Planning For Spring

Posted on February 13, 2017 by RutgersLN

It’s that time of year… time to start thinking about your spring garden! Although plants are dormant now, there are still a number of things that you can do to get a jump start on the coming season.

Pruning is important, both for shaping your plants and for helping them regenerate healthy new growth in future months. February is a good time to start pruning trees and woody shrubs. It’s also a good idea to lightly prune the tips of your spring-flowering shrubs to encourage a flush of new growth.

If you haven’t done it already, it’s time to fertilize your broad-leaf evergreens and other acid loving shrubs.

As long as the ground isn’t frozen, you can start some garden bed preparation work. Remove weeds as you see them, before they have a chance to establish and become a bigger problem later in the year. Clear out any debris or winter mulches, and shape up your beds by re-edging and applying a fresh layer of mulch or compost.

Our online Plant Finder is a great tool if you’re planning to add something new to your garden this year and want a little guidance on which plants will do best in your particular area. If you prefer a more hands-on approach, then stop by our Nursery and speak to one of our Certified Nursery & Landscape Professionals. A CNLP can walk you through the garden planning process from start to finish and identify plants for many different applications, from landscaping a wet, shady area to attracting birds with native plants.

Lighten up!

Posted on June 10, 2016 by RutgersLN

Brunnera Silver Heart

Lighten up! You don’t have to get down in the dumps if you have a sunless garden! A little bit of bright green can add nice pockets of interest to a shady spot, and there are lots of plants to choose from — many of which we carry at our nursery. Here are a few to consider that are very shade tolerant.

Japanese Forest Grass

variegarted j. forest grass

Japanese Forest Grass, variegated

Hostas – try Guacamole or Sum and Substance varieties.

Heuchera, Golden Zebra

Heuchera, Caramel

japanese painted fern

Japanese Painted Fern

Goodbye Winter!

Posted on March 18, 2015 by RutgersLN

Winter is over — or so we think! This time of year, one can never be too careful. Though the temperatures have been above freezing, we’re not in the clear yet when it comes to overnight temperatures and the possibility of a final winter squall. With much of the snow melted, you may have already begun to notice withered evergreens, brown spots, or entirely brown leaves. What should one do to assess winter damage? Check out our Coping with Winter Damage article by clicking Here!

Fall Cleanup for Perennial Beds

Posted on November 9, 2014 by RutgersLN

As blooms and foliage begin to fall and fade, it’s time to begin considering a rousing game of fall cleanup! Not only will it make Spring planting a cinch, a bit of raking and deadheading can get you moving and staying toasty warm!

For starters, begin by raking up any dead leaves or debris that have settled around the base of your plants. This is a great opportunity to add a fresh layer to your compost pile for use in the Spring, as well as help deter pests and diseases from setting up shop.

After raking, it’s an opportune time to clearly see any remaining weeds that can be pulled up.

Next, take some time to cut back any perennials that need it. Most perennials can be cut down to just a few inches once they’ve completely died back (make sure the plant is completely brown before doing any cutting to ensure all of its energy has gone back to its roots). If you’re unsure about how to cut back a certain plant, come in and ask us!

Finally, take care with any fragile plants that are risky to keep outside over winter. Tuber plants like canna lilies or banana plants will need to be dug up, as well as spring bulbs to help preserve them for success next season. Store them separately in a brown paper bag in a dry place where they will not freeze. A basement or garage will work fine.

With a little elbow grease and forethought, managing your garden can get a little easier!

How to Help Prepare and Protect Your Evergreens from a Harsh Winter

Posted on October 27, 2014 by RutgersLN

Evergreens are a hearty bunch. Though they hang onto much of their leaves throughout the year, evergreens are fall-shedding and drop leaves too! The secondary growth (old) from the center of the trunk is where they drop their leaves to store carbs for winter. This is how they make it through tough winters! But from time to time, they need a little help from us. There are a few easy DIY methods to help reduce leaf burn and branch damage. One product that we recommend is WiltPruf, a polymer spray derived from pine trees. WiltPruf is great to help protect the moisture content of leaves in evergreen trees and shrubs including skip laurels, azaleas, hollies, magnolias, rhododendrons, and boxwoods. The best time to spray WiltPruf is during the fall on a mild day when rain is not in the immediate forecast, as it needs dry conditions to be effective.

Another method that can really help reduce evergreen damage is by being a proactive home gardener. After snowfall, knock off the snow from your shrubs with a long handled broom. The key is to not let the snow sit for too long and freeze into a hard block of ice.

