What's New For The Winter?
News flash…The gardening season was a blur. The holiday season was over before we could exhale. With the store emptied and cleaned, it’s now time to change over to the next selling season. This year, without the benefit of a “live” trade show, many retailers worked by moonlight to place their orders for spring 2021 by computer or tablet. It some ways, it might have been a blessing in disguise. Vendor offerings were shown through presentations, literature, and by chat and zoom. You had to go through each vendor line up and spend a bit more time making decisions. Thankfully, the result was many new products were ordered. These new choices are arriving weekly to distributor suppliers. The big question remains…Should I wait until its closer to March to receive these products or should I bring them in now? Read on.
To Stock or Not to Stock
We are creatures of habit when it came to retail store trips for ourselves or our family, especially during the pandemic. We traveled where we felt safe. We traveled where we had a good shopping experience. Consumers will plan to re-visit stores where they “actually” found what they needed. As an independent garden center owner, you will continue to greet the majority of these new gardening customers throughout the winter and into early spring for these reasons. You made your customer feel safe and gave them products they couldn’t find elsewhere. Today, if your store is in stock, you might just sell it even before that traditional spring season arrives. Because of the pandemic, hoarding is a commonly used verb. It happened with many bird seed products, too! Manufacturers are still scrambling to fill supply orders and eventually catch up. With the promise of recovery, doesn’t it make sense to maybe bring products in a bit earlier and not wait? With the future still uncertain, it might be advantageous to begin that store makeover earlier than ever before. Filled shelves and strengthened department looks are encouraging to the consumer no matter what season we are in. The timing couldn’t be better for bringing in new products and new categories.
New Griffin Vendors
If you have seen the recent trade magazines and their surveys, the growth trends of houseplants, cacti, and succulents have never looked back. It might be time for you to bolster this area with new plant selections from Pope Farms or Holtkamp Greenhouses. These two vendors ship while weather permits and can be ordered weekly through Griffin. Look at new small pot vessels, bowls, and glass from Syndicate, Classic Home & Garden, Braun, and even Southern Patio. These are necessary for carrying the plant interest into spring. The activity level at home includes plant care products like misting bottles, watering cans, saucers, and small liquid plant foods. Espoma, Sun Bulb, Jack’s Classic, and Schultz should be stocked and likely sought after by the consumer. Before you know it, the plant deliveries of orchids and African Violet will be at your door. I’m inviting you to look at the 2021 Griffin catalog that will soon be arriving to your store. It’s filled with new products and accessories to meet the new demand.
Another activity that will surely go up as winter progresses is wild bird feeding. No question, families are beginning to find ways to entertain their children while staying indoors. Home office workers and retirees are also looking at this category to enjoy. If you have a window view, might as well enjoy the birds! D& D commodities (Wild Delight) is a new stocking vendor for Griffin. They feature fantastic bird foods of high quality in a great look through package design. Coles Wild Bird food is another high-quality bird food line. If your inventory is low or out, you may want to bring in these lines right now and let the entertainment begin! Supply and demand in the commodity world will be tested by Covid-19 and possibly rising freight costs and potential freight delays. The buzz words for retailing birding products right now are food, water, and protection. Order these products now.
Starting Over
January is here. This past year produced unexpected gains in seed starting products sold in stores. Many retailers totally sold through their seed packets! There’s no better time to replenish not only the seed packs, but everything needed for the homeowner to make your store the “one stop” shop for seed starting. Include misting bottles, peat pots, trays, seed starting soils, pH test kits, labels, gro domes, vinyl saucers, complete start up kits, lighting, work tools, and waterproof gloves. Many of these products were long gone at the beginning of the spring season without replenishment. One more tip…if it’s new, make sure you announce it to your clientele. The consumer “eye” wants the newest and the best you’ve got! Price has not been as much a factor as availability to the consumer. What’s new for winter? Maybe higher retails while the time is right! Best wishes for a safe and Happy New Year!
Mission Possible - Repairing Your Lawn
This year’s summer weather has punished many homeowner lawns after a very wet spring and a long-lasting heat wave in many parts of the country. If you weren’t watering, you were likely weeding. Once the heat ramped up, disease issues like brown spot, dollar spot, and striped smut along with common weed issues like crabgrass, clover, and nutgrass just took over the lawn. July and August weather took its toll on grass health, especially if you did not react quickly to provide a solution for disease or insect damage. The average July temperature consistently hit some record highs. These were as shocking as the massive water bill most had from watering their lawns. Don’t get discouraged, it can and will get better soon.
