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Dayton "Dirt" November 6, 2009 The days have grown short and its time to finish your fall gardening chores before the winter snow sets in. This weekend is the last time I would put on a winterizer fertilizer on your lawn as putting it on later might negate the beneficial effects of the nitrogen and potassium portions of the fertilizer as they are readily leached through the soil because of falling ground temperatures in which the lawn grasses cannot pick up and store these nutrients. You still have plenty of time to plant Holland flower bulbs as they will have plenty of time to root in this fall and then produce their promise of spring which is already inside the bulb. It is still too early to cover tea and floribunda roses with a heavy mulch for winter protection but you can trim any rose now (except climbers) to prevent wind whipping. A trim to about 2-3 feet is all that is needed for shrub, tea or floribunda types. We’re now in the process of collecting branches for grave blankets and have already cut scotch pine for our cascading types of blankets. We use Colorado Spruce for other types of blankets but we don’t like to cut the branches too early as they tend to shed needles when processed inside the greenhouse. Our Christmas trees will be coming from southern Ohio again this year but will not include any Douglas Fir or Concolor Fir due to a late frost that killed the new growth on these trees. The dead growth is just hanging on the trees even now and doesn’t make a pretty picture although the trees should look fine next year after a flush of growth in May. We’re just about buttoned up for winter and planting, mulching and building in Wolf Creek Gardens and our new building is going strong. Already I’m excited about this coming spring as I know its around the corner once February has passed. Tom  Dayton "Dirt" Green Blog November, 2009 According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, some aspects of the green energy industry are not so green. Most notably, it is that windmills are killing our birds! The most notorious wind farm for bird killing according to the article is located at Altamont Pass, California in which estimates are as high as 10,000 birds being killed every year. Michael Fry, of the American Bird Conservancy, estimates that wind turbines kill between 75,000 and 275,000 birds per year. Environmental groups are pushing for a twelve fold increase of generating capacity from wind by 2030 so that we might possibly expect a twelve fold increase in the slaughter of birds from wind turbines. Oil companies that have been found guilty of killing birds that come into contact with crude oil or other residues from oil operations have received stiff fines under the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Even electric utilities such as Pacificorp have paid fines for electrocuting 232 eagles in Wyoming over a two year period because of poorly designed power lines. What is interesting about the wind turbine industry is that there have been no prosecutions for killing birds as required by the 1918 law. According to Mr. Fry, “Somebody has given the wind industry a get-out-of-jail-free card”. According to the wind industry’s website, the number of birds killed is small when compared to the number (about 1 billion) that are killed by cats every year. Robert Bryce, the author of this article, notes that the lawn does not require cats to appear in court and be prosecuted as it would the wind industry. Rob Lee, of the Fish and Wildlife Service was a lead investigator of bird kills in western oil fields. According to Mr. Lee, solving bird problems in the oil fields was easy and cheap whereas the fix for the wind turbine industry is not easy or cheap. A larger question according to Robert Bryce who is also the managing editor of Energy Tribune, is why a federal law is being applied with a double standard as federal officials turn a blind eye to the harm done by “green” energy while slapping heavy fines on other industries for bird kills.  Dayton "Dirt" October 30, 2009 With the generally wet and cool October, it has made it more difficult to get all the fall gardening chores done. At the nursery, we’re just about done potting trees and shrubs for this season. Some new plants that we bought and potted in our greenhouse won’t be ready for sale for at least two to three years such as a new red Mountain Laurel called ‘Firecracker’, a compact yellow Rhododendron called ‘Big Deal’ and a deciduous Azalea that is orange and yellow called ‘Arneson’s Gem’. These items are just the “tip of the iceberg” of what will be new for 2011 and 2012. Another nursery chore is putting the trees and shrubs to “bed” that we grew this summer for next spring’s sales. The plants will go into an over-wintering Quonset type structure that will be covered with white polyethylene plastic that will keep the wind and extreme cold off the plants even with no heat in the structures. Some young stock such as our rooted cuttings from the summer will require a layer of ¼” thick foam to keep them a little warmer so that the bark does not crack on the young plants. The green roof on our new building has caused quite a stir as many of the persons coming off the street try to figure it out. I have even heard a comment from the local hardware that some think there are leaves on the porch roof! Green roof’s are not really that unusual as they city of Chicago has a green roof on city hall as well as scattered green roofs in Columbus and Cleveland State University. In fact, Stuggart, Germany requires a green roof for projects exceeding certain limits of size. I’ll be sure to do a more detailed explanation of this roof when I see you at our winter seminars this winter. Happy Gardening, Tom  Dayton "Dirt" October 23, 2009 The construction of our new barn is going well and I’m particularly excited