Garden Happenings! Week of April 27

Hello again,

Gardening is Happening in Skillin's Country!

In this post I will be letting you know what I am doing or what I hear is going on out there in our local gardening world.

I will be updating this post with quick supplements all through the week!

So check here frequently! If you would like to contribute just drop us a quick note at info@skillins.com OR leave a comment at the end of this post. We would love any tips OR questions from you!

Barbara Gardener checks in this week with:
"This is a garden of leftovers. Didn't have room to plant them with the rest of the family. Sort of a combination of perennials and annuals. Maybe when they come up I can find a better place to transfer them . If not that's tough! The perennials looked pretty happy where they were. One lily leftover looks a little lonely by itself.

I planted the miniature roses yesterday. Had to get it done. If they don't make it, I'll be back!"
That is a great example of assorted plants that the talented Ms. Gardener has put together. It is a "mid summer" photo but I thought I would include it just to show where we are headed!
The miniature roses Barbara is referring to are some gorgeous specimens she bought here a couple of weeks back. I love miniature roses. They grow well in the house OR are very dependable as little tiny outdoor shrubs. Just beautiful!
May 2:
What a beautiful sunny day! Good birding friend Liz Cardinale called me and wants to let you all know that the Baltimore Orioles birds have arrived; so keep your eyes peeled for them.
Also, now is the time to get hummingbird feeders set up with clean water and nectar. The hummingbirds should be arriving very shortly and having them buzz around the garden is one of the joys of our season. We sell all the supplies you need here at Skillin's for hummingbird success: great choices of feeders and just the right nectar!
April 30:
Okay so where did April go anyway? My goodness...Walking around the yard this morning before I came to work I could not help but be pleased to see from fresh grass seed germination from some late fall grass seed planting I did with my favorite Black Beauty grass seed from Jonathan Green and some covering with the compressed paper pellets called Grass Seed Accelerator. (Both products sold right here at Skillin's and both products make an effective duo for good hardy, yet very attractive rich green grass.)
The Black Beauty grass seed is a Tall Fescue and sets deep roots into the ground. These deep roots have meant for great winter survival in some areas that I for years have had NO LUCK with (the strip beside the busy road I live on and a back yard area that has been plagued by so so soil). These "deep roots" go quite deeper than most other grass seed mixes and mean for much less watering needs. How "green" is that?
Jonathan Green's Black Beauty Tall Fescue grass seed. I HIGHLY recommend it! For more info about this great product click http://www.jonathangreen.com/blackbeauty.php!
April 29:
Have you noticed all the beautiful flowering daffodils right now? Some people's yards are almost ablaze with yellows and whites right now. Make a note: we have the best quality bulbs here at Skillin's and we will have some great choices for you next September and October to plant then.
In the meantime, now is a great time to get some good natural fertilizer (think Plant Tone by Espoma or Plant Booster Plus by Organica) sprinkled around your bulbs. As the foliage starts to fade, the bulbs will be pulling nutrients from the foliage back into the bulbs so they can grow a little bigger and stronger (more flowers for next year!). The bulbs will use the nutrients you provide for better growth. I try to sprinkle some fertilizer now and also a little bit more in the fall to keep a good steady supply of natural nutrients going into the soil. After all for good plants, it is all about the soil!

Carrots! Radishes! Swiss Chard!

As many of you know by now, one of my most trusted sources for this newsletter is the book titled "Crockett’s Victory Garden" authored by James Underwood Crockett who was also the original host of the PBS gardening show by the same name. Mr. Crockett wrote this book in the late 1970’s so I will make a couple of interjections regarding some products we carry that may not have existed at that time. That being said, his writing style is clear, concise and very straightforward. His subject matter is organized “calendar style” just as we try to live our lives. He writes in a way that both the beginning and intermediate gardener can understand. I find what he has to say very helpful and I hope you do too. For this edition of Garden Talks Online, I have pulled articles on carrots, radishes and swiss chard. Here is what he writes:

Carrots: Many seed catalogues don’t mention this, but the long, slender carrot varieties produced by commercial growers require a soil so soft, deep, and smooth that they are all but impossible for many home gardeners to grow. In the Victory Garden, where the soil contains not only rocks but impervious blue clay, it would be folly even to try these varieties. Instead, I plant one of the solid, chunky, blunt-tipped carrot varieties of the type known as Half-long. These stubbier varieties are every bit as tender and tasty as the longer ones.

