FEATURED QUOTE :

"No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden." Hugh Johnson

We are happy to be back from our January vacation, and hope that all our customers have had a restful month and are chomping at the bit to get started planning for the 2012 growing season. Water alert! Because our winter has been so dry, we want to stress how imperative it is to water trees, shrubs and now even the grass. Stick a screwdriver into the turf and if it won't penetrate into the soil 6 inches easily, it is time to water. Plan to water trees and shrubs every 2 to 3 weeks if we have no rain or snow.

Some of the symptoms of not enough water in the winter months that you may observe this spring can include the following: fewer flowers on trees and shrubs; dieback on the tops of trees and shrubs; sparse leaf out on trees and shrubs; burning on the tips of evergreen needles on the south/west sides; and increased weeds in the lawn, especially around the edges. David would like to encourage gardeners to start and/or increase the use of organic fertilizers and organic soil amendments which are fortified with beneficial microbes and mycorrhizal fungus. These types of products help plant material better capture water and nutrients out of our Northern Nevada desert soils.

Look for David starting in March on KTVN Channel 4 in the morning. He will be hosting a weekly gardening spot on Fridays around 6:30 AM. Don't forget you can support the Carson City Shade Tree Council's plan to plant 10,000 trees on public areas in Carson City by making a donation at Greenhouse Garden Center for the 10,000 Trees Program.

We can't wait to see you.

This year is going to be one of the weediest years ever! Hand weeding or continuous spraying during the growing season season is tedious, monotonous, and back-breaking work. More home and property owners are discovering the merits of using pre-emergents to eliminate the dreaded weed issues that always crop up during the growing season.

David recommends for those people who have never used pre-emegents before to use a weed and feed fertilizer anywhere green in seen in February as well as a pre-emergent. Those who have used pre-emergents before do not need to add this additional step. Most pre-emergents are designed to be used once a year, usually in the early spring or late fall/qinter when plants are dormant. The timing of the application is important since pre-emergents do not kill established broad-leafed plant material and they are not effective against actively growing weeds. Most pre-emergents work by preventing germination of seeds and interfere with weed growth initiation.

Avoid putting any pre-emergent down in areas when planting will be occuring during the growing season (ie vegetable gardens, annual beds) and avoid applying pre-emergents to turf areas or areas that will be seeded or sodded during the growing season. If ornamental shrubs or trees are going to be planted in a treated area, remove the top 5 inches of soil in the areas where the holes are to be dug and replace it with an appropriate soil amendment mixed in with the existing soil. Most pre-emergents rely on water either as a delivery system or to help dissolve granules and force the product down into the ground. Keep in mind where runoff areas will be occurring and avoid runoff into ponds and turf areas. The pre-emergents listed below are all stocked at Greenhouse Garden Center.

If you haven't already done so, make sure to protect your fruit trees from pests and disease by applying a dormant spray to them. Most fruit trees should be sprayed at least twice--once in January when they are fully dormant and once again at bud swell.

It's helpful to combine a dormant oil spray with a fungicide at the same time so you only have to spray once. This important spraying will help prevent fungus diseases such as dead bud and peach-leaf curl, in addition to knocking out any overwintering insects or insect eggs.

Since different varieties of fruit trees bloom at different times, it's important to make sure you apply your spray at the proper time for maximum effectiveness. Our staff of garden experts will be happy to guide and advise you with all your spray applications.

1. Dig organic materials into your vegetable and flower gardens for bigger crops and more efficient water use. Paydirt, Bumper Crop and Black Forest Compost are three blended organic mixes that are perfect for flower and vegetable beds. One bag of any of these organic mixes will be enough for 50 square feet.
2. Apply Bonide Tree and Shrub and Insect Control on ornamental deciduous trees. This once a year application will control aphids and elm leaf beetles and Bronze Birch borer. Apply Bayer Fruit, Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control to fruit trees and vegetable gardens for annual insect control.
3. Reserve Mason Bees now. They are early pollinators which start pollinating long before honeybees come out of hibernation. A limited supply will be arriving mid-March.
4. It is time to fertilize your lawn. Dr. Earth Lawn Food is 100% organic and contains beneficial mycorrhizae and microbes.
5. There is still time to spray dormant oil and lime sulfur fungicide on fruit trees and roses to suffocate over-wintering insects and control disease..
6. Continue to apply Kaput Rat & Mouse Bait to control voles, it you have noticed runways in your turf or live near an open field.
7. Start planting cool season crops in the garden. Carrots, peas, onions, cabbage and lettuce are some early season favorites. For a complete list of cool season crops come into Greenhouse Garden Center and we will be happy to give you that hand-out.
8. Spray Florel once a week for 3 weeks on the greenish flowers on elms and cottonwood and red flowers on silver maples. NO SEEDS, NO COTTON AND NO BOXELDER BUGS!
9. New garden stock is arriving every week. It's time to start to think about landscaping!
10. Remove 80% of the salt water from the pond for healthy fish and plants. Add fresh water slowly over a 2 week period.