MONTHLY PHOTOS
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SEASONAL TIPS
See
October 2002 Archives and the
August 2003 newsletter.
Protect your
Evergreens from winter sun and wind burn by Wilt-prufing now!
Plant Seed,
Wildflower and Native Grasses, Now. Especially in non-irrigated sites.
Continue planting Bulbs
Make sure that your trees, shrubs and perennial beds are still moist for
the long fall and winter ahead.
Continue
Planting Trees and Shrubs until the ground is too hard to dig a hole.
Spray Repellex for protection against Deer and other animals during the
fall and winter forage.
Gypsum and
Compost - ‘tis the season.
Mole
and Vole Repellent - Now for winter damage prevention.
Order your Summer Hanging Baskets NOW for next year.
Call the Nursery for details (435) 649-1363. This is new for Summer
2004 our growers will custom grow baskets,
hayracks, etc. for your long, lovely blooming Summer.
PLANT OF THE MONTH
Peking Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster acutifolia -Zone 3
Vase shaped shrub 6-8' tall with small
shiny leaves throughout the summer. Insignificant, white blossom in the
Spring becomes a small, black, bird attracting berry in the late summer.
Stunning reddish-orange fall color.
Peking Cotoneaster - pronounced : Pe King Ka tone E aster is an attractive
“bread and butter” shrub for high altitude yards. Excellent as a hedge,
accent plant or even ornamental shrub.
A nursery favorite for its multiple uses and hardiness. Easy to grow!
MONTHLY SPECIALS
Free Soil Pep
with a $75.00 tree and/or shrub
purchases and our coupon. Click
here to Print the
coupon.
Fall Sale still in
Progress!!
Oktoberfest!!
October 4th
and 5th 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM 40% 0ff
Clump Aspen Crabapples, Ash, Willow, Dwarf Mugo Pine, Lilac B & B and all
other B & B shrubs.
1-11/2" caliper Aspen
$50.00 each! and 20% OFF all other stock!
Hot Cider and Treats! Our Pumpkin Patch and free face painting.
ORGANIC LESSONS
For winter composting, build a base
of fall leaves 12" high at the bottom of the composter. (Available at Park
city Recycle Center.) Continue to add kitchen scraps all through the
winter. The waste will freeze, breaking down the fibers. In the spring,
add 3 shovels full of earth from your garden and mix all the materials
together. The decomposition process will become active again.
For more information contact Recycle Utah @
649-9698 or
www.recycleutah.org.
TROUBLESHOOTING
SYMPTOM: your flower beds looked
like they needed some ‘oomf’ all summer. . .
COMMENT:
Live Compost - add it to your flower beds this fall to give your soil some
life.
SYMPTOM: You need to move some
plants from point A to point B. . .
COMMENT:
Wait until they defoliate and have set bud for next year. Dig a very large
hole and match the root ball to the prepared area. Move the plant
CAREFULLY. Plant with soil pep and/or compost. Rootstart in May next
season and every 4 weeks throughout the growing season.
SYMPTOM: Unwanted Crabgrass and
Spurge dominated your lawn this year.
COMMENT:
Pre-emergent Crabgrass and Spurge Killer - put it down now or first thing
in the spring before you see it.
SYMPTOM: holes in the wildflower
patch..
COMMENT:
Fill in with Perennial and/or Annual Wildflower Seed. Now is an excellent
time to overseed -if the area is relatively weed free.
SYMPTOM: Dead plants next to the
street from salt damage. . .
COMMENT:
GYPSUM - Put down in fall to absorb alkali salts and protect plant roots.
© 2002-2003
Park City Nursery All Rights Reserved
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MONTHLY ARTICLE
Fall Clean-up
by : Russ Richard
 As
the days get shorter and temperatures cool , the plants replace the
chlorophyll in their leaves with sugars , yielding the spectacular fall
foliage we enjoy so much. Since it was such a long , hot, dry, summer many
of the plants that surround us in our gardens could use a little help. The
drought we experienced this year has left much of the vegetation in a
state of stress, wondering if it really wants to survive in our harsh,
high mountain desert climate. With a little bit of work we can help turn
things around and get our essential green friends back on the right
track.
