SEASONAL TIPS
 Check the strings at the base of ALL your trees. . .
To avoid choking (and eventually killing ) your trees,
pull back the burlap and cut the strings at the base of the tree. Dig a
little, sometimes the tree has started to grow over them! This is
VERY important. It takes about 8 years to completely girdle a
Spruce.
Click here
or see page 8 and page9 in
High
Altitude Planting - How to Plant a Tree.
Aerate your lawn.
Plant Wildflower Seed. Annual
and Perennials can be broadcast in areas that you prepared last year.
Start garden and yard clean-ups.
Add Compost and Soil Pep® to your flower beds.
Start planting trees, shrubs and
"hardened off" perennials. (Ones that have been at elevation and will not
freeze.) DO NOT put anything outside that was grown in a greenhouse. . .
BE PATIENT, BE CAREFUL
Take note of your Spruce and Evergreen Trees. If they are still alive but
wind-burned and stressed, Mark your Calendar for next October and
spray them with Wilt-pruf®. An anti-desiccant and protectant for the
needles. A must for our winter sun and winds!
May - Fertilize Trees, Shrubs,
Gardens, Grass. . .
Plant Pansies,
Snapdragons, Stock and other frost tolerant Annual
Do NOT turn your Sprinklers on
yet. Tune them up, get them running efficiently, but don’t use water
unnecessarily. The longer your wait, the deeper your roots will grow.
(This is good!)
PLANT OF THE MONTH
Golden Willow
- Salix alba vitellina
- Zone 2
click for the big image
Willows are one of the first varieties to leaf out in the Spring.
Golden Willow have bright, golden branches all winter. The new leaves
are brilliant green turning deeper as the season progresses. Yellow fall
color.
They are fast growing to 40'-60' tall. They need to be protected from
direct wind and have a high water requirement (they are willows!) But. . .
Planted properly with efficient irrigation, they are spectacular - check
out the Park City Golf Course for mature examples - there are also some
specimens growing in Silver Springs, North Shore and lower Pinebrook - Go
see for yourself!
Golden
Willow are Cold-Hardy. One of the few ‘old fashioned’ big trees that grow
at altitude.
MONTHLY SPECIALS
Come in to the Nursery and check out our "In-House" Spring Specials:
*Wintered-over Plants that have survived the winter but are taking up
space for this season’s stock need to be moved. We have some especially
nice Spruce and Evergreens!
*5 or
more Aspen - call for details.
*Metal
Art-15% off - Tell us you read The Park City Nursery Newsletter on-line and receive 25% off on selected Metal Garden Art during April/May.
*Other stuff as we see what the season brings and finds. . .
(435) 649-1363
Or, just come see for yourself.
ORGANIC LESSONS
We are just beginning to learn about organic alternatives and we are
EXTREMELY open to your input. We will share what we are learning and
welcome your comments. Please add yours to
our guest
book. We are fortunate, due to our elevation and short
growing season, our ‘bug’ and pest problems are minimal compared to other
regions of the country.
The Deer are starting to come down. We have found (and of course, sell)
an effective, natural repellent that should help protect your Tulip Buds
and other succulent new growth beginning to emerge.
REPELLEX® is a ready to use deer repellent. It has a strong, sulfur
odor that dissipates in a couple of hours so. . . don’t plan to spend time
in the treated area immediately after spraying. (Advice from personal
experience!) It is labeled for Deer, Elk, Moose and Rabbits but. . . there
is no guarantee they won’t graze in your yard but. . . we can hope it
dissuades them.
© 2002
Park City Nursery All Rights Reserved
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MONTHLY ARTICLE
Building Plants from the Soil Up
by Dana White Gillian
As you may already know,
Park
City has rocky, clay like soil. It is sticky when wet and impossible to work
with when dry. In case you don’t know, it is alkaline, so it is
high in sodium and low in phosphorous and organic matter, both necessary
for optimum root growth. This is very important information to consider as
you plan your landscape. In order to increase the survival rate of trees,
shrubs and plants in the harsh mountain climate, it is critical to work
with the soil. By focusing on the water and nutrients available to the
roots, increasing air space and leaching some of the soil sodium, you can
promote optimum growth.