Fall is for Planting
Fall is the best time to renovate your home lawn by over-seeding. Cooler nights along with diminishing temperatures combine to make lawn renovations easier. First steps towards making grass repairs is to make a plan that you will follow. Examine your lawn to determine what is needed to correct current conditions. If there is more than 50% weeds and/or bare spots in your lawn, you should reconsider a complete overhaul. If you have high expectations of an estate or golf course type lawn, you will need to choose not only the right grass seed, but include the correct seed starting lawn fertilizer and lime, as needed. Your success hinges on a few factors: good soil, ample drainage, pH within a suitable range for growing most grass seeds (6.0 – 7.0), a quality grass seed with minimal weed seed content, and a good quality starter fertilizer.
Choosing a Grass Seed
You can choose a grass seed to fit your lawn type easily by reading the bag. A blended grass seed is using two or more of the same type of grass seed. Examples like Tri-Rye or Tri-Fescue have three types of the same grass seed. A mixed grass seed blend contains multiple types of grass seeds. Two or more different types of seeds in the bag might contain annual rye, perennial rye, tall turf-type fescue, chewings fescue, hard fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, or possibly a specialty type like Poa Trivialis just to name a few of the more popular types. The number one selling grass seed to consumers is Sun & Shade mixture. Many customers have both sun and shade conditions which leads them to purchase a bag with mixed grass seeds that thrive in both sun and shade conditions. Some grasses prefer sun while others prefer shade. There are several types of turfgrass seeds (endophytic) that will deter insect damage in the lawn. Grass seeds will germinate in as little as two days or up to 21 days depending on type of seed, moisture, and adequate “seed to soil” contact. Seed without moisture may take even longer to germinate than 21 days.
Food for Thought
If you haven’t fertilized your lawn since who knows when, you might consider using a starter fertilizer for your project. With most all fertilizers using a “zero” phosphate analysis (middle number on the nutrient formula), lawn starters have a phosphorous number (content) to maximize root development to get the grass growing and established quickly. Many of these are formulated to feed up to 8 weeks! If you only want to use an organic lawn starter, you can use Espoma’s Lawn Starter made from natural and organic ingredients. If you get an early start on lawn renovation during September, you may want to apply one more fertilizer application to strengthen the lawn and build up nutrients for winter. These fertilizers are known as Fall Winterizers. They are specifically formulated to help your grass with a strong spring green up.
There is also a budget for everyone’s lawn for sure. Some folks rely on over-seeding every fall to fill in empty gaps of green lawn ravaged by heat and drought, wear and tear, excessive dense shade, or insects and disease. That’s okay…you just might need a bigger bag of grass seed.
Here are some top choices for fall grass seeding projects:
The Great Outdoors
Products for Pest Control
Common Issues, Common Remedies in the Summer Garden
Here are some garden recommendations for you to consider including OMRI Listed suggestions.
For The Love of The Rose
This month’s subject is without question, my favorite. I think back to my first two roses purchased in 1976 in the Jackson Perkins ready to plant boxes. The varieties were Chrysler Imperial, a majestic deep red hybrid tea with outstanding fragrance and the world’s most beloved rose, Peace, a stunning yellow blend with reddish edge hybrid tea. The cuttings of Peace were sent to Conard Pyle in West Grove, PA. from Francois Meilland on the last plane from France before German occupation in World War II. It was introduced in 1946 on tables at the first assembly of 51 countries which made up the United Nations after the war.Bitten by the Rose Bug
Without the benefit of the internet back then, I had to read up on rose care by purchasing an Ortho All About Roses book from the local garden center. I joined a local rose society. I became a Consultant for the American Rose Society. My garden grew from those two rose plants and topped out at 275 roses in the mid eighties. I made every growing mistake you could possibly make and learned a lot about a fascinating plant that I loved. Back then, mistakes were part of the learning curve. Some roses were poor performers, some susceptible to disease, and they were time consuming to spray weekly, prune, and feed. A labor of love. Experience taught me that failure was necessary to succeed and not make the same mistake twice. Now, 44 years later, are your customers as passionate about roses besides the ones available on Valentine’s Day? Well, why not?
