I have had several calls the last couple of days with concerns like “my hydrangea is drooping” or the leaves aren’t looking very good and are turning brown”. These are concerns on newly planted hydrangeas. These plants are heavy water users. Here in the nursery, we are watering our container ones at least twice a day, and sometimes on the hot days – they’re getting watered three times a day. Give your hydrangeas plenty of water – perhaps even twice a day. They definitely show you that they are thirsty – they will wilt before your eyes!
Be careful not to leave a hose trickle water your plants. You have no way of knowing if they are getting one gallon of water or twenty gallons. Water in a way that you know how much water you are giving any plant. With newly planted plants – all of the moisture that plant has is in the root ball. Whether it was a small one gallon perennial, or a 15 gallon tree – once the moisture has been used up in that root ball, it is lacking moisture and is definitely under stress. You need to be sure you get enough water on the plant to soak down into the entire root system. A quarter inch of rain will only go down perhaps an inch or so into the soil surface. If your plant has mulch on it, it is likely that none of the rain water from that 1/4 inch rain will even get to any of the roots, let alone all the way to the bottom of the root ball.
For more specifics on watering, please check out our instructions page and see our watering instructions.
Heidi Brosseau, our retail manager will be putting on a fall seminar. We’ve had a few different questions from customers and we decided to ask you what topic Heidi should discuss at her seminar. The topics to pick from are:
Gardening for Winter Interest
The Butterfly Lovers Gardening Seminar
Who’s Doin’ the Blooming? (fall bloomers)
Let us know what topic you’d like to see discussed at our fall seminar in September!
It’s almost blueberry picking time!
For anyone that remembers the fall of 2009 – we had one of the wettest Octobers – if not the wettest on record, followed by a beautiful November. We have always had good luck with our late fall plantings and decided it was time to get blueberries into our garden. These were planted the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, 2009. I watered them in and applied a 3 inch layer of mulch around them and this spring they started growing as soon as they woke up in early April! The blueberries are abundant!
The lessons that we have learned over the years is that don’t be afraid to try things. Pay attention to what you read – but never be afraid to try something “outside the box”. Most things you read say not to plant berries after September – but I hadn’t gotten it done earlier so I did it quite late. The only “extra” work I had to do was to mulch them. The results speak for themselves!
We carry a nice assortment of blueberries, raspberries, grapes, kiwi, and rhubarb in our small fruit section.
One of the most frequently asked questions we have is “How do I keep my annuals looking good all summer?” Here are a few tips to help ensure good success with your annuals!
Water: Once they are established, heavier, infrequent waterings will help your plants develop deeper root systems. Lighter, more frequent waterings result in shallow rooted plants that will stress much more in the heat of the summer. Keep in mind that this advice is for once they are established. Newly planted annuals need to be kept watered so they don’t dry out while trying to establish.
Fertilize: Annuals need to be fertilized regularly which results in profuse flowering! Think of annuals as heavy feeders. Liquid or powdered fertilizers added to watering water or the time release granules are the easiest ways to feed your annuals. Organic fertilizers can also be used. Since organic fertilizers have lower amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus you should be aware of the amounts to use, etc. Multiple organic products may be needed to get the overall results. Hanging baskets should be fertilized once a week to keep them flowering throughout the season.
Weeding: Keep your annual bed free from weeds. This is probably the most disliked task for any gardener. Weeds compete for the water and nutrients that your plant also wants. You can pull them, use mulch, lay down newspaper or use a granular herbicide to help accomplish a weed free garden.
Deadheading: (removal of spent flowers). Many annuals (and perennials) need to be deadheaded or pinched back to allow the plant to continue to produce new flower buds and keep blooming. On some annuals you simply just pick off the flowers that are no longer looking good, and on some you need to pinch them off – simply use your finger nail to “cut” it off and for some plants that have a heavier stalk you may need to use a garden pruner to accomplish this task.
By following the above – you will be rewarded in a a colorful, blooming garden for the summer season. Enjoy!
Early summer is an excellent time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials to make your landscape beautiful. Approximately 130 days remain in the growing season and this provides a long period of time for establishment of new root systems that will power vigorous growth for years to come.
The keys to success are: Good quality plant materials, proper site preparation that eliminates soil compaction in the areas where new roots will be growing, aggressive root pruning of any matted roots that have developed inside the container, avoiding planting too deep, and consistent watering that is just enough, but not too much. (most plant death we see is from over-watering)
At Knecht’s Nurseries we have developed our own new one page planting guide that gives the simple, easy to follow steps that you can follow to achieve summer planting success. Our experienced sales staff can help you select the right plants for your special site conditions. It’s available under our instructions page – just click and print!
Air pruning nursery pots produce trees and shrubs with better root systems. Here at Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping we have been using air pruning pots for several years to avoid producing trees that are root bound.