Carrots can be sown as early in the spring as the soil can be worked, which, in this garden, is March or April. I dig the soil over, the full depth of the spading fork – at least 8 inches – loosening it and removing any rocks bigger than 1 inch in diameter. Then I work 5-10-5 fertilizer (5 pounds to 100 square feet) (we at Skillin’s recommend Pro Gro 5-3-4 or Plant Tone by Espoma as a better choice) into the top 4 or 5 inches of soil. After raking, the soil’s ready for planting, but as an added precaution against compacting the soil I lay long boards between the rows to distribute my weight as I work. (I leave these boards here for the entire growing season.) (You can also place some flat stones in strategic places for stepping in your garden. I don’t know about you but I have plenty of stones I am always pulling out of the ground!)

I sprinkle the seeds into a ½ inch furrow, or “drill” in garden terminology, trying to space them every ½ to ¼ inch or so. This is no mean task. The seeds are tiny and they cling to everything, including my hands. It’s well worth the effort to space them carefully, though, as this cuts down on the thinning operation, which can be arduous.

There won’t be a sign of these carrots for at least three weeks, but there certainly will be weeds. So I sow a few radish seeds in the furrow right along with the carrot seeds. The radishes will be up in a week, identifying the carrot row so I won’t pull the young carrots as I weed. About a week after the carrot tops break through the soil, the radishes will be ready for harvest. (This is a great tip by Mr. Crockett!)


Radishes: One of my favorite viewer letters came from a would-be gardener who confessed that while radishes were known to be “absolutely foolproof,” hers had failed miserably. Radishes are not that easy. For one thing, they need at least 6 hours of sunshine a day or they’ll make all tops and no bottoms. For another, like peas and spinach, they do best in the cool bright days of early spring and fall. The midsummer crops are often hotter than firecrackers. But unfortunately on those cool bright days of spring there lurks in the soil the dreaded root maggot, which will chomp its way through the radish crop, leaving the tender roots scarred and tunneled. So whoever started the rumor that radishes are a cinch had full sunshine, cool days, and no maggots.

I plant my first sowing of radishes in the open garden in April, though I usually plant some in March in the hotbed or cloche. First I work a handful of 10-10-10 fertilizer )(again we would now recommend Pro Gro by North Country Organics or Plant Tone by Espoma) into the soil that I limed and “manured” the previous fall. I sow the seeds in a ½ inch deep furrow about ½ inch apart along a 5-foot row. (Radishes are at peak flavor for such a brief time that I never plant more than I can use.) Then I keep my fingers crossed and hope. With luck I’ll have radishes in 25 to 30 days. To have tender radishes most of the summer and fall I plant successive crops every week or so except during June and July.

The following vegetable—swiss chard—is not always a popular vegetable but is an outstanding “green” that is easy to grow here in the Northeast:

Swiss Chard: Swiss chard is part of the beet family, but it’s grown for its succulent, vitamin-rich greens rather than for its roots. With just minimum attention throughout the summer, it will have a long, productive life: as the plant matures, I harvest the outer leaves and allow the crown and roots to stay in the ground, where they will continue to produce new growth until the ground freezes. In some of the warmer parts of the country, Swiss chard will even last the winter, producing new growth until spring. Then the plant, which is a biennial, sends up a flower stalk. So no matter where you live, you have to make a new planting of Swiss chard each year.

I sow the seeds directly into a 1/2-inch-deep furrow, dropping a pinch at 12-inch intervals. Late this month when the young plants grow to about 1 inch tall, I’ll sacrifice all but the most vigorous seedling at each spacing. If I want more plants I can transplant the pulled seedlings to another spot in the garden.