Our National Flower
The rose is the most versatile fragrant plant variety in the industry. You will find the rose standing tall in the home and municipal gardens (first was Elizabeth Park Rose Garden in Hartford, CT 1904), in zoos (Philadelphia Zoo), along roadways, shopping centers and banks, covering barns and hillsides, provides colorful displays in amusement parks (Disney World), and provides every color hue under the sun except a true blue and black. By an act of Congress and proclamation from President Ronald Reagan, the rose became our national flower on September 23, 1986. Coincidentally, the rose world changed radically in 1987 with the introduction of the variety, Bonica, which was the very first All-American shrub rose. Bred by House of Meilland for Star Roses, it had everything a consumer wanted in a flowering plant: disease resistance, vigorous growth, winter hardy, light rose fragrance, continuous bloom, and maintenance-free care by the homeowner. The hybridizers went from creating unique varieties to carefree no-maintenance rose types almost overnight. In 2000, the Knockout rose became the fastest growing variety in rose history, selling millions of plants worldwide each year. The decline of popularity in the traditional hybrid tea rose had just begun to make room for the impressive Knockout family.
Make It Easy
Continuing with the trend to make everything easy and convenient in rose gardening, the tasks needed to be successful are reduced greatly. To start, plant the rose deep enough in the hole to make the bud union level with the ground surface. Use high quality planting soils which are readily available today versus using manures. The rule of thumb to simplify is 1/3 existing topsoil, 1/3 high quality planting soil, and possibly 1/3 sand if drainage is needed. Roses don’t like “wet feet” or standing water as they are heavy feeders and need solid and steady uptake of nutrients and moisture from a good root system. Feeding is simple. Choose an organic rose fertilizer that won’t burn and feed as directed, usually monthly amounts until stopping the applications in September. There are combination chemicals that are mixed with water distributed around the base of the rose bush once every 4-6 weeks as directed using a drench method. These combo solutions prevent disease and insects as they are absorbed into the rose bush. Pruning may or may not be needed to remove spent blooms and maintain a tidy plant. It depends mostly upon the rose variety. Do not prune rose climbers during the first year as they need the long canes the following year to produce laterals for trusses of bloom. Some rose varieties are more susceptible to disease than others, especially blackspot. These are spotted leaves that “start” at the base of the plant and move upwards (and outwards to other roses) eventually defoliating the plant. When you see these spots form on leaves, remove them and the fallen leaf debris surrounding the base. Discard them in the trash before disease spores splatter and spread. Begin using a “curative” disease control that has the active ingredient, Daconil, by spraying the leaf surface as following the directions as stated on the bottle. Water only in the morning to allow leaves to dry throughout the day.
Did you know a climbing rose named New Dawn, was the very first plant patent issued in our country back in 1931? Ironically, it wasn’t a hybrid rose plant, but a sport or offspring. This historical plant in our industry is still sold today at many garden centers across the country.
The rose is a plant everyone should grow and share with family and friends. It’s OK to hand out a fresh bouquet of Knockout roses, too! It would make me smile.
Rose Related Products
Emerging Trends from Homeowners
Seed Starting has seen a huge boost in sales from customers looking to start their own garden. The threat of produce shortages and fear from perishables becoming contaminated, puts more consumers in line with growing their own.
Vendors: Jiffy, Delta, Luster Leaf, Premier, Coast of Maine, Hydrofarm, Espoma, Fox Farm
Products: Seed starting soils, labels, trays, coir, spray bottles, heat mats, lighting, vermiculite, perlite
Spring Fever
There is only one kind of fever that we should look forward to, and that is spring fever. Our industry will be challenged to keep moving forward once we see an uptick in customers arriving at the garden centers. Consumers spending more time outside in your yard, brings a heightened awareness to extra tasks. With favorable weather across most of the USA, the homeowner is well ahead of clean up chores and chomping at the bit to get their lawns in shape.Lawn Care Dilemma
Are we ahead of schedule or not there just yet? If magnolia trees and forsythia are in bloom, it’s time to begin working in the yard. Temperature plays an important measure of timing. This year, the average temperatures have been 8 degrees warmer than normal in many regions. There are some products that are perfect to use for preventing crabgrass when making a late application to prevent. Dimension is a trademarked chemical that works to prevent and kill crabgrass that germinates up to the second set of leaves. Usually any pre-emergent crabgrass application is applied within two weeks of the forsythia flower drop off. You can bet that post emergent solutions will have more demand due to the late start by many consumers.
