We’ve had a wonderful long weekend so far and I want to invite you to spend your Victoria Day Monday at Oakridge. The rain on Saturday has washed the grime away and greened up our world. Fill up your gardens with annuals, lining your tree and shrub beds, in hanging baskets, or along your sidewalk. Pick up your perennials, new shrubs and containers. Our yard is full of trees ready to be planted. Or just come to browse, meandering through the greenhouses. Sip a cup of coffee and find a seat on the patio. Make sure you enjoy your last day of this holiday long weekend.
It’s friday of the May long weekend and we’re well into the swing of things. It’s so exciting to see everyone, this is what we work so hard for every year. We appreciate all of our customers and strive to provide you with the best product available.
In this blog I’m going to chat a bit about the actual planting process of different trees and shrubs. It is so important and with adequate follow-up care helps ensure success. There are varying types of nursery stock available and each have specific planting instructions. Bareroot plants should soak in water for a few hours prior to planting in order to rehydrate. Neatly cut away any broken or damaged roots as well. Container-grown plants are widely used with the advantage being that the roots are 100% contained. The tree or shrub therefore goes through limited transplant shock if given adequate follow-up care. Plastic or metal containers should be removed completely. Remove the top half of pressed peat/paper containers and fiber pots should be left on with a large hole cut out of the bottom. Another tip is to cut slits up the side of the container and remove the lip, allowing the roots to expand and water to drain away from the tree. You’ll also want to carefully cut through any circling roots to encourage outward growth. A third type of nursery stock are the traditionally larger balled-in-burlap (B&B) landscape plants. You want to cut away the balling ropes. Pull the burlap down at least 1/3 of the way; slit the remaining burlap to encourage root growth. If in a wire basket, cut away the top section.
The perfect planting hole:
Start by digging a hole 2-3 times the root ball width. It’s very important not to dig deeper than the root ball depth. It is better to plant in a raised manner so that the roots do not suffocate or drown. We can’t reiterate enough how important this point is: Don’t plant too deep! You’ll want to widen and score the wall of the hole and leave a solid soil pedestal. In very poorly drained soils, pipe or drain tile could be installed. Around the newly planted tree, use unamended backfill soil; no peat, bark, sand, etc Finally, partially backfill the hole remembering that “what comes out, goes back in”, use water to settle the soil and finish backfiling.
Soak the soil well, ensuring no air pockets form between the roots and then apply 2-3″ of mulch keeping it away from the base of the tree or shrub.
To finish the planting, you’ll want to do some pruning. Prune rubbing or crossed branches, any broken branches and basal suckers. Do not prune the terminal leader or branch tips. You’ll want to stake the tree if the crown is large, or the plant is situated on a windy site. Stake the tree for a maximum of one full year and note that evergreens rarely need staking. Follow-up care essentially consists of ensuring you carry the tree/shrub through periods of draught.
This is a lot of information to absorb and the staff here are always willing to explain the process to you and answer any questions you may have.
Enjoy the long weekend, we look forward to seeing you at Oakridge!
I blogged a while ago about how lovely it is to eat fresh veggies out of your garden and I want to talk a bit about planning and planting your vegetable plot.
Traditionally, vegetable gardens have always been planted in long, orderly rows. While this is still great, lots of growers are now opting to plant in beds. This allows you to concentrate the compost that you use on the plants rather than wasting it on the walking paths. Walking between the rows also ruins the structure of the soil. You’ll want to make sure that the beds are small enough that you can reach in to weed, water and harvest the plants without stepping into them. Raising your beds 8-12″ improves the drainage in the soil and keeps it warmer, which is great, especially in early spring when the weather can still be cool. Another popular planting style is potager, which mixes flowers in with the vegetables and herbs in an ornamental fashion so that the garden is both functional and aestetically appealing. Don’t forget about container gardening! Small spaces still equal garden-fresh veggies.