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
April 29, 2009

Vegetables the Quick, Dirty Way

The following is a reprint from a great article published Sunday April 26 by the Maine Sunday Telegram (found regularly at http://www.mainetoday.com/) . The writer of the article is Tom Atwell who writes a weekly column in the Sunday Telegram called "Maine Gardener". Tom does a great job every week and is a true friend of gardeners and garden centers in Maine.

David Buchanan is a major contributor to the article and he and David Mahaney recently taught a wildly successful vegetable gardening class at Skillin's Falmouth. I think his advice is terrific. Good gardening friend David Kuchta (lots of Davids here) has a different take on David B's take about raised beds and I have included his take at the tail end of this post. David Kuchta blogs daily about gardening at http://gardenmaine.blogspot.com/ and I recommend that you check out his blog frequently. Thanks to all the Davids and to Tom Atwell for all you do for us gardeners in Maine.

"Everybody seems to be talking about vegetable gardening this year. Michelle Obama planted a vegetable garden at the White House. The demand for community-gardening plots is strong. Seed companies are reporting big increases in sales of vegetable seeds.

With all of this new interest, new gardeners need enough information to do the job right. I write a lot about Nancy and me growing vegetables in our garden, and sometimes about growing specific vegetables at home.

But after some reflection, I realized that I had never written a basic column on how to create a vegetable garden.

Instead of writing off the top of my head, I decided to attend a "Grow Your Own Organic Garden" class sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. About 40 classes were held statewide on April 1, and they proved highly popular.

The class, held at Turkey Hill Farm in Cape Elizabeth, was taught by David Buchanan. Buchanan managed Turkey Hill Farm last year, is one of the organizers of Slow Food Portland, and is a designer with Stillman Land Restoration and Design.

"Light is the key to any new garden," Buchanan said. "Light and soil."

Your garden plot should receive seven to eight hours of sunlight every day, especially to grow tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, Buchanan said. For greens, such as lettuce and beets, you can cut it back to five or six hours. Root crops are somewhere in the middle.

"But as you lessen the light, you weaken the vigor of the plant," he said.

If you have several places with enough light, Buchanan suggests picking the one that is most convenient to the kitchen. "You want to get from your kitchen to your garden with minimal time, effort and clothing," he said.

If you are a new gardener, start small. Buchanan suggests a beginner's garden should be 10 feet by 10 feet. If you try to do more the first year, you can become overwhelmed and give up. And by planting closely together, you can get a lot of food from a 10-by-10 garden. If you do a good job with that garden, next year you can expand.

Removing sod is one of the first steps in creating a garden. Don't just till in the sod, because a tiller goes only 3 or 4 inches deep and the grass will keep resprouting through the year. The best method of getting rid of grass is starting a year earlier, covering the grass with a layer of newspaper six sheets deep, and putting mulch on top of that. If you didn't think to kill the sod last year, you are going to have to lift it this year.

Buchanan does not like raised beds. He said pressure-treated wood should not be used near vegetables, and creating raised beds is a lot of work.

The layout of the garden is up to you. You don't have to use the typical rows favored by commercial gardeners. Buchanan favors planting zones about 30 inches wide. You can plant several rows in that 30-inch space or put in groups of plants without any thoughts of rows. The 30-inch width is easy to reach from both sides for planting, weeding and harvesting.
You can companion plant in the garden. Buchanan suggests putting basil and tomatoes together because you can keep cutting the basil throughout the season and it does not get in the way of the tomatoes.

When you start a garden, sandy soil is better than clay. Clay is really difficult to break down, and it prevents the roots of plants from getting needed oxygen and moisture. Also, it's difficult to mix in compost with the clay. If all you have is clay, bring in a lot of compost – so you have a layer about 6 inches deep – and plant in that.

"Sand is a much better place to start," Buchanan said. "You just keep on adding organic material."

