Greenhouse is pleased to award LifePoint Church $50 towards the continued success of the Church garden. "Soil preparation is very important before you plant. First, we rototilled the soil all the way down to the ground, added manure (aged from last year), and rototilled again. David Ruf, Owner of the Greenhouse Garden Center in Carson, donated all the plants to our church. All harvested produce was given to our on-site pantry which opens its doors to those in need in our community. We planted tomatoes, bush beans, bell peppers, various chilies, melons, cucumbers, cilantro, chilies, zucchini, and onions. Every 2nd Saturday, volunteers gathered in the garden to plant, weed, and harvest. It was a good opportunity to fellowship with other folks. We finished our harvest today (Oct. 10). Tomatoes are taking a month longer this season to ripen, so I took David Ruf's advice to pull out all the tomato plants and hang them upside down. They're now hanging in my garage.

Controlling pests was a really big challenge this year. The things we tried were:

FOR SQUIRRELS- Plant peppermint plants and marigolds inside the perimeter. Their fragrance repelled squirrels.
FOR VOLES- We used vole repellent granules from Greenhouse Garden Center. I even made my own repellent of cayenne pepper and castor oil, which I sprayed directly on the plants. Both methods worked well, although you need to reapply every month or after it rains.
FOR RABBITS- We made sure that our fencing was securely dug into the ground, especially around the gates. This worked well because while rabbits can dig, they can't climb.

We used soaker hoses on timers to water our plants. This was my first year as the garden coordinator. I've learned a lot about what works in our climate and soil and will apply this knowledge to next year's garden. Everyone is invited to help in the garden! You don't have to be a LifePoint member. We have garden meetings every second Saturday of each month from March to October. For more information, contact Joyce C. Meyer at thegarden@lifepointNV.com or call 775-720-7761. Our LifePoint church services are on Saturday from 4:30-5:30 pm and Sunday services at 9 am and 10:45 am. We believe in Loving God, Loving People, and Leaving a Legacy."

Our Connections Pastor Mark Marsella teaches that "It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field...1Cor 3:7-9 NLT"

Click here to contact us today!

1. Dr. Earth Natural Lawn Fertilizer helps keep rabbits from destroying your lawn during the winter months. The fish base used to make this fertilizer acts as a repellent. Apply this fertilizer once a month around the perimeter of your lawn and broadcast this fertilizer around young trees and shrubs to deter deer as well.
2. Borers come into the yard at this time of year in firewood. These little creatures will live for a year in a dead wood and then are able to attack freshly planted pines, spruce, cherry and other stone fruits in the spring. Removal of the bark on the firewood helps eliminate borers. It's time to apply Bonide Systemic Insect Tree And Shrub Control to ash, spiraea, snowball, dogwood and pine trees for early spring control of aphids and borers.
3. Water all trees and shrubs one time this month. New plantings (less then 2 years old) are especially susceptible to winter damage caused by lack of water. Also, apply Cloud Cover to all broadleafed evergreens. Cloud Cover is a clear, flexible polymer coating that holds moisture into the plants and reduces stress caused by temperature extremes and dry environment. This can be applied once a month in November, December, January, and February.
4. Bring in or cover your clay and concrete pots, statuary and fountains. Use a sealer to help prolong your investment. Place burlap or other absorbent fabric in the basins that can't be turned over to prevent ice from forming in cracks. Keep a concrete base (ie pavers) or a well-draining base under all concrete items. While you're at it clean all your tools with rubbing alcohol and rub off rust with steel wool. Oil wood handles. Store your tools in a dry spot protected from winter elements.
5. Don't prune grapes, sugar maples or birch this month because of bleeding sap. Only time will stop the flow, so sealing these cuts will not be effective. Prune these plants in April. Now is the time to prune 2 year old wood on raspberries for a bumper crop of berries next year.
6. Apply Kaput Combo Bait Pellet Packs to control voles and mice. Keep extra packs on hand to replace the empties.
7. Heavy snows can pull down arborvitaes or upright junipers, so a light pruning and/or tying with thick green tie tape, will help prevent winter damage.
8. Treat your houseplants again with Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control . The insects always seem to be worse in winter.
9. Spray fruit trees and roses with Lime Sulfur Spray (dormant disease) and Volk Oil (dormant insect) to kill overwintering insects, eggs and spores.
10. Start a pot of fragrant paperwhites or an amaryllis so that they will be in their glory during the December holiday season. These also make a great hostess gift. Order a beautiful Noble Fir cut Christmas tree now and we can deliver it to you right after Thanksgiving. Don't forget to check out the Christmas Shop. Greenhouse has the best selection of gifts, ornaments and seasonal accessories in Northern Nevada.