about the completion of our green roof porch. The multi-colors of the Sedum’s foliage will make the roof appear as Joseph’s Coat, the coat of many colors. This green roof will reduce water runoff as it will absorb the water and release it slowly. The other practical aspects of this type of roof is that it evens out temperature extremes on the roof liner which extends the life of the liner. With the green mass, the inside of a building will remain much cooler due to the evaporation of water from the plants and the absence of a baking hot surface as is the usual case. We’re in full sway of putting away our backstock of plants and will be putting away the stock for sale next week so that we may start covering our storage houses with white overwintering plastic in early November. We’ve bought and grown a lot of stock for next spring’s opening and have to be very careful to ventilate the houses and to even water them in the depths of winter. Rodents can be a problem even though we catch many in mouse traps. I prefer the storage of plants even with all its headaches as I am able to hand pick the best stock in the fall for later spring sales. Enjoy the fall as soon Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here! Tom  Dayton "Dirt" October 16, 2009 I was very grateful for the soaking rains in late September and early October as it has been over three weeks since we have had a decent rain. The rains certainly make it easier for new plantings to get established and that’s what we’ve been doing (planting) in our botanical garden, Wolf Creek Gardens. Some of the plantings have included a collection of native and hybrid Witchhazels, Dogwoods, the native Spice Bush (Lindera benzoin), various Spruce and Pine as well as multiple shade perennials. I can’t wait for the mass plantings of white and pink Old-Fashioned Bleeding Hearts to come up. We had these left over from spring sales as going into summer they have no marketing appeal in that they turn yellow in July as they go dormant and wait for the cool days of April to come up again. With all of the Rhododendron, Azalea, Mountain Laurel, Eastern Redbuds, Dogwoods, Daffodils and other spring blooming perennial, it should be a glorious show! Another bed that we planted consists of 25 each of 6 varieties of the large bearded German Iris that will show off their blinding plumage in late May an early June. Another appeal of interest in spring will be our new daffodil-narcissus planting of at least 20,000 bulbs strong flanked by almost 200 multi-colored creeping phlox that will cascade down the large boulder walls in April and May. As I have said before, the garden is coming along but it will be awhile before it is at a more finished state due to the constrictions of time and money. Anyway, I think we’re going to have a spectacular fall show of colors as the rain will actually help with the honing of the various pigments in the plants leaves resulting in this northeastern wondrous show! Tom  Dayton "Dirt" October 9, 2009 Now is the time to be thinking about next spring. I already have mentioned that spring flowering bulbs work great when planted in October and November but if you’re planning to landscape your home or form a new perennial or annual flower bed it is wise to get the beds ready in the fall even if you’re not going to plant next spring. It’s still early enough to spray existing weeds with Roundup, especially perennial weeds that will go into overdrive at the first sign of spring weather. Also adding soil and/or soil amendments is a good idea in fall as sometimes the weather in early spring is not agreeable as it is sometimes far too wet. Forming a landscape bed now and covering it with a thin layer of mulch will prevent any soil erosion or mud splash on any structure. With the beds finished, planting can begin much earlier in spring than if beds needed to be prepared in spring. Another advantage of the fall preparations for a new garden works especially well for a vegetable garden is that weeds are under control for the most part and early planting of cold tolerant crops could begin in mid March if the ground is not frozen. I’m taking my own advice as we are planning a major planting for an annual flower bed to test new varieties of proven winner annuals. Another project that we’ll be working on are getting some raised beds amended with sphagnum peat on the east side of the irrigation lake so we’ll be ready to plant blueberries next spring for a pick-your-own operation that will be ready in a couple of years. Don’t forget to try sweet peet as a soil amendment as it improves the tilth of the ground and accelerates the activity of beneficial microbes in the soil to give you the results in gardening you expect. Seriously thinking ahead in your garden planning will make your tasks easier and gardening for you will be much more enjoyable. Tom  Dayton "Dirt" October 2, 2009 With the cool, crisp October days and the brilliant leaf colors, many of you have told me that fall is your favorite time of the year. I prefer springtime with its growing day lengths and everything coming to life. I’ve always wanted to go to Europe in spring especially to Keukenhof to see the bulb gardens. Unfortunately I cannot get away as it is our busiest time of the year at the nursery. There is still a lot of weekly chores to do as we are transplanting azaleas that we rooted from cuttings last summer. Another chore is planting more flower bulbs in Wolf Creek Gardens and out by the road. Fall is a good time to landscape your home as a flurry of accelerated root growth occurs when the top growth of plants shuts down so that the plants will be well established. October is a great month for planting spring bulbs as the soil is warm enough in order for the bulbs to develop roots before winter. If you arrange a planting of bulbs correctly, the cascading bloom will occur from mid March through early June. Next