Buchanan believes in working the soil as little as possible. He uses a spading fork and a broad fork, which is similar to the U-bar that we use on our garden, to loosen the soil for planting and mixing in compost. If you work the soil too much, it breaks down the structure. Although it looks fluffy after it has been worked, it will get too compact when the rain and foot traffic come.
Buchanan said the theory of organic gardens is that healthy plants will be able to fight off pests with little assistance. He noted that soil is a living thing, and that the living organisms in the soil feed the plants. That is one of the reasons organic gardeners do not use chemical pesticides, although they do use organic products such soaps and oils.

Buchanan also believes that you should weed often and quickly, just running a hoe around your vegetables to disrupt the weeds when they are small.

That does less harm to the soil and plants than weeding when the weeds get larger, and it takes a lot less time.

Watering should be done only when the soil has gone dry, and then it should be done for a long time, so the water goes deeply into the soil, promoting deeper root growth."

From Daivd Kuchta:

"Another very good article that I enjoyed reading. As a Skillin's Greenhouse employee, I've often referred our customers to your columns. I
especially appreciate your promotion of organic options in the garden.
But I should note the ease and benefits of raised beds: I built mine in about half a day, at very low cost and minimal tools. The benefits of raised beds are: they allow you to control the soil, which is especially good for areas with poor or contaminated soil; there is no digging and less stooping, which makes them great for kids and those with limited mobility; there are fewer pests; and raised beds warm up more quickly in the Spring, so you can begin planting a little earlier.
There are many online tips on how to build a raised bed, but I wrote one on the Skillins Greenhouse blog at:
http://skillinsgardenblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/building-raised-bed.html"

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
April 28, 2009

KCB Minding Your P's

KCB is a professional gardener and friend who does wonderful work in the Greater Portland area. KCB is also an accredited Master Gardener by the Cooperative Extension Service and we are proud to tell you that KCB rules as the 2008 Maine Master Gardener of the Year. And we are honored to have KCB as part of our Skillin's Garden Log family.

Allow me to introduce you to the Ps of Gardening: Plan, Prepare, Purchase, Plant. As the season progresses a 5th P will be included, Provide.

We will visit 2 of the Ps today!

I recently met with 2 different gardeners that had the same problem, their gardens just were ‘not doing anything’ for them. In each case these individuals loved to garden, have been doing so for a long time. One of these landscapes is entering its 6th summer, the other has been reformatted more times than I use to change my hair style. I was flattered each gardener asked that I coach them to improve their landscapes. So what was the problem? Impulsive purchases, sporadic planning, soil conditions or sunlight not appropriate for the plant. I can relate as this was so me. And it could be again in another time, another place. But Now is Now. We want to spend wisely.

PLAN:

How do you want to use your out door living space:
g Recreation
g Relaxing & Reflecting
g Dining & Entertaining
g All of the above by creating different ‘rooms’.

Determine a Budget
Envision a theme:

g Attracting butterflies, birds and other wildlife
g Moon Garden
g Waves of color or monochromatic
g Create your own theme such as a sea of succulents. A garden of grasses. Plethora of peonies.

Visit your favorite locally owned garden center; ask questions, explore, pick-up their catalogs.
Read the catalogs; they are one of my best resources when planning my purchases. A wealth of information is free for the taking from catalogs.
Make a list of desirable plants appropriate to your theme and or conditions.

PREPARE: The #1 and #2 P’s are the ping pong p’s as they fling back and forth.

Soil:

Do a Soil test. All the feeding, watering and assorted “TLC” just won’t work if the base is not good. Our area tends to have acidic soil yet we can not assume that may be your scenario. pH is one thing but other nutrients must be present to produce healthy plants. This goes double if growing vegetables. Feed the soil, not the plant.

The results of your soil test most likely will determine that some amending is necessary. If you opted to test your soil utilizing the University of Maine’s resources (http://www.umext.maine.edu/gardening.htm) your results will include what elements are needed. Feel free to discuss results and specific products with the staff at your garden center. There are several great products available. As with any product, apply per manufactures directions. Work the amendments into the soil prior to planting.