Newer technology offers some unique combination weed control products. These are granular applications that treat for crabgrass AND broadleaf weeds. Lebanon Spring Fertilizer with Weed Control & Crabgrass Preventer 24-0-6 is a complete food that lasts up to 12 weeks without excessive growth. Without the early fertilizer application in the lawn, all types of weeds begin to grow where soil is exposed in your lawn. Jonathan Green and Bonide also offer fantastic premium fertilizers that prevent crabgrass (with Dimension).
If your lawn has been consistently healthy without major weed issues, you may be able to ward off weeds naturally with a slow and steady diet of organic nutrients. There are a few noteworthy products to mention: Milorgonite, Ringer Lawn Restore, and Espoma All Season Lawn Food. Maintaining a healthy lawn is possible with scheduled feedings and spot treating visible weeds. The thicker the grass in your lawn, the less likely weed seeds will have access to sunlight to germinate. Cutting your grass at the correct height is also a must for success. Lowering the mower blade level and scalping grass tops will encourage disease, produce more weeds, heat buildup, and likely excessive watering.
Natural Broadleaf Weed Control
Corn gluten meal has been a proven broadleaf weed preventer that was successfully field tested as far back as 1974 at Iowa State University. One of the most unique products over the past decade, you may offer Espoma Weed Preventer 9-0-0 or Sustane Spring Weed & Feed 9-0-0 as an organic alternative for weed control that is safe for children and pets, too!
Starting Over
A basic knowledge of lawn care can go a long way towards success or failure. If you feel you need to start over, it all starts with a good grass seed that lasts years, not months. There are many perennial types to choose from: perennial, bluegrass, tall fescue, hard fescue, and special use types like poa trivialis, zoysia, and bentgrass. Avoid grass seed that is predominately annual grass seed unless you want quick coverage for a short duration. When you read a package label, it is either a blend (a combination of the same type of grass variety) a mixture (a combination of different type grass varieties) or one specific variety. To make it easier to sell consumers, grass seed packages are generally labelled for what consumers need for their home. Sunny, shady, sun & shade, bluegrass, drought tolerant, quick grow, sod quality, dense shade, might need a place on the shelf for these reasons. Some grass seeds are versatile enough to be used for both sun & shade (the most commonly sold grass seed in stores). The selection process can be difficult without asking your customer some questions about their grass conditions.
The Final Word
Having the correct pH in your yard is important to ensuring that the fertilizer you put down will perform correctly. If the soil is too acidic, you will need to recommend lime to your customer, preferably a quick acting lime. Once applied at the correct rate, grass seed needs to germinate by contacting seed to the soil along with needed moisture. Your fertilizer choice for starting a new lawn or renovating existing grass, should be a quality starter fertilizer formulated for lawns. These specific fertilizers include needed phosphorous for enhancing root growth when seeding. This is the second number of the fertilizer formula. Espoma, Greenview, and Jonathan Green offer high quality lawn starters. Do not use a crabgrass preventer fertilizer UNLESS it is labeled for new lawn seeding. This specific type of pre-emergent chemical (Tupersan) is safe for seeding while preventing crabgrass. Greenview and Jonathan Green make a terrific crabgrass preventer and starter product for retail sales. It may cost a few dollars more out of pocket in the beginning, but it saves you time and more money in controlling future weeds.
Great Lawn Care Products
Under Pressure
Bend Me, Shape Me…and Please Don’t Break
One of the more commonly sold products in our garden centers is the garden hose. It provides a way to take water from the spigot to the source or task. There are many chores from watering lawns, filling pools, washing cars, draining objects, and extending run off. Did you know that there are different types of garden hoses with a wide range of performance, sizes, and composition? The quality of the hose is usually measured by light duty, medium duty, and heavy-duty types along with a varied range of burst strengths, and temperatures. Most common garden hose failures are due to using a non-specific hose that is not intended for any and all uses under any weather condition. Attraction to only a cheaply priced hose can lead to a replacement sooner than expected by your customer. Stock and sell the best suited garden hoses (and its warranty) for your customer base and their needs.
