Fall Pond Cleaning

It’s time to clean the leaves out of your pond. Heavy winds and rain have washed organic material into your pond. That organic material needs to be dealt with to ensure the health of your pond environment. Leaves and Pine needles in small amount don’t harm your pond but in large quantities it can deter clarity, change PH, and overwhelm the natural balance of your pond. If you have no fish or aquatic plants then you can drain your pond clean out the leaves and cover your pond for the winter. If you have plants and fish in your pond this usually is not an option. I like to use a rake to clean leaves and needles out of my ponds. This will get the majority of your organic material out, but you really need to get down on you knees to get the last of the material out. In large ponds you may need to get into the pond to do a proper cleaning. After you have your pond clean, try covering your pond with bird netting, this will reduce the amount of future leaves and needles that end up in your pond. Every once in a while pull the leaf-laden netting off your pond and dump the leaves into a compost bin or trash. Remember to replace the netting on your pond to keep those leaves out.

Cold Winter Winds

With winter approaching one thing is certain, we are just beginning to see the wind pick up and blow our plants over. Now is the time to stake your tender trees and shrubs. Loosely staking your plants will allow them to move a little strengthening their roots, but protecting them from the heavy winds that can pull them out of the ground.

Don’t forget to water when the winds start to blow. A cold dry wind dries out more than your skin. Wind will rob your plants of water faster than a hot day. If you know the wind is coming water your plants, this will keep them hydrated and protect them from some of the cold temperatures. The water acts like a barrier keeping the cold air from directly touching your plants, thus keeping them a degree or two warmer. This works well for short freezes a couple degrees colder than your plant can handle.

Covering your plants with a lightweight breathable fabric like Gardeneer’s Harvest-Guard will help protect tender and young plants from cold weather.

Features:

This floating row cover traps heat and moisture to produce bigger, better and earlier crop yieldsProtects against frost, insects and birdsEasy to use - "floats" over crops without support

Item #/Size:

# HG-25: 5'x25'

# HG-50: 5'x50'

Usage ideas: Vegetable gardens, strawberry rows, can also use on newly-sown grass

Christmas Trees are Here!

Dormant Spray

Falling leaves is a sign to let us know that it is time to start spraying your fruit trees. Lilly Miller's Microcop is the perfect solution to prevent peach leaf curl, anthracnose, canker, and blights on fruit and nut trees.

But this product does more than that, spray your roses, shrubs, and vines to prevent many of the diseases, like galls, leaf spots, powdery mildew, and blights that plague your plants in the spring and summer season. Preventing the diseases now saves you time, money, and aggravation later. Spray Microcop on your winter vegetables to prevent damping off during wet weather.

Microcop is a two part spray, copper fungicide and spreader sticker to adhere the spray to your plants. We recomend spraying your plants three times throughout the winter season. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentines day are three dates to easily remember. But you can pick your own schedule as long as the branches are free of leaves.

Fall Hours

Gardening Basics

Enriching the Soil
In nature, dead or rotting vegetation, animal manure and decaying animal remains provide adequate nutrition for the soil. As man removes the crops or gardens he grows, he must replenish the soil with organic material to maintain a healthy and productive soil. It's a simple concept. You must replace what you take out.

Digging
Despite the activity of earthworms, burrowing animals and penetrating plant roots, untended soil is still relatively hard and compacted. We can improve the texture by digging, or turning over the soil, to allow oxygen and water into the soil.

Seeding
In nature, relatively few seeds germinate because of competition from other plants and poor soil conditions. In the garden, most seeds will germinate as they are given optimum conditions and spacing, along with organic matter and moisture.

Watering
Plants are dependent on water for their survival. Whereas adequate rainfall cannot be guaranteed in nature, in the garden, additional water can be given to plants at optimum amounts for maximum success.

Pest Control
Nature maintains its delicate balance by ensuring that pests and predators control each others numbers. Man can encourage and assist this process while also protecting his plants by using artificial means. Releasing ladybugs and praying mantises can control a wide variety of insects. Introducing beneficial nematodes in the soil can be of great help in controlling soil pests.

Finally
Left to its own devices, nature would not produce a very abundant harvest, either in terms of quantity or in the size of individual fruits. The harvest from cultivated ground that has been enriched and cared for will always outweigh what Mother Nature can produce.

Dr. Earth Website
http://www.drearth.com/

Fall Feeding

Fall and winter is the time of year you want to improve the health of your plants without encouraging green top growth. this can be accomplished with Master Nursery's Master Bloom. Master Bloom is formulated without nitrogen to aid in the development of flower and fruit buds. This product also helps plants resist diseases and cold weather damage.


Master Bloom 0-10-10
• Makes flowers bloom profusely, without getting leggy.
• Includes calcium and sulfur for better water penetration.
• Use in winter for strong plants in the spring.
• Good for acid loving plants.

Sizes: 5 lbs, 20 lbs can be found at Camino Garden Center

In the fall your lawn needs a different blend of nutrients. Use Master Nursery's Fall & Winter Feed for lawns. This fertilizer is formulated to produce a rich green lawn, encourage root growth and improve the turfs's resistance to diseases.

Easy Livin'® Fall & Winter Feed for Lawns 20-6-7
• Promotes deep green color, encourages root growth and improves resistance to disease.
• Ideal for cool weather and cool climates to maintain rich green.





Size: 20 lbs can be found at Camino Garden Center