Topsoil is the zone for root development. It contains the nutrients
necessary for plants to grow. For optimum growth the topsoil must be
kept loose and open to assure the balance of microorganisms, air, water
and organic matter. This balance will allow the roots to grow and
find the necessary nourishment. Heavy clay soils consist of fine
particles that help the clay hold water and provide a rich store house for
plant nutrients. Unfortunately, the water and nutrients are not
readily available to the root system, and this is why a plant may be
wilting even when the surface area seems moist. Organic matter is
the key element to increasing the water availability. Organic matter
is best added to clay soil in the form of compost. Compost is a soil
conditioner rather than a fertilizer but with regular additions of compost
one can create a fertile soil that rarely needs additional fertilizer.
Using compost when planting and frequently working it into the surface
will help keep the soil loose and open. Compost will also be the
main energy source for very important microorganisms that release minerals
and liberate carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide and oxygen are the two life-sustaining gases in soil for
the process of photosynthesis. In clay soil the level of carbon dioxide
is high and the oxygen levels are low, creating poor conditions for
growth. As the gardener, your job is to add organic matter, which
will help provide good
drainage and aeration. The easiest way to do this is to incorporate
compost to the area around your trees, shrubs and plants. This will help
with the critical movement of air, water and nutrients.
When working the surface, it is a good time to add gypsum. Gypsum will
change the chemical bonds and release some of the soil sodium. The
magnesium in the gypsum will replace the sodium. This is best done in the
spring and fall when possible rains can help leach out the freed sodium.
By adding organic matter, compost, Soil pep®
one can help with the critical balance
of soil nutrients, organisms, water and air in the clay soils. Whenever
you do any planting make sure you have plenty of compost on hand. It
is also a good idea to cultivate compost into existing beds and tree wells
whenever possible. Remember that a beautiful tree starts in the soil.
TROUBLESHOOTING
SYMPTOM: You planted 1,000 (more or less) Bulbs last fall and none
of them came up. . . or they were sparse in some areas.
COMMENT: Odds are, they were eaten by voles, moles or some other
critter. Usually Daffodils and Crocus are more immune to this so, go
heavier on these varieties if you get motivated to try again.
Also, you can put REPELLEX® Tablets in the hole when you plant. There
are also a few other tricks - pick up a copy of High Altitude Planting.
. .
You also may have planted your bulbs too deep. At this elevation, you
only need to plant your bulbs 2½ times the width of the bulb.
SYMPTOM: Your grass looks like it needs to be Power-Raked. . ..
COMMENT: Don’t do it. . . .Aerate, use Gypsum, and Fertilize. Power
raking destroys root structure. Our growing season is too short, the grass
doesn’t have time to completely recover.
We have, generally, very heavy, clay-like soil. Gypsum is a mineral
that breaks down the alkaline salts in the soil and helps break up clay
over time.
SYMPTOM:
Spruce Trees are brown and look dead. . .
COMMENT: Winter Stress. . . Wilt-pruf® in the Fall; Check the root
area - if it is soaking wet, Do not water. If it is dry down 6" or more,
spot soak that tree with a hose. Just because one tree is dry, doesn’t
mean the whole yard is!
Click here for watering tips on Spruce
- page 18 of High Altitude Planting
Before you call for help, educate yourself:
Check the Needles - are they dry and falling off or just discolored?
Are there fresh new buds on the ends of branches? (Green underneath?)
Or brown and dry?
Is the Bark green on the branches and the trunk when you scrape it?
Call an expert after you have checked your trees.
DEAD = Dry, Brown, Crispy, Rust-color.
ALIVE = Discolored - Blue-Green, healthy Bark and Buds.
Fertilizing with chelated iron will add some valuable nutrients to the
soil and get rid of that anemic look trees seem to acquire over the long
winter.
SYMPTOM: The snow melted and your grass is trashed! Little tunnels
terrorizing your beloved lawn.
COMMENT: Voles. They come in from outlying areas, fields and the
neighbors’ yard who took preventative measures last fall with repellent.
They eat the roots of your grass.
Your can 1) leave it and let your grass grow back lumpy, 2) rake it up
and out, place Soil Pep®, sand, and/or topsoil in the low areas and over-
seed with the appropriate variety.
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