Tools:

Have them sharpened or purchase new. Unless you have 2 of everything you don’t want to go a day without pruners or a sharpened spade. Make sure your gloves are in good condition or again buy new. Mud gloves are especially needed this time of year. With tools and gloves, you usually get what you pay for. You don’t have to purchase the most expensive but make sure they are well made, many manufactures offer guarantees.

Yourself:

Ease into your garden routine by stretching and walking.


Revisit the plan. Do your plant choices meet with your predominant soil type, available sun light, drainage or other conditions. Are they within your budget? If not, revisit what it was you liked about the plant, shrub or tree. Often a substitute can be found. Think palette not plant if it is the color of spiky lavender and not necessarily the scent. Lavender doesn’t always make it through our harsh winters in some areas. Russian Sage offers it’s own, though different, fragrance but the look is strikingly similar.

Again with the plan, make a list BEFORE you venture out.

I equate plant shopping to grocery shopping when hungry-we want it all!. When grocery shopping, no list usually means you forget something, usually the least glamorous yet crucial item (toilet paper) purchased more than you should have (now you have 4 bottles of that extra spicy hot sauce only you can tolerate). In these days when every penny really counts, a plan will save you $ and time.

I almost titled this piece, the year of serious gardening. This does not mean landscapes must be severe or dour. Perhaps the more whimsical the better. What it will be is a year we rethink our landscapes. We will make an effort to get the most out of what we have. Perhaps dividing and/or transplanting will off better results. Adding new plants and other well thought out finishing touches such as statuary, a boulder or three is what is needed. Liberally sprinkle sea glass, include containers, with or without plantings, a garden gate sans fence, a bench, a gazing ball. Bring the inside out to reflect your self. Or go against type but not the elements.

The next 2 Ps, Purchase & Plant will take center stage as we get closer to their time. If you really do have the purchasing bug, knock yourself out with pansies….


Ah………..it is spring! Almost time for planting peas, not to late to mind your P’s!

Timely tips:

It is a great time to clean around your plants. Clear away the mulch that served as a winter protection as well as removing any other winter coverings.

While walking in your beds, especially when the ground is wet, be on the look out for tender seedlings or sprouts. Wet soil may be great for weeding but can wreak havoc on tender plants that can easily be stepped upon, especially in unsure footing. Think about adding stepping stones between plants in larger beds. They need not be a focal point and can be quite random. This gives you a place to step while working your gardens.

Be patient. A trait we gardeners have all but given up this time of year. Do not cut back your more tender perennials. The lavender may look all woody and dead. To cut it back now will surely do it in! Do cut back Ornamental Grasses, Sedum, Echinacea or perennials left for winter interest.

KCB for Skillin's Greenhouses
April 28, 2009

Garden Happenings! Week of April 20

Hello again,

Gardening is Happening in Skillin's Country!

In this post I will be letting you know what I am doing or what I hear is going on out there in our local gardening world.

I will be updating this post with quick supplements all through the week!

So check here frequently!If you would like to contribute just drop us a quick note at info@skillins.com OR leave a comment at the end of this post.

We would love any tips OR questions from you!

Thanks to good gardening friend Barbara Gardener for the above photo of some lovely zinnias and red salvia. Happy days are here again; beautiful flowers like that are just what we are headed for!

April 26:

Customer PB had a good question about greening up junipers:

Our Blue Rug Junipers have been in about 10 years. Now, this spring, the main stems are brown with some green only on the tips. Rather ugly looking. Would it be advisable to cut them back to the crown so they could grow again? Or what else to get some green growth from the center out?

Our answer:

I would cut them back to rejuvenate some growth. I do not think I would go all the way back to the crown though; try to leave a few inches of growth from the crown.

Also if you have not done so, NOW is a great time to apply Holly Tone by Espoma to the soil around your junipers. Evergreens need a good “kick” of nutrients and Holly Tone can keep that supply of nutrients going along. Try to apply Holly Tone twice yearly to keep your soil happy!

Speaking of the soil are the Blue Rugs near a walkway or the road? If so, road salt could be causing the browning (road salt is a frequent cause of browning of junipers). If you think this is the case you may want to consider applying some Fast Acting Gypsum to the soil to counteract the effects of the salt.

