any cuts, take the time to notice the location of the plant to be pruned and consider its future growth. 1) Does growth need to be curtailed, so the plant will not outgrow its space in a few years? 2) Should the bottom growth be raised so a mower can be operated under the lower limbs? 3) Should height be controlled so a ladder is not necessary for harvesting the fruit?
Visualize how the tree will appear and the size when it matures. Have a definite objective and shape in mind before you start pruning.
APPLE AND PEAR:
Apple and pear trees are usually trained to a central leader. The trees are pruned to a main trunk with horizontal limbs ever one to two feet up the leader. A pine tree is an excellent example of the central leader type. The pine tree achieves the central leader naturally; unfortunately fruit trees must be trained to this system. Remove any limbs that are too close together or angle sharply upward. Wooden "spreaders" can be used to widen the angles between the limb and trunk or the limbs can be tied or weighted down to achieve the same results. Mature trees may be pruned any time during dormancy, but the select time is in early spring before growth starts.
PEACH:
An "open center" style is the preferred method of pruning peach trees. Select three to four main scaffold branches beginning 30 inches above the ground. Care should be taken to select strong, vigorously growing branches. Picture an inverted umbrella when selecting the scaffold branches. Avoid narrow crotches (less than 60 degrees) as later these will be prone to splitting when the limbs are loaded with peaches. Maintain an open center, but not bare center, to allow sunlight and air movement. Pruning of mature trees should consist of heading back branches to maintain shape and topping to maintain height, removing excess branches, and removing diseased/injured/dead wood. Peach trees bear on 1-year-old wood, and pruning is necessary to assure an annual supply of fruiting wood.
PLUM:
Plums require minimum pruning. Prune mature trees to thin excessive and interfering branches. Prune tall growing branches only to preserve the height of the tree. If desired, scaffold branches for varieties with upright growth (such as Santa Rosa and Methley) may be established during the first two years after planting as indicated for peaches.
FIGS:
Figs require minimum pruning. Prune to maintain size and to remove damaged wood. If desired, figs can be pruned to single trunk for tree form or multiple trunks for a bush form. In the South, the most prevalent shape is the bush form.
MUSCADINES AND GRAPES:
Muscadines and grapes must be trellised. Trellis supports the vines and fruit and maximize the use of sunlight. Many forms of trellis can be used. At planting, select the strongest vine and train to the top of the trellis. Cut off the growing tip and allow lateral branches to grow. Select four lateral "arms" to follow the trellis wires. Maintain the four lateral arms and remove any additional vines that may grow from the central vertical vine. Once the lateral arms have reached the desired length of approximately 5 feet, tip the growing point to stop elongation and to stimulate fruiting laterals to develop. Fruit is produced on year old fruiting spurs. When the vine is dormant (December or January), prune the fruiting canes to 3-4 buds for grapes and 8-10 buds for muscadines. If vines are not vigorous, reduce the number of buds according to plant vigor.
BLACKBERRIES:
Blackberries are susceptible to Rosette (also called Double Blossom) disease. Pruning canes to one foot above the ground immediately after fruiting season and removing the canes from the field reduces the occurrence of the disease. Blackberries bear on two-year-old wood. Fruiting wood is produced on the growth that occurs after pruning but before winter, so fertilize and water after pruning to promote rapid growth and next years crop.
BLUEBERRIES:
Blueberries require minimum pruning. Prune low branches to raise fruit off ground. Remove excessive and weak branches. Head back tall shoots on mature plants to keep size to desired level.
Ohio State University Extension – Fact Sheet HYG-1148-93
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Spring Sneak Peak
March 18th, 19th & 20th
Although Spring begins Monday, March 20th, we can't wait! We are celebrating all weekend. Come see what's new at Wilson's for 2017! Plus, enjoy refreshments, workshops, door prizes and more!
- Free Popcorn - Crazy Kernel Kettle Corn Company
- Great Door Prizes - Each Day
- Free Refreshments
- Food Trucks - Poppy's Roadside Diner (Sat), Hoggs Head (Sun) & Crazy Kernel (Mon)
- Free Gift - To the first 100 people each day
- New Items for 2017
- Local Artisans & Crafters - Selling baked goods and craft items (11 am - 3 pm)
- The Market Sharpener - Jim Allen will be here Sunday 11 am - 3 pm to sharpen knives, kitchen tools, scissors and garden tools. He does NOT sharpen blades from power tools including lawn mower blades or barber/stylist shears.
- Workshops - See our website www.great-gardeners.com for full details
- Landscaping Your Home: Introduction (Sat)
- Glass Bubble Terrarium (Sat)
- Hanging Globe Terrarium (Sat)
- Home Orchard Basics (Sun)
- Frost Proof Color Planter (Sun)
- Vegetable Gardening (Sun)
- Rose Care (Mon)
- Succulent Tennis Shoe Garden (Mon)
- Glass Vase Terrarium (Mon)
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Old Glory Hats
Show your patriotism with a red, white and blue cowboy hat.
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Corn and Green Chili Chowder
4 cups milk
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 branch of thyme
4 sprigs parsley
1 branch marjoram
8 peppercorns
2 Anaheim chilies, chopped
4 ears corn
1 can tomatillos
1 tbsp. butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
In medium sized pot, heat milk, onion, bay leaf, thyme, parsley , marjoram and peppercorns over medium heat until mixture almost boils. Turn off heat, cover and steep while you prepare rest of soup. Roast, peel and seed Anaheim chilies, chop. Remove kernels from corn, scraping the cob and reserving milky liquid. Puree tomatillos. Melt 2 tbsp. butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Stir in chilies and corn with the milky liquid. Cook until corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in strained milk mixture and add to corn, cook 20 minutes. Stir in pureed tomatillos and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.
If you have a recipe you'd like to share send it to
office@great-gardeners.com
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I am excited to give you a tour of our new website. There are a couple of ways you can navigate through it.
Depending on the size of your computer screen you will either have a list along the top in green listing 'About Us, Our Services, etc..' or you will have in the right hand corner three lines that create a drop down menu.
About Us: Lists information about Wilson's, along with directions, fundraising, hours, employment, our staff and our guarantee.
Our Services: Tells you about our planting, delivery, quick sketch and garden coaching services.
Departments: Care sheets for each department can be found here along with a bunch of other information.
Guides: Planting guides, watering guides, and mulch guide can all be found here.
Links: Pretty much self explanatory. All of the links found throughout our website are posted here.
Seasonal: Check out our Fall & Christmas pages. Yes, we are open year round!
If you click on the 'Click To Begin' on the home page you will be transported down to where our Online Store, Events, Specials and Ask An Expert are all listed.
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