Beauty Beyond Skin Depth
Garden hoses are made from reinforced vinyl or rubber. Vinyl hoses have multiple layers of rubber, vinyl, and nylon reinforcement cords surrounding all components. These cord reinforcements are referred to as ply. The same type of technology used when making vehicle tires. The higher the ply of a hose, it also increases the life of the hose as well. Gilmour manufactures their premium Flexogen and Flexogen Pro hose with 8-ply construction which is among the highest in the industry! It is designed to resist scuffing, abrasion, staining and is UV protected against the sun. No surprise in that it receives a lifetime warranty for purchasers. Companies like Flexon, use high quality recycled materials in their products with warranties up to 10 years. Heat or excess temperatures degrade the integrity of strength in hoses which causes many to burst or break. Many hoses kink and shut off water supply because of this. Most all contractor and heavy-duty hoses have crush proof couplings and increased burst strengths to handle pressure. Cold weather can also break or crack many reinforced types, which is why the year-round rubber hose is a better choice. Rubber hoses can also be water saving due to its inner depth. Dramm manufactures one of the highest quality retail rubber hoses on the market with a smaller opening to reduce product fatigue and conserve water flow. Growers have come to rely on Dramm professional hose as the best in the biz! Retailers also are finding out that their clientele are buying Dramm hose for more than just its bright color, too!
Proud to Be American
Another purchasing consideration for both owner/buyer and the consumer, is where the products are manufactured. The movement of today’s news and research from consumer feedback continues to drive pressure in buying and selling American made products in our retail store environments. Make sure you identify these companies and their products at the shelf or display. Dramm and Flexon have manufactured their hose products in the USA for many years. No pressure, just satisfied customers!
Products to Consider That Involve Pressure
Outdoor to Indoor Green
Quick Inspection
Take a minute to visually look over the plant condition. Is the soil dry to the touch? Too wet? You might need to adjust the the moisture level needed for your plant. This can be done by either repotting the plant into a larger container or pot if too dry. Root bound plants tend to dry out quickly and water doesn’t necessarily absorb completely when soil is repeatedly dry.
Insects
Check the undersides of leaves for insects like spider mite, aphid, mealybug, and scale. Some of these insects are treatable with specific chemistry. If the plant is under siege by insect at this point, it is harder to control indoors. Covering the pot with a plastic bag allows you to spray the underside of the plant with a stream of water from a garden spray nozzle to loosen insect eggs and remaining bugs from the plant. If additional treatment is needed, spray your plant outdoors with a suitable houseplant insect control and make sure the plant is completely dry before bringing the plant indoors.
Disease
If you see disease on your plant leaves, take the time to carefully remove infected leaves and clean the pot of any debris remaining on the surface. Spraying with a general-purpose disease control that works both as a preventative and a curative can make a difference for the weeks ahead as the plant acclimates itself to new conditions. Bonide Revitalize and Monterey Complete Disease Control offers a high-quality remedy for just about any disease condition.
Soil
One of the most important components for indoor houseplants is the type of potting soil you might use. You will not need to have a moisture control additive for indoor plants. Your all-purpose potting soil should allow adequate draining. Plant saucers are recommended for indoors. If transplanting a pot bound plant, soak the entire plant ball in a vessel of water to hydrate. Remove from water and allow to stand and drain. Loosen the root mass carefully around the edge. It is not recommended to remove more than 25% of the plant ball at any time. Root systems are delicate and breaking apart roots indiscriminately will reduce their water intake and possibly kill your plant. Moisten the pot after replanting to hydrate new potting soil. No fertilizer application is needed at this time. If you want added protection from fungus gnats, apply Summit Mosquito Bits to the soil surface.
Final Steps
About 30 days after transplanting, you may select a fertilizer that is made for indoor houseplants. Bonide, Espoma, and Schultz make excellent products for indoor use. Check humidity levels regularly, as once your heater goes on, moisture in the air evaporates quickly. Some plants need filtered or direct sunlight to continue growth throughout the winter months. Carefully choose a place away from a heating vent, drafty doorways or windows. You may also supplement your lighting with an indoor light fixture, indoor rated plant light bulb, and timer. If this is too much work for you, start over with some new green. It’s going to be a long winter.