Location is another consideration when planning your garden. Vegetable gardens need sunny open spaces to thrive, so don’t try to hide your garden behind the prettier real estate. One great tip is to economize space by planting vegetables next to each other that mature at different times. This way, when you’ve finished harvesting one, it’s neighbour is reaching maturity. This allows both plants to have the space and sunshine that they need when they need it the most. Saying this, there are combinations of plants that when close together, benefit each other. The basic theory is that the mix of each plants natural chemicals encourages growth and helps them stave off disease and pests. Here is a great link to another website: www.howtogardenadvice.com/garden_info/companion_gardening.html
Likewise, there are certain combination that inhibit the growth of one or both plants. It’s not to say that you can’t grow them in the same garden, just try to separate them. Potatoes inhibit the growth of carrots and squash. Beans inhibit the growth of onions. Broccoli inhibits the growth of tomatoes and carrots inhibit the growth of dill. (Which you may want…I know that my dill goes crazy every year!)
Start your garden by preparing the bed before you plant. Dig up the soil creating good drainage and remove weeds and rocks. This is a great time to amend the soil as well. And remember, consistent watering produces successful results. Happy Planting!
The sun is out and we’re smiling! It is an ideal spring day, a light blue sky, flecked with little fleecy white clouds drifting across. The sun is shining very brightly and yet there’s that exhilerating nip in the air, which sets an edge to your energy this morning, only to warm you this afternoon.
OK, onto to business. If you’ve noticed the bins at the front of our tree/shrub yard, they are now full. We are venturing into bulk soil sales. It’s exciting to us to be able to serve you with ALL of your landscaping and gardening needs, and this is another addition to the business that has been long anticipated. You can purchase the bulk products in a 1/2 yard or by the yard. We are carrying:
Garden mix soil
11/2″ Riverstone-clean
3/4″ Limestone-clean
3/4″ Limestone-down
Natural bark Mulch &
Chocolate Mulch – Our new favorite. Come back your truck up!
I owe this ode to fertilizer blog to Theresa! Thanks for all of the great information!
Fertilizing your plants regularly is a great way to keep your plants looking and feeling healthy and protecting them from pests and diseases.
Use bonemeal in the early spring on your existing plants to establish good roots. Start fertilizing by late May. If you start too early in spring, you push the new growth too soon, allowing for the chance of freezing the new leaves. Ultimately resulting in your plants to be setback. We always suggest fertilizing your tomatoes or other vegetables with a specific tomato fertilizer. It has calcium in it which helps prevent blossom end rot on your fruit or veggies. Another helpful tip to prevent blossom end rot is in keeping your watering eveningly consistent.
Epsom salt is wonderful to use. It helps the plants take up more valuable nutrients that are in the soil, which makes for a healthier plant, hence more blooms. Which is always our goal, right?
Dolomite lime is another great one. It neutralizes acidic soil, especially under your evergreen trees. It is also good for blossom end rot on tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and squash. Another great tip – Sprinkle it under your apple trees, it prevents apple maggots. (I don’t know what apple maggots are, but they sound like something I’d want to prevent. UGH) Epsom salt and dolomite lime work great together.
Aluminum sulphate does the opposite of dolomite lime, it makes the soil more acidic. You can use it to change the color of Endless Summer Hydrangea blooms to blue, a neat little trick. Blueberries also like acidic soil, add some aluminum sulphate and watch your berries thrive!
We carry a wide variety of fertilizers that are all easy to use:
Plant Prod
Miracle Grow
Garden Pro
Jobe
If you have any questions, please feel free to come in and ask any of our knowledgeable staff!
Pierre is our resident tree and shrub expert. You’ll almost always find him outside in the yard watering and pruning, and on really windy days, picking up his trees. He’s knowledgeable and friendly, truely loves his job and wants to find the right tree for your yard. He’s informed me that this year he has an abundance of selection of fruit shrubs and trees that he’s excited to share with you. Here goes the list:
Blueberries, Currants, Cherries, Gogiberries, Grapes, Gooseberries, Saskatoons, Raspberries, thornless Blackberries and of course, Strawberries and Rhubarb.
Apple, plum and pear trees are also always on the yard.
I have a few tips for understanding cross-pollination of your small fruit shrubs and trees to help ensure your success in producing delicious fruit.
Cross pollination refers to the transfer of pollen between flowers of genetically-distinct plants. For cross-pollination species, at least two different cultivars from the same group must be planted in relatively close proximity for successful pollination and fruit production. Insects will cross polinate a fruit tree when other suitable pollinator trees are growing within 450 feet. However, cross pollination may be hampered by cool, rainy weather or the lack of pollinating insects.