This simple technology of having dozens of air pruning openings built into the design of a molded plastic nursery pot prevents root circling inside the pot. The result is a well balanced, properly shaped fibrous root system that prevents trees from becoming root bound.
When you plant trees and shrubs produced with an almost perfectly formed and vigorous root system, the trees become established very quickly following planting on your property, and as a result are healthier and grow more quickly than trees that have been grown in traditional plastic nursery pots.
Chris Siems of Northfield who has a web blog - Oak-Watch.blogspot, did a segment on Ron Schara’s Minnesota Bound shown on KARE 11 May 2nd showing the benefit of Oak trees and also discussed the benefits of air pruning nursery pots. We have over 2000 potted trees available here at the nursery that are produced using these air pruning nursery pots. Stop in soon to see the difference in this better growing technique.
I have also shared my post here with the Northfield News for their blog section.
Much warmer than normal March and April weather has many of us eager to be in the garden, and get some annual flowers and vegetables planted. It should be safe to plant cool season annuals such as pansies, snapdragons, dusty miller, dianthus, alyssum and petunias as well as veggies such as cabbage, potatoes, spinach, radishes, lettuce, onions, broccoli, and cauliflower.
The planting of warm season annuals such as impatiens, begonias, salvia, marigolds, bacopa, celosia, ageratum, coleus, and tender vines among others should wait until after Mother’s Day or even until after May 15th, which is the average date of the last frost in the Northfield area. The same goes for warm season veggies such as tomatoes, peppers and the vine veggies – like cucumbers and zucchini. You really lose very little by waiting. If warm season plants go in too early, they may stress out and not produce as well in mid to late summer.
The planting of trees, shrubs and most perennials should be just fine now, since the vast majority of them actually prosper in cool spring weather. Be patient and ‘Happy Planting.’
You will also find this post in the Northfield News’ blog.
Under our “Plant” page we have lists of all of the varieties of plants that we are carrying this year. Alot of these are also featured on our Plant Search engine. You can access this directly from our Home Page on the left hand side, or from the Plant page as well. There is much more detailed information on these pages and it is our hope to soon get most of the plants we carry featured under the search engine.
Make yourself a shopping list and bring it in and on the bottom of the shopping list page under the Plant Search – is a coupon for a $5 gift certificate for using our Plant Search. Add plants to this list to remind you of ones that you like, wanted to see up close or have additional questions on, and bring it in on your next visit!
This is a great time to cut firewood. With the early snow melt, and cooler or slightly below freezing nights, it may be possible to get to some of those dead trees you’ve had your eye one.
Even if you can’t drive right to the trees due to soggy ground conditions, you can carry in your saw, gas and a small tool box and enjoy an hour or two of pleasant work dropping and slicing/dicing trees into convenient lengths. I have always preferred to split the blocks of wood out in the woods before loading. In this way the mess stays in the woods and I can load, unload and stack lighter pieces of wood, means less effort and less risk of back injuries.
You will get the great benefits of more heat and cleaner burning if you are able to dry your wood for two years prior to use. By working ahead two to three years, everything about making and using firewood gets easier and more satisfying.
If you are cutting ash trees, be sure not to move the firewood out of Rice County. This will be a habit we should all observe from now on to minimize the chances of spreading Emerald Ash Borer to un-infested areas. While no infestations have been found in Rice County, this new way of handling wood from ash tree should become standard procedure for all of us. Read More »
The heavy and deep snowpack we had this winter means there is very little frost in the ground. Even though it has seemed as if winter will never end, and all the plants will wake up late, we just might see buds swelling at normal or slightly earlier than normal dates since many trees and shrubs will be able to have root systems activate in unfrozen ground.
The last day or two, I’ve noticed that puddles of melt water were disappearing rapidly. This also speaks to the large amounts of unfrozen ground beneath of those snowbanks. Crocuses on southern exposures are now blooming, so spring is right around the corner!
We all are looking out at our lawns that were hidden for so long. My lawn definitely needs a little TLC once it dries up. In addition to the light spring raking that we’ll need to do – we have many little mouse tunnels several places in the lawn. The mice were able to tunnel from place to place underneath the snow this winter and were safe from the predators. We have one little mouse racetrack off the corner of the house that we will actually need to fill with soil and seed. Read More »
The time period from mid-March to mid-April is especially good for pruning trees. With no leaves on the trees, it is much easier to evaluate the structure of the tree, choosing weakly attached branches for removal and leaving strongly attached branches to become the permanent framework. The next month is also a good time for pruning Oaks and Elms, since there is a far lower chance of infection of the pruning cuts to cause Oak Wilt and Dutch Elm disease, than during the warm season from may through mid-October.