Both the Holly Tone and Gypsum are sold right here at Skillin’s!

April 25:

Customer DBK had a good question about rhododendrons:

Some but not all of our Rhododendron bushes have dead tops to the limbs. Was that caused by the winter winds and should we prune those back to the green healthy part of the limb?

Our answer:

I think you are right on there. The tops can get really bitten by the wind and cold and this winter had plenty of both. I would prune back to the green healthy part. If you think that you are pruning off some buds that will blossom then perhaps you want to hold off pruning those but my hunch is that the growth you are writing about does not have any buds.

I also have some dead stems on the top of my Endless Summer Blue Hydrangea that need pruning down to some live growth. I don't like to aggressively prune my Endless Summer but some slight pruning is clearly in order.

Driving around on some deliveries I see other shrubs that are in that kind "of shape" so get those pruners going and get some "snipping" happening.

Let us know at info@skillins.com if you have any gardening questions that we can answer for you!

April 24:

My roses are starting to burst with growth. As soon as some leaves develop I am going to start my spray program with Messenger. Click Roses by Sheliah! for a past post on roses and how well all natural Messenger works for them!

I am hoping to get some time before work tomorrow morning to get a new vegetable gardening area built up. My father and I pruned a lot of tall trees back in my back yard and I have more sunshine to work with.

Thanks to an old compost pile and plenty of earthworms I should have some nice compost to work with!

April 23:

While driving around Skillin's Country doing some floral deliveries, I cannot help but notice that our lawns are starting to get green and lush! If you have not done so, now is a great time to finish raking your lawn. A good vigorous lawn raking is a great way to get out dead and dying grass so that light and air can get down into the blades of your grass and thus make way for new growth!

It won't be long but soon we will be hearing the sounds of lawn mowers. It is too tempting BUT don't cut your grass too short. A lawn with some height is a very effective way to discourage the growth of pesky grass weeds!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses

KCB Assessing Winter’s Damage Or How to change Doom and Gloom to Groom and Bloom

KCB is a professional gardener and friend who does wonderful work in the Greater Portland area. KCB is also an accredited Master Gardener by the Cooperative Extension Service and we are proud to tell you that KCB rules as the 2008 Maine Master Gardener of the Year. And we are honored to have KCB as part of our Skillin's Garden Log family.

Today the temperature they say will hit 70 in some parts of the Greater Portland and surrounding areas. I can attest that it was 80 ° in my part of Portland. The part that is my attic apartment. A far cry from the ocean breezes that would filter through my former apartment. Nevertheless, I opened all the skylights and my one actual window. A CD that incorporates classical music such as Bach and Pachelbel with the sounds of the ocean almost has me believing that….. Who am I kidding? One can try, can’t they.

The season of spring is truly a time to look forward. It is a time of rebirth, regrowth and rejuvenation. It is exactly what I should be doing. This is also the time of the year that gardeners will check their landscapes for any damage that the past winter may have brought about.

Broken limbs, split and even downed trees litter lawns. A visit to one of my clients unveiled a Rhododendron that will be 1/3 of it’s former self once I prune away the broken branches. Another client said good-bye to an Oak Tree that stood it’s ground when that particular part of Falmouth consisted of a Salt-water Farm or two. It is sad to see it go, better the tree than the house my client quipped. It had never been the same since THE Ice Storm of ’98. Suffered again during the Patriot Day Storm 9 years later. As gardeners we say good-bye to lavender that we pampered only to vanquish in a snow less frigid winter. Peonies that survived generations can be lost when excessive spring rains bring about flooded conditions. As long as we are not physically damaged, our houses remain intact, we can replant. We roll up our sleeves, amend our soil, edge, plant, prune and persevere.

I have 2 more client’s landscapes to visit this week. My first order of the day will be to walk the property to assess any winter’s damage. Even when my client indicates that they made it thru the winter without loosing a branch, my inspection goes deeper. When something is lost, I am not filled with dread but hope. I consider it my Groom and Bloom take on the Doom and Gloom that is often touted by news bites from the media.

