QUESTIONS and ANSWERS
Can I order over the phone?
Yes! Call us at (360) 379-0807 or fax...
How should I water my new plant?
Any plant (perennial, shrub, tree) requires slow, deep watering their first (and preferably second year) in ground to allow the roots to get established.
Even "drought tolerant" and dry-bed native plants, which naturally don't require or even like summer water, need extra TLC their first two seasons. Deep watering, but with good drainage, is even more important than fertilizing to get plants off to a good start.
What kind of soil should I use? A great plant will do poorly in bad soil - a poor plant will do great in good soil
Soil is one of our area's biggest challenges for a successful garden. Your existing soil is probably either very sandy or glacial till! We've worked hard to find true topsoil with all the necessary components - loam, sand for drainage, peat and organic matter for moisture retention, aeration and long term nutrition. All are combined in correct proportions for good soil structure, or can be purchased separately to correct your existing soil.
How Do I To Prepare Soil for Planting?
First you should determine the condition of your soil by administering a soil test. You can buy soil test kits at any garden supply store. The soil test and its included charts will help you understand your soil's deficiencies and give you a clear idea of your soil's pH. To correct these deficiencies, you'll probably add fertilizer, manure, compost, phosphorus, potassium or nitrogen in a process called "amending" the soil. Use soil from at least 2 inches below the ground's surface, and be careful not to touch the soil
Compost Tea
It's a miracle! It restores life back into our poor soils - and the plants! Our special equipment and organic matter have been developed to create this "living liquid". Brewed for 24 hours, it produces an "army" of billions of beneficial microorganisms to be sprayed on foliage or added to the soil. Results are astounding. Those who have used it, no matter how experienced, couldn't imagine something this simple (and inexpensive) could be so effective - but they are now believers. It must be used within 15 hours, so you won't find it on a shelf. "Tea" times are Wednesday and Saturday, April through November. A "must try"!
Bark Our bark is fresh, clean, consistent (no large stringy pieces) and salt-free.
Compost
Fine, composted bark. Great organic matter for fall mulching or to improve your soil.
What is a bare root tree or plant?
A bare root tree or plant is lifted from the soil in the dormant stage and all the dirt is removed from the root system.
Where are your plants grown?
Many of our plants are grown locally. Some of our plants are contract grown with seasoned growers in the geographic location where our hardy plant varieties grow best.
How often should I water new plants?
Newly planted materials need water, on the average, at least once a week. Very dry or hot weather can accelerate the need for water. Under extreme conditions, supplemental water should be applied every other day. Make sure the water is applied where the root systems can readily access the moisture.
What kind of vegetables can I grow in 5 gallon buckets? I’d like to try tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.
Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers will readily adapt to growing in containers. Use a good commercial potting soil rather than garden soil, and place the containers in full sunshine. Punch several drainage holes into the bottoms or at the lowest points of the sides to make sure water doesn't collect and cause root rot. Since the roots of the plants will be confined, be sure to water the plants as often as necessary to keep the soil from drying out.
Pepper plants are well behaved and should grow without staking or support, but tomato plants and cucumbers will need to be supported. Choose determinate-type tomato plants rather than indeterminate ones. Determinate tomatoes will reach 3 to 5 feet high, where indeterminates will continue putting on new growth all summer.
You can use a tomato cage to support both tomatoes and cucumbers that are growing in containers. Place the wire cage over the plant as soon as you transplant it into your container. With the proper care, your containerized veggies should be just as productive as those grown directly in the ground.
What does slow, medium, and fast growth mean?
It is difficult to categorize the growth habits of the many plants that we sell. A slow growing tree or shrub would be a plant that grows less than a foot a year. A fast growing tree or shrub may grow in excess of 2 1/2 feet a year.
The categories slow, medium and fast, try to describe the growth of each plant within their unique species.
Growth rates of the various plant classifications are estimated based on the plant being placed on a good site, with good fertility, adequate moisture and being planted correctly.
Yes! Call us at (360) 379-0807 or fax...
Any plant (perennial, shrub, tree) requires slow, deep watering their first (and preferably second year) in ground to allow the roots to get established.
Even "drought tolerant" and dry-bed native plants, which naturally don't require or even like summer water, need extra TLC their first two seasons. Deep watering, but with good drainage, is even more important than fertilizing to get plants off to a good start.
First you should determine the condition of your soil by administering a soil test. You can buy soil test kits at any garden supply store. The soil test and its included charts will help you understand your soil's deficiencies and give you a clear idea of your soil's pH. To correct these deficiencies, you'll probably add fertilizer, manure, compost, phosphorus, potassium or nitrogen in a process called "amending" the soil. Use soil from at least 2 inches below the ground's surface, and be careful not to touch the soil
It's a miracle! It restores life back into our poor soils - and the plants! Our special equipment and organic matter have been developed to create this "living liquid". Brewed for 24 hours, it produces an "army" of billions of beneficial microorganisms to be sprayed on foliage or added to the soil. Results are astounding. Those who have used it, no matter how experienced, couldn't imagine something this simple (and inexpensive) could be so effective - but they are now believers. It must be used within 15 hours, so you won't find it on a shelf. "Tea" times are Wednesday and Saturday, April through November. A "must try"!
Compost
What is a bare root tree or plant?
A bare root tree or plant is lifted from the soil in the dormant stage and all the dirt is removed from the root system.
Where are your plants grown?
Newly planted materials need water, on the average, at least once a week. Very dry or hot weather can accelerate the need for water. Under extreme conditions, supplemental water should be applied every other day. Make sure the water is applied where the root systems can readily access the moisture.
Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers will readily adapt to growing in containers. Use a good commercial potting soil rather than garden soil, and place the containers in full sunshine. Punch several drainage holes into the bottoms or at the lowest points of the sides to make sure water doesn't collect and cause root rot. Since the roots of the plants will be confined, be sure to water the plants as often as necessary to keep the soil from drying out.
Pepper plants are well behaved and should grow without staking or support, but tomato plants and cucumbers will need to be supported. Choose determinate-type tomato plants rather than indeterminate ones. Determinate tomatoes will reach 3 to 5 feet high, where indeterminates will continue putting on new growth all summer.
It is difficult to categorize the growth habits of the many plants that we sell. A slow growing tree or shrub would be a plant that grows less than a foot a year. A fast growing tree or shrub may grow in excess of 2 1/2 feet a year.
The categories slow, medium and fast, try to describe the growth of each plant within their unique species.
Growth rates of the various plant classifications are estimated based on the plant being placed on a good site, with good fertility, adequate moisture and being planted correctly.