month we will be putting up wind breaks for our rhododendron garden. The Rhododendrons did very well this year and seem to have budded very heavy for a spectacular spring bloom. Already I cannot wait for spring as Wolf Creek Garden will finally be open for your viewing and will be a mass of spring flowers from early April through at least June. Well, I’ve got to do work in the garden. Tom  Dayton "Dirt" Green Blog October 2009 A while back I had mentioned a nursery in Madison, Ohio called Roemer Nursery that has water trouble related to an extraordinary rise in salt levels in one of their main irrigation ponds. Anyone that knows anything about the nursery business realizes that not just water but good quality water is the most important component of growing nursery stock especially container-grown stock like Roemer. The Cleveland Plain Dealer has made it public that Roemer Nursery is suing Wal-Mart for five million dollars as Gied Stroombeek, the owner, believes that the salt troubles with his pond are due to Wal-Mart’s salt applications to its parking lot collecting in a drainage basin with the resultant salty water filtering its way to Roemer’s pond causing the high salt level. Mr. Stroombeek founded his nursery on Green Road which is about ¾ of a mile north of US Route 20 in 1959. In conversation a few years ago, Mr. Stroombeek told me that the water table filling his wells and ponds does not come from Lake Erie but from inland aquifers coming from the North Ridge or Route 20. Lisa Ungers, who has an option to buy the nursery, has said that they have tried to work with Wal-Mart for two years to correct the problem but Wal-Mart has refused based on the fact that Roemer Nursery must prove that the store (Wal-Mart) is the cause. At Dayton Nursery we have a similar situation as the always-flowing Van Hyning Run that cuts through the nursery property is unfit for irrigation due to high salts and very high colifom bacteria counts. Van Hyning Run has a short course of only a few miles as its source is Loyal Oak Lake Park and its end at Wolf Creek which in turn empties into the Tuscarawas River in Barberton. Even with this short run failing septic tanks and road sides laden with salt diminish the water quality in a kind of no-point, multi-point source of pollution. Salt contamination of our precious water sources has not yet been addressed and it remains to be seen how the case Roemer Nursery vs. Wal-Mart as salt used as a de-icer is not currently regulated by the EPA. Mr. Stroombeek is somewhat “up in years” and may not live to see the outcome of this case; however, he did tell me in conversation that he has retained an attorney that will take the process as far as it will go. This case could have very wide implications that go well beyond Roemer Nursery and Wal-Mart as EPA may very well regulate salt use because of the damage caused to aquifers and streams. Stay tuned, Tom  Dayton "Dirt" September 25, 2009 It seems that everyone had a good time at our 2nd annual fall festival. I know I did but I must admit that I’m glad it’s over for another year as it takes a lot of preparation and work to put on such a show. And talking about shows, don’t forget about the Mumfest located at Lake Anna in Barberton. Barberton’s own Yoder Brothers has donated and supervised the planting and care of the garden chrysanthemums that you’ll see in the spectacular display on the northeastern bank of the lake. We in the city of Norton do take pride in the Mumfest too as most of Barberton was founded out of the Connecticut Western Reserve Township of Norton by the purchase of 3600 acres of land by Ohio Columbus Barber in 1891 to found his new town of what else other than Barberton. At the nursery we have mums too that are ready to plant or just sit on your front porch to enhance the beauty for the fall season. Don’t forget Norton’s Cider Fest has moved from the old Knecht Cider mill in Loyal Oak to Norton Center at Columbia Woods Park on Sept. 26 & 27. Many trees and shrubs and shrubs are just starting to change color and will really become bright once they are hit with a few cold frosty nights. Remember in earlier blogs I told you to try to get something in mind for fall color besides burning bush. One of the plant species I spoke about were blueberries. With their shades of gold, crimson, maroon, and orange that are bright enough to rival the color of any burning bush but with the added benefit of flowers in spring and delicious healthy berries to eat all summer long! We’ve put a few more items on our 50% off sale but be sure to check out the list of sale items on our website and to call before you come over as inventory changes rapidly and sometimes that makes listings outdated that same day! Happy fall, Tom  Dayton "Dirt" September 18, 2009 Well, tomorrow is the day of the BIG festival! As I stated in my September 11th blog, I’ll be driving the tractor or RTV to give the hayrides. You can bring the whole family as we’ll have animal shows, food vendors and other interesting activities for adults and children. Besides the festival, the nursery will be open for business as usual with a good stock of trees and shrubs many of which are on a 50% off sale. Please remember that everything is not on sale as much of what is in stock just came from our production areas or we just brought in to sell either now or next spring. One new plant we have in stock is the new Lilac called Bloomerang. I’m not kidding that’s really its trade name. The name is a reference to the fact that the lilac blooms heavy in spring (about May 20th) and then repeats the splendor throughout the summer. Just be aware that the repeat of the bloom is not as heavy as the spring bloom but still heavy enough to delight the eye (and nose) with its repeat performance. Many of you brought a mail order clipping to me about a repeat blooming Lilac called ‘Josie’ so that I went out to search for it