This season I have suffered some winters damage of my own. I have always felt more than blessed by my client base. It is more than just a living for me, it is a way to give back. To offer beauty. I will say good-bye to some of my clients this year for reasons that are what they are. Lifestyle changes, relocations, even the economy. As with the weather, I have no control. All I can do is roll up my sleeves amend what I must, plant myself where I can and persevere. I will allow myself to access winter’s damage one last time. Then on to groom and bloom. How about you?

KCB for Skillin's Greenhouses
April 17, 2009

Fertilizer Choices! Natural is Best!

Following is a quick outline of some of the basic fertilizers we sell and how these fertilizers will work to improve your soil and ultimately your plant's performance.

Now is a great time to fertilize your trees, shrubs, perennials and lawns. When these plants “awaken” from their winter slumber, they are starving for nutrients. What do you use for fertilizing? We at Skillin’s pride ourselves on our wide selection. And different situations do call for different remedies. However, we have 2 types of fertilizers that we recommend frequently for situations which are not dire, but when a seasonal supply of nutrients is in order. It is important to note that your soil should be tested once per year for pH and nutrients. (We sell easy to use and inexpensive soil test kits here at Skillin’s). These “once a year” soil tests will provide a good barometer over time of the needs of your soil.

The first types of fertilizers are of an all purpose nature and we offer many outstanding choices here at Skillin’s. Our old standby is called Pro-Gro. It is a totally natural fertilizer (manufactured by North Country Organics in Vermont) and is a wonderful food for all-purpose situations. For many years I have used Pro-Gro twice yearly on my deciduous shrubs and trees, and perennials. A natural fertilizer like Pro-Gro BETTERS YOUR SOIL. A better quality soil results in deeper root growth for your plants. Deeper root growth means larger plants and also plants and lawns that can better withstand cold winters and dry summers as plants thrive best in soil that is well draining and rich in organic matter. There is some immediate nutrient flow to the plant but the effects of using a fertilizer like Pro-Gro twice a year are of a long-term nature. The benefit takes a little time to show but your plants will be healthier and happier for a long period of time. In recent years, Espoma has very much improved their Plant Tone formulation by adding natural microbes and many people like that fertilizer. Organica produces Plant Booster Plus which I used for the first time in 2008 and I was very pleased with the results. Plant Booster Plus contains patented soil microbes and is I think a cutting edge product by a cutting edge company. All of these fertilizers are good steady soil additives but the microbial emphasis in Plant Booster Plus made it my choice in 2008 and I will probably use it again this year although for all purpose use, you cannot go wrong with Pro Gro, Plant Tone or Plant Booster Plus.

The second fertilizer is called Holly-Tone. Holly-Tone is also a natural fertilizer (manufactured by the Espoma Corporation) but is geared toward acid loving plant material (such as evergreens—pine, fir, spruce, rhodys, azaleas, and hollies are common examples). The same long-term attributes that apply to Pro-Gro also apply to Holly Tone.
Again we generally recommend two applications per year. However, it is important that your garden and lawn soil should be given a soil test annually.

What to feed the lawn? I am a firm believer in the all natural Organica Four Step Lawn Program that we highlight by clicking Organica's All Natural Four Step Lawn Program at the Skillin’s Garden Log. Organica's Four Step Program Lawn Program is a back to basics approach to plant management designed to revitalize soil biology and provide a foundation for healthy turf growth. The establishment of beneficial microbial populations is the key to creating a healthy soil environment. Organica's "Natural Lawn Program" is designed to reestablish beneficial microbial populations and provide the soil with the necessary components to promote healthy controlled growth and reduce plant stress. Your lawn will thank you and thank you!

How about vegetable gardens? Any of the all purpose choices will work although I find that Espoma's Garden Tone is high in calcium which is essential for good tomato growth!

As always if you have any questions or need any advice please contact us at any Skillin’s location or email us at info@skillins.com!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
April 15, 2009