Last April in my Blog Post, I discussed tree pruning — rather than re-writing another post – I am bringing it back this year. It is so relevant and after a long winter, everyone is anxious to get outside and get something done and pruning your trees might be on your list. The following is my blog post from April 15th of last year.
During late winter and early spring yards and gardens can often look their worst. The grass is brown and sometimes damaged by winter stress, pets, de-icing products leaking off sidewalks, driveways and streets, snow plows, squirrels, and even foot traffic. The tops of perennials that may have provided some winter interest are now tired and faded. Interesting shrubs, vines and ornamental trees such as Winterberry, Bittersweet, High bush Cranberry, Mtn. Ash and certain flowering crabs that displayed beautiful red fruits all winter long now have finally faded. Certain evergreen trees and shrubs show ugly browning foliage due to winter burn. Read More »
January 12, 2010 – 12:06 pm
The following article was submitted by Kristin Lucas, our landscape designer.
The rooms inside our homes provide useable, functional spaces. We have spaces for eating, spaces for relaxing, spaces for working, and spaces for sleeping. Whether these spaces are large or small, divided by walls or defined by furniture and rugs, they make our living easier.
Just like the rooms inside the home, outdoor space can be divided into functional, beautiful “rooms.” With some planning, even the tiniest yard can provide space for eating, entertaining, relaxing and recreation. Spaces can be clearly divided with hedges, garden beds or fences. Or they can be defined with different surface materials and furniture.
One of the best ways to define a space is with the creation of a patio. Like adding an area rug to a room, a patio defines a space. Unlike a rug, a patio can also provide many other great functions, such as:
Relaxing. A small patio close to the house is a great space for morning coffee or evening wine. It can become an intimate space for reading or conversation, or a small perch from which to enjoy a beautiful view.
Entertaining. Larger patios can provide solid surface for a dining table, a grill or outdoor kitchen, and seating. They can lend enough space for guests to mix and mingle comfortably. Read More »
September 7, 2009 – 6:26 am
Each year with the given weather conditions during the season, the weather brings the best out in certain perennial varieties. This year – that perennial is the Rudbeckia Goldsturm – commonly called Black Eyed Susan. Wow! is the only way to describe it. It has been in it’s glory for almost two months now and will continue to bloom and delight until frost!
This hardy perennial will reach a height of only 30″ and the clumps are about 18″ wide. The versatility of this variety of Coneflower makes it a must have for almost any landscape. The clump in this picture is anchoring a row of spruce trees – just a nice clump or two at the end of the landscape bed where it narrows down accents evergreen trees. Rudbeckia also is the star in a cottage garden arrangement – or in mass with ornamental grasses and purple coneflower. Try it with other perennials with different color combinations – purple heuchera - Russian Sage – the list is endless. Mix it in with shrub plantings and you will have color amongst the shrubs during the summer.
Another feature of the Rudbeckia – like its other coneflower relatives – is the winter interest. Leave it stand until spring and during the late fall/early winter, frost will collect on it’s branches and then when the sun hits it, it will glisten. Birds will be attracted to the seeds that are available inside the seed head. By using perennials with winter interest in mind – you can actually “garden” all year long – in Minnesota!
The label shows that it is a full sun perennial – however – we have several clumps at home (in the woods) and one is in only about 3 hours of sun a day and it is incredible. We have it in our boulder garden with a weeping hemlock and it lights up the shade! We have several next to the house where it is shaded at least half the day and we have several clumps out in our hosta garden where these receive only about 4 hours of light each day.
September 3, 2009 – 4:21 am
Successful planting projects to improve your landscaping can take place throughout the Fall! Nights are growing longer, and days cooler which means reduced stress and moisture demands on new plantings.
If you are able to get your project area prepared, and the plants installed in September, many of them will be able to send out some new roots, beginning the establishment process, and helping them get a good start for next spring. Good preparation of the soil in the planting area, aggressive root pruning prior to planting, and consistent watering are keys to good results. Be sure to mulch all your fall plantings!
We also see October plantings doing well the following year. Most plants are dormant or becoming dormant at this time. These plants have stored large reserves of energy in their root systems and when fall planted, all this energy is available for new growth when soil temperatures warm up in the spring. Your new landscape plants will already be in place, and ready to take advantage of every single day of the 2010 growing season to grow into a beautiful new landscape.
Another nice thing about Fall is the terrific bargains available. In early Fall, the selection can still be good, so make your plans, get your plants and get started planting!
I have had several calls the last couple of days with concerns like “my hydrangea is drooping” or the leaves aren’t looking very good and are turning brown”. These are concerns on newly planted hydrangeas. These plants are heavy water users. Here in the nursery, we are watering our container ones at least twice a day, and sometimes on the hot days – they’re getting watered three times a day. Give your hydrangeas plenty of water – perhaps even twice a day. They definitely show you that they are thirsty – they will wilt before your eyes!