Recently, one of our customers told us how they’d construct open plywood boxes around their boxwoods which sat slightly under the eaves. The boxes helped prevent the melting snow and ice from landing on top of them.

With a little preparation and by being proactive, your evergreens will be healthy and happy come Spring!

What to do with a Capricious Crape Myrtle

Posted on October 20, 2014 by RutgersLN

Stressful weather conditions are inevitable factors that can harm your trees and shrubs. If you’re lucky, mother nature may grant your plant a second chance. Even with significant seasonal damage, you may be able to revive what’s left if there are signs of new growth. For example, take a look at the crape myrtle ‘bush’ in the foreground. Winter damage killed off the central trunk, but not the entire tree. New shoots came up from the bottom, yielding a more bush-like form, which still produced a multitude of gorgeous flowers in the summertime. This new form can be kept, or you may be able to achieve its former upright appearance. As new “suckers” begin to grow from below, you can select the 3-4 that look the strongest and let them grow, pruning the others away. To encourage the “suckers” to develop nice and straight, twine can be used to help brace the new young trunks upwards.

To learn more about how to revive a stressed crape myrtle, stop by our nursery — our knowledgeable staff is happy to help!

Sourwood Tree

Posted on September 19, 2014 by RutgersLN

Believe it or not, this showy flowering tree is native to our area, offering eye-catching color along with sweet, fragrant summertime blossoms. The Sourwood tree prefers acidic, rich, well-drained soil, and can reach heights of 20-40.’ As it’s typically an understory tree, it can handle part sun as well as full, making it quite adaptable to landscape location. The Sourwood tree gets its name because its leaves have a sour taste — which contradicts its sweet shades of peachy orange and red as it comes into fall color (another sweet fact is that bees love its blossoms, and sourwood honey is a delicious local treat).

This color is truly boldness to behold — stop in for a visit!

Beating the Beetles

Posted on July 3, 2014 by RutgersLN

Photo by: David Cappaert
bugwood.org

The Japanese beetles have descended with a vengeance, helping themselves to your backyard buffet. But you don’t have to let them destroy your beautiful shrubs and prize rosebushes! By being aware of their presence and being proactive, you can keep your garden looking great.

Though they are truly beautiful insects with shiny metallic shells ranging from hues of green, gold, and blue, they can do a number on certain types of plants.

Japanese beetle damage can be identified by skeletal-looking leaves, and it’s not uncommon to catch them in the act of snacking. Japanese beetles absolutely love roses (they nestle in the center of their blooms, eating them from the inside out!), so if you have them in your garden, they’ll tend to go for those first. Other plants they tend to go for are lindens, fruit trees, and maples.

Though there are several Pyrethrin-based insecticides on the market, there are also less toxic ways to control them such as good old-fashioned hand-picking (pick beetles off plants in the morning when they are less active and place them in a bucket of soapy water). Some gardeners have cited success by incorporating beneficial Tiphia Wasps into their garden, which keep beetle larvae at bay. Additionally, natural Neem Oil has shown to be effective when sprayed on plants as a preventative. Diatomaceous earth, which is a single-celled algae that harms insects exoskeletons, can also be applied around selected plants to destroy beetle larvae.

There are plants Japanese beetles dislike like garlic, rue, catnip, chives, leeks, onions, marigolds, and larkspur. Planting these in among plants they like can help lessen damage by deterring their presence.

Lastly, be wary of Japanese beetle traps – the bait that’s used can actually attract beetles to your yard, giving you a bigger problem than you bargained for.

By being proactive, you can happily say bon voyage to these little buggers!

Do Your Skip Laurels Look Like Ours Do?

Posted on April 11, 2014 by RutgersLN

No worries, these Skips will bounce back, even after the tough winter we just experienced!

Skip Laurels (also Cherry Laurels, Hollies and all broadleaf Evergreens) frequently experience some winter burn and also deer browsing, especially if your plants are near an existing woods line. They will lose their leaves and look very weak, even at the end of April. This is normal. “Skips” require a significant stretch of warm weather to rally out of Winter dormancy and fully flush out again. It can be as late as early July before the Skip Laurels are back 100%. Removing any dead branches will greatly speed up the plant’s ability to thrive. Patience is all that is required!

Have You Met Calicarpa?

Posted on August 30, 2013 by RutgersLN

Pretty Calicarpa

A lovely shrub for full sun, Beautyberry shines in Fall. Purple clusters of berries adorn graceful arching branches. Calicarpa grows 6-10 feet tall and thrives in average well drained soil. Truly one of the best ornamental fruiting shrubs!

Category Archives: Gardening Tips