and found its cousin ‘Bloomerang’. Bloomerang Lilac is only one of many of a parade of new plant varieties that will be appearing at the nursery next spring. Our perennial line will be exploding along with our Clematis varieties and we’re making a big push for new annual flowers that will amaze you next spring. Now, I just have to figure our where we’re going to display all of the new stuff! See you tomorrow after I do the radio show! Tom  Dayton "Dirt" September 11, 2009 Unfortunately as I write my blog for September 11th, I cannot help to remember that fateful day in 2001 that killed many of our countrymen at the hands of terrorists bent on destroying us. Hopefully I think we all wish the terrorist threat will be solved soon. On the gardening front, the weather is starting to signal that fall is here or at least almost here with all its festivals celebrating the harvest. Here at the nursery, we’ll be celebrating our own harvest on September 19th and we hope you’ll be able to join us for a variety of activities including hayrides. Check out the entire schedule on our website. I will be pulling two wagons filled with straw bales and people around the nursery and showing off what we’ve done so far in our Wolf Creek Botanical Garden. I do have a license so don’t be afraid to pile on the wagon! We’ve been busy working diligently on getting the roadways in shape, creating huge boulder walls to contain high slopes, expanding waterlines and doing various plantings to enhance the garden. More than one of the customers has asked me when I think the garden will be finished and my crafted answer is that “when I am dead” as to me a garden is a work in progress in which changes occur every year. Construction on our new barn has started that will sit high on a hill above Wolf Creek Gardens but I don’t expect it to be finished until sometime in November. September 19, 1890 is also my grandmother’s birthday (my mother’s mother) who just loved vegetable and flower gardening. I can still see her pulling weeds, canning and sitting with a bowlful of beans on her lap that need to have the strings broken off. I can remember asking her why she was digging and replanting Creeping Phlox when I was about 7 years old and her telling me how the old clumps die out and how you must dig up some of the younger ones to replace the old ones. It’s funny but I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I don’t mean to nag but remember that September is lawn chore time as its cool nights, warm days and generally moist soil conditions make it an ideal time to start a new lawn or “play” with an existing lawn to get it closer to that elusive state of perfection. Hope to see you at the festival! Tom  Dayton "Dirt" September 4, 2009 Where did the summer go? With the cooler days and nights of late summer, September is an ideal time to sow a new lawn or do lawn chores such as repairing bare spots, thatching, fertilizing, weed control and so on. In fact, university studies have concluded that fall fertilizing of lawns does more good to get them in good shape then in the spring. Fall is a great time to plant just about anything so the plants become established before the next hot summer. Garden Club members will want to take advantage of our fall sale as we have many desirable perennials, roses, trees, shrubs and some hard goods on sale that are really a great deal. The fall sale is open to everyone after September 7th but we want to be sure our Garden Club members get the most advantage to get first pick. Be sure to check out our online inventory to see what’s on sale and what’s not. Not everything is on sale as much of what we have is actually our production meant for next spring that is actually ready now. While our blueberries are not on sale, I think they’re the best crop we’ve ever grown! With three trimmings to make the plants bushy, our plants are full and beautiful and ready to plant so that you’ll at least get a few healthy bowlfuls of blueberries next year. Check out our garden mums too. We have mums in a large 14 inch decorative pot that’s great for sitting on the porch or patio for some instant fall decoration. Better yet, these mums are only $19.99! Labor Day has changed over the years as I can still remember seeing Vice President Hubert Humphrey and later Senator Howard Metzenbaum at the huge crowds in Barberton at the Labor Day parade! Speaking of Barberton, remember to mark your calendars for the Mum fest on September 26th and 27th with all its other activities and the special centennial celebration of O.C. Barber’s Anna Dean Farm. For more fun, be sure to stop by our Fall Festival on September 19th. We’ll have plenty of activities for the whole family including a hayride through the ever-expanding Wolf Creek Botanical Garden! Happy Labor Day! Tom  "Dayton Dirt" Green Blog September, 2009 In many of my presentations over the years I have repeatedly stressed the importance of a healthy, vibrant soil as it is the foundation necessary to grown any plant well. On a broad scale, proper management of soils rests on the shoulders of farmers who are in essence the stewards of one of our most valuable resources. Since the beginning of farming, turning or plowing the soil has been an accepted practice. The working of the soil makes the sowing of seeds of a particular crop easier or cultivating the soil helps to eliminate weeds that would ordinarily out compete the crop. While working the soil does yield good crops, the downside is that the loosened, exposed soil is subject to erosion from wind and rain. Another problem with loosened soil is that the existing organic matter that is necessary for a healthy soil is more quickly depleted because of the increased air present. The decomposing organic matter is also releasing carbon dioxide which scientists give credit for a warming of the climate. Many farmers know and have experienced the formation of a plow