FERTILIZING
When we think about preparing ourselves for the long epic winter we’ve
been waiting for, we should also consider the same for our gardens. By
doing so, the plants will spend their energy more efficiently and will
flourish to a higher level in the springtime and throughout the following
season. Ironically, as we concentrate on the lower half of our bodies to
get us down that big long ski run this winter, it is the lower half of the
plant’s structure that is so important in it’s survival. Amazingly all the
energy is transferred from the leaves to the roots which will actively
grow for two to three weeks after the beautiful foliage has landed on the
ground. A Fall fertilizing around the garden will enhance this energy
transfer and greatly improve the plant’s growing conditions for the next
year. Most newer plantings and unestablished vegetation will benefit
from a fall application of “Rootstarter” or any other root-specific
fertilizer. Rootstarter is a liquid which is mixed with water and easily
applied around the base or drip line of the plant. With our short growing
season, it is important to encourage as much root growth as possible and
to get the plant “established”. Not until a plant can support itself
without any outside help is it truly considered established. In our
climate it can take years for a plant to achieve this and the fall
fertilizing is an important factor.
Rootstarter
applications are recommended once a month, June through September, for the
first two years after a perennial, shrub or tree has been transplanted.
It should be applied prior to leaf drop in order to prevent the roots
from growing too late into the winter. Additionally, “Soil Acidifier” may
be added to any rootstarter application to further enhance the growing
conditions and lower our typically high, alkaline pH. Other fertilizers
may also be used at this time. Many people use general purpose
fertilizers throughout their yards on everything from the trees to the
lawn. Putting these fertilizers down in the fall will use the natural
moisture from the snowmelt to leach into the soil and will therefore be
readily available to the plant early in the Spring. Tree cuttings and
leaves are the best natural fertilizer available for your plants If you
have the option of leaving them around the base of the plant or using them
as a mulch, do so.
“Winterizer”
fertilizers are available for lawns also. They encourage vigorous root
growth until the ground freezes and are still present in the Spring to
continue feeding the roots.
PRUNING
Almost
all perennials and some shrubs will benefit greatly from being pruned in
the late fall. When cutting back perennials, wait till they’ve died back
all the way to the ground, then cut them approximately two to three inches
above the ground. This can be achieved with pruners, shears, or in some
cases a weed-wacker, depending on your situation. Pruning back your
perennials will yield a larger plant with a stronger root system .
Many hybridized, non-hardy roses are found throughout Park City and the
surrounding area. They produce considerably more flowers than the wilder
varieties and also bloom for a longer time, but have a harder time
wintering over. You can improve your chances of seeing them next year by
pruning and insulating them. First, prune them back to a height of 18
inches above the ground, then place a rose collar around the base, and
then fill it with soil pep or mulch.
If
you have any larger trees that might have dangerous or dead limbs, it’s
advisable to cut them now before the snow loads and heavy winds have a
chance to break them.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM
All
sprinkler systems should be shut down, drained, and blown out with a high
capacity compressor. This will prevent the pipes from freezing should any
water remain in the lines and ensure against contamination of the potable
water source. There is no immediate hurry to get this done for your garden
is better off being wet when the ground finally freezes and that doesn’t
usually happen until mid November.
RODENT AND DEER PROBLEMS
Many
of us enjoy seeing the deer, elk, and occasional moose, and the little
critters that wander into the garden but would rather they feed themselves
somewhere else. There are several products available to control these
pests and they need to be applied on regular intervals. The list includes;
Ropel, Deer Away, Mole Go, This One Works, and Reppelex.
If
you’ve had problems with rodents burrowing through your lawn in the
wintertime you can apply Terrachlor to the lawn just before the snow seems
like its here for the duration. It is actually a fungicide that contains
an ingredient that moles, voles, and mice detest. It is in powder form
and should be applied more heavily around the perimeter and lightly on the
interior of the desired area.
FALL COLORS
Now
is the time to extend the color season a little further with mums, asters,
coneflowers, blackeyed susan, autumn joy sedum, and hollyhocks. These will
give some added color ,can survive some snowfall, and will last until the
heavy frost sets in.
SPRING COLORS
Planting
bulbs now for the early Spring season always pays off while you’re waiting
for the perennials to show their faces. Tulip, Narcissus, Daffodils,
Anemones, Frittilaria, Allium are all favorites and can be planted when
the temperatures cool off in the late fall before the snow falls. Planting
the bulbs in groups will ease the planting process and emphasize the
color. Because of our clay soil and late Spring it is recommended to plant
the bulbs approximately ½ as deep as the grower indicates. Use Bulb Food
or Bone Meal and be sure to add some soil pep or compost to lighten the
soil. If you have any problems with rodents or deer in your yard, spraying
or soaking the bulbs in Ropel or Deer Away is advised.
Please add to
our guest book , with your comments and e-mail us at
info@parkcitynursery.com but
remember we answer them once a week so call us anytime at (435)
649-1363.
Park City Nursery “we know what grows”
(435) 649-1363
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