The topic I want to discuss this week is “mulching”. I did want to let you know that as temperatures dipped into the 20s, and our greenhouses our compost system worked keeping night temperatures well above freezing. In our greenhouse filled with herbaceous plants our knowledge of how Mother Nature works provided us with a solution to our heating problem. So far our plants look great. They are well branched, are now being spaced and just coming into bloom. We have placed our cool weather crops in greenhouse one. They can go out the earliest and is the location from which you can make your selection for early planting. They are well hardened off enduring the cool night temperatures of an incredible cold spring.
The other exciting news is that we got in another organic seed line called High Mowing Organic seed based in Vermont. It is a great line with high germination rates. They also have a sprout selection. Wheat grass is back in stock.
After the winter demolished greenhouse number two Felix climbed up on the roof and finished replacing 120 panes of glass. Quite a feat and something I couldn’t dream of doing anymore. Greenhouse number two, the home of our famous Dragon Wing Begonias, Coleus and Dahlias is ready for us to move into. It is a slow process this year but we are getting back into shape. All of the organic supplies are in and we will be getting our huge selection of organic ‘Gilbertie Herbs’ in after the Holidays. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Greenhouse number three is being filled with organic vegetable sprouts. We are transplanting as fast as we can. There is so much to do and so little time to get it done.
I will be lecturing in Eastchester, NY at 10:am on the Organic Vegetable Garden Town Hall. This is at their annual Environmental day Green Event.
On Easter Sunday we will be open from (9:00 am to 3:00 pm. We are hoping everyone is having a Happy Holiday Season
MULCHING Mulches gained popularity in our area in the eighties when drought conditions forced us to come up with measures to conserve water. Garden supply outlets offered many choices and home gardeners quickly realized the many benefits mulches offered. The best thing you can do for your garden is to apply a 2-3” layer of mulch to all of your beds. Mulches conserve moisture, increase water penetration when it rains, prevent erosion, reduce weeding, prevent alternate freezing and thawing in the winter, keep soil from getting too hot in the summer and protect from the cold in the winter, prevent soil compaction from heavy rains, keep the surface from crusting, prevent splashing water and disease that come from the soil. As organic mulches break down they add organic matter and nutrients to the soil. They provide an aesthetic look to your property. Mulching is the greatest time saver you can employ.
It is important to mulch but not to apply your mulch too deeply. My preference is to apply a 2 inch layer of mulch and in drought conditions increase to a 3 inch depth.
For some unknown reason some gardeners have been piling huge cones of mulch around trees. In some instances this has actually killed trees but in all circumstances it has caused trees to suffer. Too much of a good thing does not make it better. Bacteria promoting mulches are ideal for alkaline loving plants. Fungi-dominated mulches are better for acid loving plants.
The biggest competitors our plants face in our garden is weeds. The best way to control weeds is by applying a two inch layer of mulch. On newly created beds the application of corn gluten to a weed free bed will prevent new weed seeds from germinating. The few weeds that sneak through these barriers can easily be handled. A weed free bed allows all of the nutrients to be utilized by your plants.
Mulches come either in bulk or by the bag. Although bulk may be cheaper in initial cost the quality is usually poorer and the cost of spreading more difficult and more expensive. I like to figure out how many bags will cover an area and get the family to help me chain the bags next to the location I need to cover. A three cubic foot bag covers 36 sq. ft. at two inch thickness. By slitting the ends of the bag you can drag and pour the mulch onto the 36 foot area you have measured. Two cubic foot bags cover 24 sq. feet. Once you have emptied your bags you can go back over the area and level and even it out. It’s amazing when you are organized how fast this process can be accomplished. Chaining is one of my favorite methods to get a product to a location. It is a fun exhilarating job that will get a lot of moans and groans from the family but ends up being a fun and bonding experience. If you are the one doing most of the work enlists your families to at least help you get the product to the spot you want. With many hands a job gets done quickly.
There are many types of mulch on the market and we have decided to handle our four favorite choices. Being organic we do not like to handle colored mulches. We only handle natural products which as they break down, will add quality to your existing beds. Organic mulches will add a nutrient supply to your plants, carbon to your soil and structure to an existing bed.
PINE BARK MULCH This mulch comes packed shredded in 3 cubic foot bags and covers 36 sq. ft at two inch thickness. It comes in three grades, Mulch, Mini Nuggets and Nuggets. It is made from pine bark which unlike wood repels termites. It is of a dark- brown color. The mulch grade is partially broken down and has a greater bacterial dominance. The nuggets have a greater fungal dominance.
CEDER MULCH It is an earthy brown color with an aroma that repels insects. It is shredded into long strands that lock together and form a dense mat which holds in place. It is my favorite mulch for banks where erosion can become a problem or for walks that are bordered by flower beds. It comes in two cubic foot bags which cover 24 sq. ft. at two inch thickness. It is probably our most popular mulch.