pan in which a layer of soil becomes compressed by a plow pressing against it at a depth of six to seven inches below the surface. This plow pan becomes so hard the roots of the crop cannot penetrate it and water cannot permeate through to the deeper subsoil creating poorly drained fields. Today, the solution to many of the above problems is a system of farming called no-till. No till farming is accomplished by killing off weed growth through an application of a herbicide such as Round-up followed by drilling the crop seed directly into the ground without otherwise disturbing the soil. No-till farming results in less carbon dioxide production, less soil erosion, no creation of a hard plow pan and less work. No-till farming saves time and money which are valuable commodities to frequently overworked and cash strapped farmers. No-till farming has been practiced for a number of years and seems to be another farming practice that fosters more sustainability of the production of a wide variety of crops and it is a win for the farmer’s budget and environment while elevating the farmer’s status as a steward of the land. Tom  Dayton "Dirt" August 28, 2009 By now, many of you that are Garden Club members have received a post card via snail mail about our upcoming fall sale. The sale is open to everyone after the expiration date on the postcard but is open only to garden club members first so that our members get first choice of the plants they may like to buy during the sale. Be sure to check our online inventory for what we have in stock and what is on sale. Inventory changes so rapidly during the fall sale that we advise you to call ahead before traveling a long distance as the online inventory is not perpetual. We will gladly deliver and install your plants if you wish but remember that delivery and installation charges are not discounted from our normal rates. Also good to remember is that we’ll be happy to help you with design questions or do a quick sketch for you free of charge in order that you may take fuller advantage of our plant sale. Our Holland flower bulbs are just about ready to arrive from the Netherlands. Its best to browse the selection or purchase them during September in order to get the best selection and then to plant them in October through November when the ground is cooler. You must plant these types of bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinth) in fall as the cooler temperatures cause root growth and a chemical change in the bulbs after a 13 week cold period to “tell” the bulb to “wake up”, grow and then bloom in spring. If you get busy, you still can plant bulbs until about February 15th with good results. Get busy and prepare your bulb planting beds now! So long, Tom  Dayton "Dirt" August 21, 2009 Fall is a great time to plant most trees, shrubs and perennials as roots will grow until the ground temperature falls below 40 degrees F. Fall planted plants will act as if they have been established an extra year when they break growth in spring because of the massive root growth that occurred the previous fall. Our garden chrysanthemums are ready and starting to celebrate the coming of the cooler fall. Whats the scoop about garden mums? The truth is they are a somewhat tender perennial and will sometimes not survive the winter. In order to get them better through winter, do the following: 1. Carefully loosen the outer root system of the mum to encourage roots to grow into the new soil and be sure to keep the plants well watered until they establish themselves. 2. Plant the plants in a raised well-drained bed of soil as soggy soils in winter will encourage more soil heaving that will damage the plant crown. 3. If possible cover the plants lightly with evergreen boughs after the ground begins to freeze 4. Do not cut the dead stems off the plants when blooms are spent. The old dead crown will help shade and protect the live crown near the soil surface. Cut off the old foliage about April 1st. 5. Protect new emerging growth of mums from severe frosts in early spring. While doing all the above is no guarantee that you will be successful, chances are good that your garden mums will come up in spring especially if snow cover is adequate all winter. Another way at looking at garden mums is simply to enjoy them in a pot or in the ground and take the attitude of Que sera sera. A great way though to get them established is to buy them in spring as young plants. In this way the root system will be massive and deep and not as prone to the fluctuations of winter temperatures. Happy gardening, Tom p.s. I’d like to remind our Garden Club members to use their Dayton Dollars as they will expire near the end of August!  Dayton "Dirt' August 14, 2009 Even though many of us are wondering “where did the summer go?” there is still plenty of summer left as autumn does not officially start until the autumnal equinox in late September. Those of us with vegetable gardens are enjoying a bountiful harvest of heat-loving vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, cucumbers, squash, beans, melons and so on. Sometimes the harvest becomes too bountiful in that there is too much food to use as fresh vegetables. I still remember my grandparents and parents making ketchup with excess tomatoes, freezing beans, corn, and medium hot peppers. My mother would core the peppers and then stack about a one half dozen inside one another and place them in a freezer bag before freezing. When using the peppers for a meal to make stuffed peppers, she would thaw the stacked peppers just enough to get them apart to stuff them. Waiting too long for the peppers to thaw would result in mushy peppers caused from the freezing. I always marveled at the taste of the peppers as it was hard to tell if they were frozen or fresh from the garden! Sometimes my parents would boil jars and vegetables for canning in the kitchen but it made the