Santa is Coming!!!!

Saturday December 7, 2019 11am-2pm

Join us along with Santa & Mrs. Claus for an afternoon of fun and holiday spirit. The kids can tell Santa their wishes for Christmas and than get their picture taken with Santa & Mrs. Claus. We will also have a craft table for the kids to make an ornament to take home with them. We will be serving hot apple cider, hot chocolate and pie. We will also be hosting a wine tasting with some delicious mulled wine for the adults to enjoy!

Is it really almost the end of May?

As we approach the end of May, we are into the full swing with our Spring and Summer landscape projects. One thing we can’t forget along the way is to watch the health of our plants to keep them from being attacked by disease and insects. There are some things you can do to help prevent these things from effecting your crops later in the season. Of course, there is never a guarantee that things will be perfect but it sure can help!

*First, rotate your garden veggies. Doing this keeps soil borne diseases from building up year after year in your soil.
*Always try and buy your plants from a reputable plant dealer as you are less likely to have to worry about disease problems.
*Make sure your growing site and conditions are right for the particular plant you are growing.
*If disease is noticed, remove severely damaged leaves. Clean up those leaves and surrounding area because good sanitation is always key! Use a fungicide once disease is noticed. You will want to do this to keep disease from spreading and further injuring your plants. Here at the Nursery, we can help you choose which product will be best for your needs.
*Some diseases are carried by insects that feed on crops. In this case, you must control the insect. This can be confusing, but again, that’s why we are here to help!
*Trees and shrubs can be protected early on with a systemic insecticide. There are many to choose dependent on the type of plant you are treating.

Not only should we worry about our garden and landscape plants but our lawns need care too! Now is a great time to think about Grub Control on your lawn. Not only will this help with the safety of your grass roots but it will kill all those nasty ticks, chiggers and most of all those darn Japanese Beetle while they are still in their pupae form (the stage between an immature and mature insect). We will talk more of those beetles at a later date. It is also about time to start thinking about your second pre-emergent/fertilizer application. Your lawn will appreciate the extra care!

In the meantime, don’t work too hard or stress about the things we can’t control. Mother Nature has a way of slowing us down and teaching us to appreciate ALL her beauty, whether good or bad. Enjoy the weather and don’t forget we are always here to help and answer your questions!!

Spring is here!?

Things are really starting to take off and wake up at the Nursery. Although our Spring has been not so Springy, the trees and shrubs are still starting to pop with the almost forgotten, but oh so welcoming color of green. The Forsythia and Azaleas are starting to open up with their bright colors to welcome a new season ahead. Our Greenhouse is filling up! We have some new and unique varieties of Annuals and Perennials growing and patiently waiting for the weather to warm up so they can find their happy place in your yard.

As the temps are beginning to warm, we are all getting the urge to get out and plant. Just remember to check for our last frost date (typically around late April to early May) and plant after for the health and safety of your plants. Until then, now is a good time to prep your garden area- Don’t forget that if you had trouble with disease on your plants, try rotating the veggies in your garden. Here are a few tips to get you started….
*Start by digging up the area. 6-8” deep is fine but up to 12” is good for root crops such as potatoes and carrots.
*Add lots of organic matter such as OMA-GRO compost or manure. Mix this in with the existing soil.
*Cover the bed with a thick layer of mulch (3-4”). This will help keep down weeds, protect your plants and help them retain moisture. If you are not using mulch, use a garden safe weed & feed product to help control weeds and fertilize your garden.
With just these few simple steps, your garden bed is prepped. We will now wait for Mother Nature’s thermostat to be set comfortably for our new plants to be put in their new home.

When it comes to planting – potatoes, onions and garlic are very popular veggies to plant in the garden.

When planting potatoes- cut the potatoes into 1 1/2”-2” pieces, each with one or two good eyes (buds). Allow cut surfaces to heal (dry) usually about a week. Plant the pieces eye up about 4” deep and 12” apart in rows 2-3’ apart. 10-12lb of potatoes will plant a 100’ row. No room for growing potatoes in your yard? Use a Gardman Potato Tub. They are compact to use on porches, decks and small apartment patios, but will still give you a great yield of potatoes. As the plant grows, mound the dirt up around the plant. Once the leaves start to turn brown, it is time to harvest!