DARK HARBOR MULCH This is our darkest color mulch and our most nutritive mulch. It is a rich blend of composted barks. It is a great product out in the Coast of Maine line coming from the Penobscot area of Maine. It is the favorite mulch among the most discerning members of the garden community. Those who have once used it and see the difference it makes to their plants always come back for more. It comes in 2 cu. ft bags.
FUNDY BLEND (Enriched mulch with Seaweed) Dark mulch with great nutritive value. It is an ideal top dressing for perennial beds. It is made from very old humified birch, maple and hemlock bark mixed with very rich compost made of kelp solids and sphagnum peat. It is a great product that comes in one cubic foot bags. One bag covers 12 square feet.
Pick up your mulch or call us at 914-723-2382 and have it delivered.
Anyone interested in sending any of this information on to their local newspapers, their local radio stations , garden clubs or any other educational facility are welcome to use any of my written material free of charge as well as any of my prior or future emails. Anything that wants to be copied from my 360 page book can also be used. My concern is to get this important message out to as many people as possible. We are all in this together and I need your help to spread the word. Lots of the previous material I posted can be viewed our new website naturalgardennews.com.
Here is our condensed version from April Krautter’s Korner of things you need to do. If you haven’t already done so yet pick up a free calendar at the Nursery.
APRIL CHORES
PERENNIALS
Mulch to a depth of 2 inches. Cleanliness is essential in Perennial beds. All dead tissue must be removed and plants should be cut back or trimmed as necessary. The beds should be clean of any leaves. Fertilize with Plant- tone if you haven’t done so in March. This will supply your plants steadily with food during their growing period. Plant-tone has been fortified with additional microbes this year making it one of the best fertilizers on the market. As soon as your perennials leaf out, spray with a B Harpin protein product which is cutting edge gardening – boosting your plant’s blooms and overall plant vigor and providing disease resistance. Before new growth takes place, divide existing plants that have become overgrown or transplant some to a new location in the garden. Mulching has tremendous benefits but do not exceed 2 inches in depth as you will smother your plants. New beds should be prepared by digging deeply and mixing into the soil the ingredients recommended in “Preparation of the Planting Bed.” This formula is the secret to developing a sustainable garden. Best of all, it’s time to plant perennials. Select the right plant for the right location. We dedicate a great deal of space in our Catalogue giving cultural directions for all the plants we grow. There are many microclimates on your property. If you pick the right plant, it will thrive. Try our finder key on the web which will select plants for a certain exposure, such as shade. Ground cover can fill in bare areas, flowers can add color to an otherwise dull view and cut flowers can add color to the interior of your home. Check out our list of newly added perennials
MY TOP 20 PERENNIALS
ACHILLEA ‘Moonshine’
AGASTACHE ‘Blue Fountain’
ALCHEMILLA ‘Mollis’ ANEMONE
ASTILBE
COREOPSIS verticillata ‘Moonbeam’
CORYDALIS ‘Lutea’
GAURA
HEMEROCALLIS ‘Stella d’Oro’
HOSTA sieboldiana ‘Elegans’
LEUCANTHEMUM ‘Becky’
MONARDA ‘Raspberry Wine’
NEPETA fassinii ‘Blue Wonder’
PAEONIA
PEROVSKIA atriplicifolia, ‘Platycodon’
RUDBECKIA fulgida ‘Goldsturm’
SALVIA ‘Ost Friesland’
SEDUM ‘Autumn Joy’
SCABIOSA columbaria
VERONICA ‘Sunny Border Blue’
MINERAL ROCK DUST (Azomite)
50 pounds covers 10,000 square feet. Mineralize your soil every three years. Plants require more than fertilizer (NPK) and water for proper nutrition. Often plants are not able to produce healthy growth due to deficiency in key micro nutrients. The malnourished soil leads to weakened plants. Weakened plants lead to insect and disease problems. Applying mineral rock dust mimics the actions of Mother Nature by replacing minerals once spread by glaciers, flooding and wind. Using mineral rock dust on your land is a sound organic practice beneficial to living soil. The results are astounding and speak for themselves. Optimal organic soil produces prime, healthy plants. This product provides the soil with a large variety of minerals which re-mineralize depleted soils, and improve soil structure.