Fruit Tree Pollination – Apple – All apples, crabapples and applecrabs are closely related and can cross pollinate each other for fruit set.
– Apricot – Produce more reliably when pollinated by other apricots of Nanking Cherry.
– Cherry Plum – Requires cross pollination by another cherry plum cultivar or Sandcherry.
– Plum – Requires cross pollination by another plum cultivar or native plum species.
– Pear – Requires cross pollination by another pear cultivar or Ussurian Pear seedling.
Small Fruit Pollination – Most hardy fruit shrubs are self-fertile and do not require cross pollination by another cultivar.
– Cherry, Raspberry, Saskatoon and Strawberry are self-pollinating and only require one variety for fruit production.
– Blueberry – Many are self pollinating, however planting multiple cultivars often results in larger berries and better yields.
– Currant and Gooseberry – Self pollinating. If currants are grown near gooseberries, your yields can be even greater.
– Grape – Many are self-pollinating, however, some hybrids have non-viable pollen and require a pollinator.
– Honeyberry – Requires cross-pollination by another cultivar of by Sweetberry honeysuckle.
When you’re ready to harvest the fruit, colour, firmness and flavour are the best indicators that your fruit is ready to be picked.
In springtime when the ground is still wet is a great time to plant your new perennials. It gives them a chance to substantially root and get established before the heat of summer. Plus, they don’t mind the cool night time temperatures. If you’re still worried about them, on nights that are below freezing, cover them up. I went a little crazy on the pictures because our perennial house right now is looking spectacular. Browse the pictures, get ideas, come browse the greenhouse and stay for a cup of coffee. The atmosphere is so important to us, and we want you to have a wonderful experience getting inspired.
Remember, we’re open from 9-5pm this Saturday and 12-5pm on Sunday. Bring your Mom for an afternoon out!
Out of the Blue is a regional and educational public awareness program that aims to inspire and inform, creating a new voice for mental health and mental illness. This new voice has goals of reducing the stigma that is associated with mental illness, and increasing awareness and information regarding suicide as being preventable. It is also to develop support for positive mental health, promote accurate mental health information, encourage open and honest talk for those affected and almost most importantly, spread the news of hope for recovery!
You will continue to see posters, pamphlets and Blue everywhere, to promote this wonderful campaign!
It’s May 2nd, election day, and I want to start off by stating the obvious “Get out and Vote!” I know you’re all extremely disappointed about the weather this weekend. Most of us were so geared up to be able to spend our weekend days outside in the yard, after the beautiful week that we had. It’s a small setback and I want to guarantee the snow will be gone by this afternoon. All that said, my heading’s about my favorite upcoming holiday “Mothers Day”! My Mom is an incredibly special person to me, and I appreciate her even more since becoming a Mom myself. Since this is her busiest time of year, we struggle to be able to coordinate our schedules so that we can get out and celebrate. That said, I do something special for her and make that effort to spend time with her at the greenhouse, knowing it’s hard for her to leave.
I have to say that I am a proud Mama! Samuel, who is now 4, is the little boy featured in the Oakridge ad in the “Spring Home & Yard” Carillon Shopping Guide. He was two at the time of the photo, and when we showed him the print ad, he wasn’t as impressed as we were. His response was “Why am I wearing Elliott’s tshirt?” Since the tshirt is now his little brother Elliotts’, we explained the hand-me-down concept, again. “Oh, ok”, he said….and back to lego.
We have an amazing variety of Mothers Day gifts to choose from. Whether it’s something special from the Garden Store, or a fresh blooming arrangement made up by Anna, or a rose bush that she can add to her garden, come check out what we have to offer. I’m looking forward to seeing what I get from my boys.
Brent Parkin is coming to town April 30th. His music is a mix of Chicago style blues, jazz blues, swing and roots rock and roll. “Vintage Rhythm” is his 4th album, a compilation of 13 tracks of original and cover songs. He has been in the music industry for 40 years, with his credentials too long to list. Check out this Winnipeg Free Press article and learn a little bit about the man behind the guitar.