When planting onions-
Green onions- plant 1-2” deep and 2’ apart
Slicing onions- plant 1-2” deep and 4’ apart
Plant in rows 18-24” apart in well-drained soil that is high in organic content. Water regularly and fertilize every 3 weeks. Onions will mature in 60-90 days. Harvest when leaves start to yellow and fall over.

When planting garlic- Break apart garlic bulb and plant a single clove 2” deep, 4-5” apart. Garlic does great in the ground or in pots! Harvest when leaves yellow and start to fall over.

We carry a few different types of potatoes. We have Kennebec, Yukon Gold, Norland Red and Russet. We will also have Red Candy, Walla Walla, Ringmaster, Candy and Superstar onions along with some California soft neck Garlic.

Don’t forget we also carry many, many types of veggie starter plants and seeds along with all of your soils (in bags and bulk) and amendments you would need for your garden. Hopefully this will help you get off on the right foot with your garden. Please remember to feel free and stop by or call if you have any questions on getting your garden started.

Buggy fruit….YUCK!!

Coming back to the Nursery after a long cold winter is always refreshing for the soul. As weird as it may sound to some, walking into the Greenhouse and smelling the dirt is one of the greatest scents to encounter. To me, that means it is just the beginning of a beautiful season about to bloom right before our eyes! Although it’s still a bit chilly out, there are some things you can take care of now to prepare for the 2018 growing season.

A few things I have noticed over the years is customers coming in later in the season with troubled fruit. Whether it be buggy fruit or even just spotted fruit and leaves, they are wondering, why this is happening and how do we keep it from happening? When it comes to apples for example, we see two common diseases show up often. Those diseases being Cedar Apple Rust and Apple Scab. Though some varieties are resistant to these diseases- most are susceptible. Fruit tree sprays or Orchard sprays are critical to preventing disease on these susceptible varieties, along with insect control. Sprays such as Bonide Fruit Tree Spray or Bonide Orchard Spray, should be done on a 7-10 day spray schedule to keep the protective chemical cover on the rapidly developing leaves and fruit. These sprays can be used on all fruit trees, shrubs and vines. These diseases are usually only a problem in April or May. Watch the temperatures, if spring hits us early (and here in Nebraska you never know) you may have to start these sprays now. If you have questions about treating your fruits to prevent disease and insect damage, stop in or call to chat with one of our knowledgeable staff!

Another question we always get is about what types of veggies can be planted outside now. We know how we all get that itch to get things started once we creep up on spring! A lot of us start some of our plants from seed inside while it’s still cold. Certain veggies can endure being planted in our cold spring temperatures as long as they have been hardened off or toughened up first by exposing them to sunlight and outside temps. Give these seedlings a little less water and lower temps to start hardening them up. Slowly move transplants (seedlings) outside in a shady protected area for a portion of the day. As the week goes on, move them to a more exposed sunny area. You can do this now with your cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and onions as they can withstand below freezing temp without being killed off!

Hopefully these tips will have your fruit trees and your veggies bug free, beautiful and delicious. Remember, if you have any questions, please feel free to stop by or give us a call. We are always here to help 

Spring is so close!

Ahhh! It is so nice to be back at the Nursery. I can already smell spring in the air! Things are starting to liven up around here. Great new garden décor and supplies are filling up the Gift shop. The greenhouse is on and ready for the girls to start pluggin’ away on all of the new plant inventory. The tree and shrub beds are getting prepped and our rock bins are filling up with some gorgeous new stone. Don’t forget our Landscape department! They are here and ready to design the perfect outdoor space for your home. We have decided that if 2018 is anything like 2017, than we are in for a wild ride!

So to get 2018 off to a good start, we have some tips to get your garden/landscape beds ready for the new planting season.
*Now is the time to start general clean-up and re-mulching of your flower/garden beds.
*Cut back any ornamental grasses from the season before
*Fertilize- Put down your first application of fertilizer/crabgrass preventer. We carry a line of Ultimate brand fertilizers and weed controls that are easy to apply.
*When temps are above 40 degrees and before bud break, apply a Dormant Oil to your trees and shrubs to kill any overwintering insects and scale. You can use a product such as Bonide All Seasons Spray Oil.
*Transplant any shrubs you may want moved before bud break if the ground is workable
*Draw out a plan for your garden for all of the delicious veggies you want to grow
*Now is a great time to get your pepper and tomato plants started inside. We have a great selection of seeds and seed starting supplies available in the store.

