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​Spring Is On It's Way!
Spring is 5 days away! We are busy bees getting all of our areas set and ready. Our store is changing all the time with new items arriving daily. Our nursery will be set the beginning of April. We will be filled with trees, shrubs, perennials, pottery, fountains and more! Our garden store will be set the end of March. We have some new and exciting gardening brands that you will love. Some of our new favorites are studio m, jackson pottery and espoma. Every week we will be posting on our social media about all the new items coming in! Make sure you follow us @rittersgarden on Facebook, Instagram and Etsy!
We are busy in the greenhouse planting our hanging baskets and annuals! The proven winners gardener idea book will be released soon with all of the new plants for 2021.
What's coming this week:
Our first early spring shipment from T&L nursery, blooming and walla walla is coming this week.
Potatoes, onions and asparagus starts have arrived.
Washington pottery and jackson pottery is here this week!
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Asparagus has arrived!
Carefully choose your planting location, asparagus will grow for 20 years or more in the same location. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil.
Dig a trench 12" wide and 6" deep. Soak the crowns for 20 minutes before planting. Space 1 1/2"-2 feet apart and cover with 2-3" of soil. Every 2 weeks add a few inches of soil as the shoots emerge. Continue adding soil until slightly above the normal soil level. This will allow for settling.
Allow the asparagus to become established for two growing seasons, you can begin harvesting the third season.
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New Product: Maple Syrup
We love finding new additions to add to our gift store. This year we came across this amazing maple syrup from the east coast. Finding Home is a great company with high quality product. The pancake mix and maple syrup makes a fun weekend brunch!
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MAPLE SYRUP FROM FINDING HOME:
Maple syrup is one of the most delicious natural products in the world. It’s perfect for pancakes, sweetening tea, and even curing bacon. Unfortunately, many people still aren’t 100% sure where maple syrup comes from, whether it’s good for them, and how to buy the best batches.
There’s a big difference between true maple syrup and the flavored options around the world in pancake houses and breakfast restaurants.
Pure maple syrup, the kind that comes from the maple tree, can be an excellent addition to a pancake or stack of waffles. This delicious substance might be better for you than many other refined sugars and sticky syrups choices.
The maple tree produces maple sugar and maple sap that’s packed full of excellent ingredients, like antioxidants, zinc, and potassium. What’s more, this product has a lower glycemic index than refined sugar too.
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We have Potatoes!
PLANTING POTATOES
SOIL PREPERATION:
Good potato soil must be well-drained and, at the same time, able to retain moisture. Sandy loam is ideal. Other soils can be improved with sub-soiling, double-digging, and by incorporating organic matter, like our G&B compost, which tends to lighten heavy soil and enrich sandy soil. Prepare your potato ground deeply.
Potatoes require a well-balanced soil pH 6.3-6.7. Alkaline soil will produce scab. Potatoes thrive in new ground. Go easy with additional fertilizers. Seed potatoes can rot in too cool and wet soil. Plant potatoes with corn, plant onions with peas. Mid- to late-plantings are more advisable. Raised beds can improve conditions. Optimum soil temperature for beginning growth ranges from 55 to 65 degrees F.
PLANTING:
Your planting date for an early crop may be 2-4 weeks before the last frost date.
The width between rows is determined by the size of your garden and method of cultivation.
Gardeners need 24”-28” between rows. You might adjust your spacing to suit adverse conditions. Proper spacing will give you a uniform canopy of foliage to cool the soil in summer. Plant potatoes in full sun.
Dig a shallow trench about 6-8” deep (3” wide at the bottom). A round-pointed shovel is good for this job. Plant your seed potatoes 10-15” apart. Using a rake, cover the seed pieces immediately after planting. Do not cover too deep 2”-4” maximum.
HILLING:
In approximately 2 weeks, depending on soil temperature, green leaves will emerge. When the stems are 8” high, gently hill with soil brought up from both sides of the plant using a dull hoe. Leave about 4” of the plant exposed. Hilling cools the soil and creates space for tuber development. All tubers will form between the seed piece and the surface of the soil. Another hilling will be needed 2-3 weeks later, and a third time as well, 2 weeks after that. Keep the blade of your hoe well away from the plant so you do not damage the roots.
Hilling is crucial to establishing your crop, and forces the plant stems to grow taller because tubers grow from the stem that is under-ground. By gradually building an ever-larger hill of soil around the plant, you are building the site for your potatoes to develop. Give them plenty of room between rows and build your hills wide with ample soil and you’ll harvest more potatoes.
HARVESTING POTATOES
DIGGING NEW POTATOES:
In approximately 40-60 days after planting, the early potatoes may have blossomed. This is your sign that new potatoes may be ready, so carefully poke into the potato hill by hand to see what you can find. You may either “rob” from several plants, or simply harvest an entire plant from the end of your row. “Rob” gently to avoid injuring remaining roots and stressing the plant.
HARVESTING THE MAIN CROP:
For later varieties used for winter storage, the plants should be mature and the vines dead. Heavy frost will kill the vines, or, if your tubers are up to size and there is no frost in sight, you can mow them or cut them by hand with a sickle. Drier soil is definitely an advantage when harvesting potatoes.