Make sure your beds are clean of any leaves or dead tissue. If you did not fertilize in March, make sure evergreens, deciduous trees and shrubs are fed with PLANT-TONE or HOLLY-TONE If you need to transplant, do it before new growth takes place. Now that the ground is workable, it is an ideal time to purchase and plant nursery stock. For new plants, check the watering twice a week and more frequently during the heat of summer. Make sure your evergreens are well mulched but do not bury them. Flowering trees, fruit trees and shade trees should also be fed with Plant-Tone. Using a crow bar to make a hole and adding an organic fertilizer into the hole can also be very beneficial. Before new growth starts, transplant. . For the installation of a new plant follow our Organic Approach to planting a tree. When planting, always make sure the soil level of the plant matches the soil level of the ground. Never plant too deeply but rather slightly high. Dig your hole three times the size of the ball and mix 1/3 peatmoss or, 1/3 organic compost (Penobscott Blend), Myke and Plant-tone into the soil mix. Make sure Plant-tone is mixed into the soil so that beneficial microbes come in contact with the roots. Add Myke for additional Mychorrhizal fungi which are of special interest to us. They affect the root’s ability to survive, reducing transplant shock and ensuring the plant’s ability to acclimate. Fill the soil on the side, packing it tightly to prevent air pockets. Make sure soil is not packed above the existing root ball. Top dress with a 1/4″ of your own compost or Penobscot Compost and apply Plant-tone, an organic fertilizer to the surface. A two inch layer of mulch completes the planting. Water your plants well for the first five days and then soak your root system twice a week. Make sure you always plant soil level to soil level; planting too deeply will cause the plant to die a slow death.
ROSES
Apply Rose-tone using 1 cup per bush. This is an organic fertilizer that addresses both soil health and plant nutrition
MINERAL ROCK DUST
50 pounds covers 10,000 square feet. Mineralize your soil. Plants require more than fertilizer (NPK) and water for proper nutrition. Often plants are not able to produce healthy growth due to deficiency in key micronutrients. The soil is malnourished leading to weakened plants. Weakened plants lead to insect and disease problems. Paramagnetic rock use is gaining popularity for its positive influence on soil and plants. Spray roses with Foliar Ecolizer EM :Spray every 2 weeks for disease control. It can be mixed with Employ. Roses should have been pruned by now and winter protection removed. Beds need to be totally cleaned of last year’s leaves which will carry the spores for black spot. Those who used Employ last year reported heavier flowering and very little black spot. Buy and plant new Roses. Spray Employ every three weeks as soon as your plants have leafed out. Knock Out Roses are gaining popularity as they are more disease resistant and survive with a half day of sun. If you give roses the proper location and proper bed preparation, they will reward you for many years.
LAWNS
Apply Corn Gluten as found in Jonathan Green Crabgrass Control. Apply this when Forsythias are in bloom. Crabgrass is an annual which occurs in sunny locations and tends to take over. It usually occurs where you have had a crabgrass problem in the past. If you need to do patching, seed over the barrier by applying a thin layer of top soil over the barrier and seed above the barrier. Corn Gluten will support root growth. However if you need to do a major re-seeding project ,do not apply Corn Gluten as it will also prevent grass germination. Moss is an indication of acidic soil. Moss and weeds grow better at a low PH while grass grows better at a PH of 6.5 -7. Add Mag-I-Cal if your PH is low.
PEST MANAGEMENT
Wooly Adelgids continue to be prevalent on Hemlocks. Those who have been following a spray schedule have been successful. Dormant oils in spray form give the best control. As your Apple trees leaf, spray Sulfur as the organic control for Cedar Apple Rust and Apple Scab. Keep a vigilant eye out for other potential problems and treat early.
DEER PROBLEMS
Deer are becoming an increasing problem. These are several suggestions for those living in deer country. Use deer repellents. Best control for deer is to affect two of their senses. We recommend that you use Deer Scram to repel them by smell and Deer Stopper to repel them by taste. Familiarize yourself with plants that deer do not like to eat. Refer to Sprainbrook.com for our helpful lists. Try to break their path by forming barriers to their grazing route. Three rows of thin fishing line strung at different heights from tree to tree can act as a deterrent. If you can’t take it anymore, think of putting up a fence. Fencing in your back yard and leaving your front yard open is a good solution. Plant an evergreen hedge on the inner side of your fence. Stick to deer resistant plants for the front yard while treating yourself to all of your favorites in the back yard.
Our formula for ‘Preparation Of A New Planting Bed’ should be followed. The formula transforms the worst possible soil to the best possible soil. Per 100 square feet dig in and mix to a depth of one foot. This is the formula to build a sustainable garden.
PREPARATION OF A NEW PLANTING BED
Per 100 square feet dig and mix into the top one foot area:
1 bales of Peatmoss 3.8 cubic feet.
1 block of Coir
2 bags of Lobster Compost: 40lb bags.
2 bags of Penobscot mix: 40lb bags.
2 bags of Cow Manure
2 bags of Black Earth top soil
1 lb Mineral Rock Dust
5 pounds of Lime
5 pounds of Bone Meal
8 pounds of Plant Tone (Espoma)
1 Myke 15 oz.
*Note for vegetable garden use 3 Lobster and 1 Penobscot
Make sure you purchase my book and use it as a reference. Pick up a free Garden Calendar to go with it.
LAWNS