Take these tips and get outside in the fresh air and get those hands a bit dirty! Your gardens, trees and shrubs will reward you as the season goes on! 2018 is going to be a great year. I can just feel it!!
For any other questions, feel free to give us a call or stop by the Nursery to let us help you!

Spring Awakening

I noticed this time of year I need to pay more attention to my driving. As a self-proclaimed “plant nerd”, I find it hard to keep my eyes on the road. It is so easy to be distracted when I see the bright green of newly emerging leaves exploding off the limbs like a firecracker in July. I love this time of year! I watch the early bloomers rejoicing in the warmer temperatures and I wait for the sleepyheads to slowly wake from their long winter slumber. It is a fun time in the horticulture world for plant identification. With each spring rain, more and more leaves burst on to the scene.

This got me thinking on my drive home. With all the new emerging greenery, it may be time to treat my trees and shrubs to keep those pesky bugs away. The easiest way is to use a systemic insecticide root drench. It is easy for the homeowner to do themselves and it will protect your trees and shrubs all season long. Here at Trees, Shrubs and More we have great products to help you treat all of your landscape needs. Stop in and take a look for yourself. We always have a great staff on hand to help you out!

Spring is almost here!

During these last bitterly cold days of winter, I start a count down to spring.  This helps to keep my spirits up in what seems to be an endless Nebraska winter.  I am so happy to say that the official day of spring is Monday, March 20th! We are almost there!

I always get excited when I see our migratory birds start to return.  Water foul and raptors once again grace our skies.  The majestic Sandhill Cranes arrive late February to early April in Kearny to rest before their trip to their Northern breeding grounds.  Then their is our fabulous variety of backyard birds.  It is so nice to hear their songs wake me up after a long silent winter.

It is easy to forget how much of an impact our feathered friends have in our lives.  Our busy schedules makes it difficult to stop and appreciate these small wonders.  If you think about it for most of us, no mater what meal we eat, a bird has a roll in it.  So this spring I am going to show my appreciation to the birds.  I will hang a few bird houses and feeders so they have a nice home and food to enjoy their time here in the Midwest.

For me, I see this as a Win-Win.  I receive lovely melodies to wake up to in the mornings and to relax to during sunsets.  I also will have the benefit of these hungry little beauties eating insects all day long that may otherwise be eating my garden plants.

Our store is open now Monday thru Friday 8-5 and Saturdays 10-4.  We offer bird feeders, bird houses and nectar if you too would like to enjoy the benefits of our backyard birds this year.  Keep in mind, nectar is not just for humming birds.  Most birds can’t resist that sweet stuff!

Open House 2016

Come in and help us celebrate the 2016 Fall season! On Sept.24 & 25 we will have different activities going on throughout the weekend. We would love for you and your family to join us!

*Grilling on the patio from 11-2 both Saturday and Sunday

*Wine tasting Saturday from 1pm-4pm and Sunday 12pm-2pm

*Live Acoustic Guitar both Saturday and Sunday from 1pm-4pm

*Apple picking all day!

*A clown making balloon animals for the kids on Saturday from 1pm-3pm

*Sampling of food items from the store

*Raffles

*Drawing each day for a $100.00 Gift Certificate

*Much, Much More!!!!

 

Emerald Ash Borer

With the confirmation of the Emerald Ash Borer in Douglas County, we have received many phone calls and inquiries about what the homeowner can do? There are different options out there and there are many variables that may factor in to how you treat your Ash trees. With that, we thought we would share a few links from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture that may help answer some questions.

https://www.nda.nebraska.gov/press/june2016/EAB-found-in-nebraska.pdf

https://nfs.unl.edu/documents/EAB/EABhomeownerfullsheet2012Oct.pdf

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us during our store hours and we would be happy to help!

A new season has sprung…..

It’s a new season and we are excited to see what it will bring! The weather has been nice and finally some much needed rain has fallen. Everything is starting to green up and lots of things are starting to bloom. Our nursery is filling up with a great selection of perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs that can help start or complete your landscape project. New arrivals are coming in daily. This also includes a wide variety of veggies, tropical plants and so much more! We have a great knowledgeable staff and a great Landscape Design team to help you with all of your upcoming projects. We have extended our hours to Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm and Sunday 8am-5pm. Stop in and see what’s new at Trees, Shrubs and More.