whole house hot and humid. Later, we used an old cast iron stove in the back yard and fed it with seasoned wood. Now I know why years ago summer kitchens were in vogue. In about 10 days to two weeks, start checking your lawn for grub damage, especially if you did not do anything to kill them earlier. Digging by skunks, crows or a discoloration in patches of the lawn can indicate grubs. Check to see if the turf pulls up easily where upon you should see several of the root-eating critters. If you do see them spread Dylox on your lawn and water it in as it will kill the grubs within one to two weeks after application. Dylox breaks down quickly so do not apply it until you know you have a problem. The quick breakdown of Dylox is an advantage as this trait makes it very unlikely that it would contaminate ground water like Diazinon did. Except for the two recent hot spells, august has been moist and cool making for a good growing season. Our garden mums are almost ready with the early blooming varieties starting to show color and I expect them to be ready for sale around August 20th. Hope to see you soon. Tom  Dayton "Dirt' August 7, 2009 We just go through potting up our Hostas, Daylilies, German Iris, Hibiscus and Clematis for next year. Many of the varieties will be new for next spring as we constantly add to our selection. This month too is the month that I scour the internet and travel to find new plants that I think will “flip-the-switch” of our customers. Its difficult to tell as I think I know what our customers will like but once in a while, I’ll pick a real dog that doesn’t sell very well. I get so excited sometimes about a new plant variety that I have even gone to the length of ordering it 3 years in advance to be sure it is available! We’ll be sure to show off our new waves at our winter seminars in our new facility. Many of you wrote in our seminar surveys that our building was too cold on cold winter days. The new building will have much more insulation with in floor heating that will keep everyone warm even when the temperature is well below zero. You’ll just have to stay tuned to see all the new stuff for next spring! Tom  Dayton "Dirt' July 31, 2009 Work is finished on our site preparation for our new building that will rise high on a hill when approaching the nursery traveling south on Cleveland-Massillon Rd. The “barn” with a gambrel roof will be used for a meeting area for seminars, or a wide variety of gardening types and for flower shows such as those for roses, german iris, dahlias and such. I’m really excited as the building will be heated with an in-floor heating system with hot water being pumped from a boiler with a series of tubes under the floor. Many aspects of the building will be “green” with an R-60 insulation in the ceiling, R-25 in the walls and a special “E” glass that will keep out cold in winter and heat in summer better than ordinary glass. A wrap around porch will have a green roof in which multiple varieties of Sedum will grow on the roof reducing runoff and absorbing the hot rays of the sun. Another “eco-friendly” aspect of the new building is that I plan to use LED lights instead of fluorescent or incandescent as LED lights are up to 90% more efficient than incandescent. I don’t know for sure if LED lighting will become a reality this year as the technology is not yet quite there. The runoff from the huge roof area will drain back to our irrigation lake so there will be no additional runoff to Van Hyning Run to contribute to flooding during heavy rains. Even though our new building has all the modern construction and conveniences, it will appear to be in a style reminiscent of large dairy barns of 150 years ago and more as I wanted it to fit in with the home that was built about 1870. Construction will start in the next 30 days and we hope to move in by Christmas. Come by later and take a look. Tom  Dayton "Dirt' July 24, 2009 As I mentioned before, our new crop of blueberries are now available including the late bearing Elliot, the early bearing Earliblue and the half-high varieties that grow low and compact. Some scientists have coined the phrase brainberries when referring to blueberries as experiments using mice show that the brain’s cognitive abilities are enhanced with the gradual aging of the mind slowing down. Its still not too late to spread Merit on your lawn to control Japanese beetle grubs but time is running out as the product will not be effective if put down too late (after Aug 15th). The botanical garden, Wolf Creek Gardens, is shaping up with the construction of boulder walls to contain a hillside planting of dwarf conifers. Many of the boulders weight two to two and a half tons each! A large island of topsoil with Sweet Peet was formed last fall for a perennial planting and will include coneflowers, Shasta daisies, German Iris, grasses, Happy Returns daylilies and Geranium Rozanne planted in masses in order to project a bold statement. This planting is just west of the shady Rhododendron-Azalea planting to which we added a few more varieties this summer. Be sure to take advantage of the coupons available on our website for special “deals” on many different things. We’re just finishing up on cuttings of different shrubs and will be waiting for them to finish rooting in about 4-8 weeks depending on the type. Some plants will over- winter fine without any heat but others such as Azaleas, Rhododendron and blueberries will require a minimum heat (above 40 degrees) in the greenhouse where they will grow roots all winter and then will explode into growth beginning in February. Well, so long for now, I’ve go to get planting. Tom  Dayton "Dirt' July 18, 2009 In all of my recent blogs, I have been silent about the progress of our botanical display garden called Wolf Creek Gardens. The reason for my silence is that while we have made much progress in the plantings, installation of