When the vines are dead, leave the tubers in the ground for two weeks. The skins will “cure” or toughen, protecting them from scuffing and bruising during harvest. This will help prolong storage life. Minor injuries can heal if allowed to dry.
Harvest potatoes in the morning hours while it may be still cool or warm not hot. If hand digging, place your digging fork outside the hill at first to avoid stabbing a good potato. If the soil is wet, let them air dry on the surface before gathering them. You can take the time to “field grade” your potatoes by sorting and discarding blemished, scabby, misshapen or injured tubers. Share these with your local food bank, who will thank you for your generosity!
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POTATO VARIETIES WE HAVE:
PONTIAC RED: (red)
Smooth, oblong, medium size; deep blue to almost purple skin. Moist, firm flesh with slightly grainy texture. Especially suited to potato salads.
NORDLAND RED: (red)
Tubers are oblong, smooth, slightly flattened, and medium red, with shallow eyes. The deep, dark-red skin color is appealing when prepared with the skin on. White flesh. Excellent for boiling, roasting, and salad preparations.
RED LA SODA: (red)
Light red or pink color, oval shape with smooth skin and a deep red skin color. Considered good for baking and boiling. Ranks high in taste tests. A drier, fluffier texture than is common with reds.
GERMAN BUTTERBALL:
Medium to large in size and are round to oblong in shape. The flesh is a vibrant yellow to gold and is firm, waxy, and dense. When cooked, German Butterball potatoes have a creamy and tender flesh that takes on a smooth consistency and offers a rich, buttery flavor.
ALL BLUE:
Smooth, oblong, medium size; deep blue to almost purple skin. Moist, firm flesh with slightly grainy texture. Especially suited to potato salads.
NORKOTAH RUSSET:
Excellent conformation; attractive medium-brown color with a long to oblong shape. A mild potato flavor with a soft texture and moderate density. Tends to bake up creamy and moist, not grainy. Moderately chewy skin. White to pale yellow interior. Well suited to all preparation types.
YUKON GOLD: (yellow)
Originally marketed as having a buttery flavor, which comes from a combination of the yellow flesh and moist texture. Good potato flavor. Primarily used as mashed and in salad preparations. Roasting or boiling are also popular cooking procedures.
PURPLE VIKING:
Purple Viking is a large, early, all-purpose potato that tops the
acclaimed Yukon Gold in terms of taste! The meaty tubers have unique purple-pink mottled skin and moist, bright white flesh with a rich, slightly sweet and buttery flavor. Excellent for both mashing and baking.
BINTJE: (yellow)
Small to medium-size round tubers with golden skin and yellow flesh. Smooth and well rounded. Skin has a silk-like finish. Exceptional flavor. Some describe it as having a unique, light, nut-like flavor. Best served roasted or as french fries; often seen as the standard for European-style or Belgian fries.
BURBANK RUSSET:
A distinctive, earthy potato flavor. The high solid (starch) yields a grainy texture and slightly chewy skin. Bakes up dry and fluffy; fries crisp and golden brown. Fresh, frozen, or dehydrated, this variety is ideal for all preparation styles.
KENNEBEC: (white)
Medium to large in size and are long and ovate in shape with rounded ends. The flesh is soft ivory, firm, and starchy. Kennebec potatoes offer a rich, earthy, and notably nutty flavor.
PURPLE MAJESTY:
Purple Potato Majesty produces a large number of small- and medium-sized potatoes that are uniform in shape. The stunning, deep purple color of both the skin and the inside of the potato will wow family members and guests alike, especially when used for purple French fries or purple mashed potatoes.
FINGERLINGS - FRENCH:
Large fingerling tubers with smooth, dark, rose-red skin and waxy, yellow flesh. Has a delicate, nutty flavor. Especially suited to potato salads, roasting, or sautéing.
FINGERLINGS- RUSSIAN BANANNA:
Small fingerling tubers with buff-yellow skin and light yellow, waxy-
textured flesh. Has a rich, buttery flavor. Especially suited to potato salads, roasting, or sautéing.
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Join Our Team!
Do you enjoy plants and people? Do you have a sunny disposition? Are you energetic, flexible, and outgoing? Not afraid of physical work or getting dirty?
Ritters Garden and Gift appreciates enthusiastic people with a good understanding of Northwest plants and gardening. Previous retail experience is preferred and plant knowledge is helpful. Nursery work is seasonal, with some shifts starting early morning and several shifts on weekends. We are especially interested in hearing from horticulture students looking for part-time work while they’re in school. But even if you’re not a student, we want to hear from plant lovers who want to work at ritters.
Our goal is to provide our customers with the best possible shopping experience, and we rely on our employees to help achieve this goal. To apply, please fill out the application below and submit it with your resume and a cover letter telling us why you would like to join our team.
Check out the videos below of some staff members on what it's like to work at Ritters!
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Apply Here: https://www.4ritter.com/employment
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Winter Store Hours
Mon - Sat: 9am-6pm
Sun: 10am-5pm |
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We are Spokane's largest local family owned Garden Center, Nursery and Gift Shop. Ritters opened over 70 years ago under Walt Ritter and was sold to a new family in 2008. We believe in living life beautifully and as uniquely as your fingerprint! Our mission is to inspire you to enjoy the world of gardening, provide you with the knowledge to do so and offer you other options for bringing the outside world indoors with some added fun! |
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