water lines and road building, there is still more to do. More plantings are going on right now in our dwarf conifer garden and Rhodoendron-Azalea garden. Another planting underway is a large island of perennials and shrubs to display ribbons of color in the summer! Perhaps the largest project is the construction of a barn to be used for offices, produce market and a seminar room as a gateway to the garden. The barn will be of a style of a Wisconsin dairy barn with a gambrel roof similar to the one that stood on the property for almost 100 years on the same site before it burned in 1963. My hope is to open the garden by the spring of 2010 even though much work will still be in progress. Much of the planting has been going on for 3 years so that some of the plants are becoming well-established. The established plants include a collection of European Beech varieties, Dogwood cultivars, Eastern Redbuds, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, numerous pines, firs and spruce as well as a hedge row of tall western red cedar. The purpose of the garden will be foremost educational but my hope is that many of you that come to visit us will simply enjoy walking through the garden. Back to work for me. Tom  Dayton "Dirt' July 10, 2009 I wonder how many of you have gotten the first ripe tomato of the season. I know I’m just about ready because my Earth Box tomatoes are growing like crazy! The scientifically designed box allows for maximum growth and production of the fruits due to its great soil mass and water reservoir below it. Its amazing how much food can be grown in a limited amount of space! If you have not done it yet, trim back your shrub roses and spireas now to get spent flower heads out of the way of new growth to allow for more flowering a little later. This “trick” will not work with spring flowering plants as they are “programmed” to bloom only in spring. However, removing spent flowers or a light trim will mean more new growth and thus, more blooms for next spring. Right now, we’re taking cuttings of Azaleas, Blueberries and many different shrubs that will start to be available two years from now. It’s a long process from a cutting to a saleable plant, but one that’s rewarding and enables us to control the production process. For example, years ago I attempted to purchase small Azaleas to sell but the plants always seemed to be pot bound. Other items that I tried to purchase were not trimmed to my liking. Also, many new plants that we introduce are patented and are not available in a larger size from local wholesale nurseries. In this case, we buy the plant liners from licensed growers and grow them on to a saleable size. Another advantage to our propagation and growing operations is that we learn what production techniques make the plant “happy” and then we can pass along what we’ve learned to our customers. Later on, I’ll let you know what new things were working on! Tom  Tom Dayton's "Green Blog" July 2009 Sometime ago, I told you about a lawsuit near Portland, Oregon that resulted in plant nurseries and other agricultural interests not allowing runoff water from their land flowing into waterways, more specifically the Tualatin River. Even though there are now no regulations of runoff from plant nurseries (more than I know of) the time is coming when the EPA will regulate this runoff which pollutes streams and rivers with fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. We’re fortunate in that we recycle all our water and collect rain water and snow melt water to store in our lake so that almost no water leaves the property. I am especially interested in water pollution issues as water is the essential “life blood” of our business as well as to all of us. While this case in its scope has significant implications across the country, I think a more interesting scenario is about to unfold right here in Ohio. The case involves a well known retailer in which the runoff water from the parking lot is laden with salt during winter and flows into a retention basin so that the water may seep into the ground without contributing to flood waters from the added runoff from the black top parking lot. A plant nursery which is located “downstream” from the aquifer running under this retention pond is causing high salt levels in one of their irrigation ponds to the extent that the pond is unsuitable for irrigation. Tests have revealed that the salts are originating from the property of the retailer. What makes the case so interesting is that road salt is not regulated as a pollutant by EPA but can have profound negative effects on ground water. Already in New England, there are areas of increasingly saline ground water due to road salt as reported recently on National Public Radio. From my own experience as I’ve told you before, we cannot use the seemingly clear water from the Van Hyning Run that runs through the nursery property to irrigate our plants because of the high levels of salt, presumably from road salt. The implications of regulating this or the elimination of road salt as its use as a de-icer are vast as most of us want to drive on winter roads as if it were summer and without worrying about the safety hazards to ourselves and others when roads are treacherously icy. It will be interesting to watch as the future unfolds on this salt issue. The owner of the nursery told me that he has hired an attorney to take this case as far as it will go even if it must be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court! I’ll keep you posted as this case unfolds. Tom  Dayton "Dirt' July 4, 2009 Happy July 4th! I’m sure we are mindfull of what this birthday celebration of our nation really means. July 4th too reminds me of fireworks, family picnics, fishing, boating or whatever else you may enjoy. I’m sure many of you will be harvesting vegetables right out of your garden for your family picnic. This day for me was also the last day to plant warm season vegetables from seed as any later planting may or may not “make it” because of the declining day length and cooler nights. In the flower or vegetable garden, July is a good feeding time for various types of caterpillars from the insect order called Lepidoptera. These little critters can eat up a tomato plant, perennial Hibiscus or Hollyhock in no time. A good organic control is to spray with a bacteria known as BT (Bacillus thunbergiensis) or Spinosad. These organic products are safe to use for you and the environment. If you have not applied a grub control to your lawn and have had trouble before please do it quickly by using a product containing Merit. This product must be applied soon to achieve the maximum effectiveness to kill the lawn killing grubs that will hatch out around Labor Day resulting from the egg laying activities of Japanese Beetles and European Chafer adults. Now would also be a good time to fertilize, stir and water your mulch beds to prevent the colonization of the shot gun fungus which can shoot its resin to stick on the siding of your home. When bacteria are active in your mulch from moisture and nitrogen, they out compete and prevent the formation of this nuisance fungus. Another application of Preen Weed Preventer to your landscape would be wise if it has been 3 months or more. Remember, Preen is a weed preventer and not a weed killer. Also, Preen will not control the common ragweed or Canada thistle. There are other herbicides that will control these two nuisance weeds but these herbicides are not safe to use on many plants. Oh well, I guess we can’t have everything. I’ve got to go, I’ve got lots of weeds to pull. Tom  Dayton "Dirt' June 26, 2009 Now that the summer solstice has come and gone, it seems a bit sad that the days will become shorter day by day. The good news is that for at least the next two months, the temperatures and day length will be agreeable to the growth and thriving of gardens. I’m looking forward to July 4th in the celebration of our democracy allowing for our pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, and while our democracy is based on majority rule, our enlightened forefathers were wise enough to put into place the protection of minority rights. Many of our forefathers were gardeners and farmers and no more than Tom Jefferson with his orchards, vegetable and perennial gardens at this Virginia home, Monticello. Jefferson was so interested in botany that he spread plant samples sent by Lewis & Clark from the Louisiana purchase on the floor at the White House so that he could study these more easily. Right now you should be enjoying some of the “fruits of your labor” from your own garden. Another item to watch are your first early blueberries from a variety called Earliblue that you may have planted. When the berries begin to ripen, you must net the bush as the birds will out maneuver you to help themselves to the fruit! Be sure to peg down the net to the ground as the birds can become quite aggressive to feed on the berries. Look on our gardening calendar and there you’ll find lots of things to do with your blueberries on our web link to allrecipes.com. Japanese beetles can be a killer for July and sprays or dusts of Carbaryl (Sevin) are usually effective to keep the eating machines off your plants. Don’t let the weeds get ahead of you. Happy Gardening, Tom  Dayton "Dirt' June 19, 2009 June 19, 2009 Right now you should be thinking about planting another patch of vegetables especially beans, corn, cucumbers and squash to get the garden “going” later into the summer and early fall. I was surprised when an organization in Wadsworth to which we donated tomato plants for planting and harvesting by economically disadvantaged families had said that the man that would plow and prepare the ground was concerned about the “late” planting (June 15th) as it was already June! I laughed when I heard this statement as I have planted many vegetable gardens between June 1 and June 21 with great success. Again, it is some ancient mentality that some of us have that everything should be done by Memorial Day in the garden. A the nursery, we’ve been transplanting trees and shrubs for a while now but next to be transplanted are our “starts” of Azalea and Rhododendron from our greenhouse that we rooted from cuttings last summer. These transplants will be ready to sell in a small size next spring after they have over wintered at the nursery. Again, please perform the root wash on Rhododendron, Azalea, Pieris japonica and Blueberries (just as we do when we transplant them) as it is a sure way to foster good root growth of the plants. For more detailed information as to what a root wash is, take a look under gardening tips and look up the instructions for Rhododendron-Azalea planting. I’m excited too as our new crop of blueberries that we transplanted in March is growing like weeds! These plants still need time to root out into the new soil and to branch out again after a final trimming we will give them in late June. I recall my early years of gardening of hoeing, weeding, hilling up the rows of potatoes and waiting for the first harvest of warm season vegetables. One of my fondest memories is when my grandmother and her friend from Barberton, Mrs. Postek were digging in one of my rows of Pontiac Red potatoes and started screaming. When I ran to them to see what was the problem, they had dug out a huge potato that weighed in at 2 3/4 pounds! My grandmother was no novice at gardening in that her city lot was like a food factory providing many meals of fresh and canned vegetables for the family table. Its no wonder with the money she was able to save that she had $5,000 in the 1930’s to lend a close neighbor in order to keep the neighbor’s house out of bank foreclosure. See you soon, Tom  |
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