Choose from Some Product Suggestions
Bring Home the Harvest
Using the Right Tool for the Job
Our efforts throughout the spring and into the summer included feeding, watering, and possibly weeding to bring those plants to harvest. Adjusting along the way for water, temperature, and winds, it’s time to snip, pick, pull, or pluck your bounty. Using the right pruner is mostly a matter of choice. The bypass pruner does a great job of collecting the stem portion inside the curved portion of the blade and allows a clean slice through the plant tissue. Anvil pruners, with its flat surface takes a steadier hand and will compress the blade against the flat steel anvil. This method may cause the wound to take a bit longer to heal over and possibly offer disease or insects a bit more opportunity. If using the very same pruners in the garden that you are using for all your trimming needs, it would best a good practice to clean the secuteers with a solution of one-part bleach to three-parts of water by immersing into a suitable container and allowing the blades to dry thoroughly before use on vegetables and herbs. You eliminate any disease spores from transferring onto or into the plant.
Clean Beds as You Go
In maintaining your garden, it is also a good practice to clean debris and fallen leaves from around your plants. This also helps reduce potential disease issues that might turn up as the plants slow down or feel the pressure of summer heats or growth exhaustion. It can prolong your plants ability to produce fruit, encourage leaf development and retention, while making the plant believe that its mission is still to produce and not quit. Remove competing weed growth between plants, too! This allows all of the soil moisture and fertilizer nutrients to go directly to the plant. Continue to gently tie up vines onto supports using non girdling ties that might cut through the plant stems. Winds from unexpected late summer thunderstorms can make quick work of wrecking a clustered vine of beautiful tomatoes when you least expect it.
Inspect to Protect
Another ongoing chore is inspecting leaf surfaces for insect issues or disease before the problem gets out of hand. There are still great remedies for insect and disease control in garden dusts. The added benefit is that there is little chance to burn a plant with liquid chemistry. Before you would use a liquid solution, make sure the plant is fresh and has had adequate moisture uptake. Refrain from using any chemical with an oil base to eliminate spray burn from intense sunlight. Spray early in the morning or early in the evening after the sun has set. If you have pets and children make sure you allow the area to dry completely before re-entering the area.
The Second Season
For those of you who enjoy gardening into the fall, as you remove plants from the spring garden, till the soil and add a non-burning soil amendment, compost, or manure which are commonly available. If you plan to feed, use a slow release organic fertilizer to offer a steady and usable nutrient source. Too much nitrogen might burn or create excessive growth. There are some great lightweight potting soils that can be added to help speed along good “seed to soil” contact for any seed germination needs. The nurseries and greenhouses from years past would offer and promote crops for October and November harvest. Broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce are still possibilities for bringing your late harvest to your dinner table. Add some herbs to the garden to make your favorite recipes aromatic and flavorful for many weeks more.
Here Are Some Great Selections For the Fall Garden
Second Chance Chemistry
Summer Products for Your Store
Time of the Season
Summer Products for Your Store
Garden to Table: America's Favorite, The Tomato
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Getting Down & Dirty
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Starting from Scratch... Then Sniff
Historical Roses
I can speak from experience on the topic of roses, as I’m a former consulting rosarian for the American Rose Society. Consumers couldn’t resist the mail order catalog from Jackson & Perkins to view the newest roses and flock to the nearest garden center to buy. The 1960s were dominated in sales by Peace (1945) and the first grandiflora rose variety, Queen Elizabeth (1955). The 1970s brought us First Prize (1971) and Double Delight (1977), which fascinated homeowners with both fragrance and amazing color. The 1980s introduced a new rose in a new class for the All-American Rose Selection winners, Bonica (1982). This was significant in that it was the first shrub rose to receive this award, and it’s changed the playing field ever since.
Winner by Knock Out and Still Champion
Roses were a lot of work for gardeners, until the Knock Out rose. America chose to love this rose for its non-stop blooming, disease resistance, and vigorous growth. Fragrance, however, was not an option. The slow death of unique roses bred for amazing colors, plant habit and fragrance soon began to vanish because of diminished popularity. The Knock Out and its family of sports and hybrids outsells traditional roses two to one. Just plant it and forget it! It will outbloom a marigold and last a lot longer.
Fragrance is Back!
There’s hope in consumers once again having exposure to fragrant rose varieties. Brindabella Roses from Suntory Flowers is the newest (and most fragrant) in landscape durable roses. Brindabella plants not only look pretty in the garden with their free-flowering habits, but bring back that old-world charm with their aroma. Check out Griffin’s newest rose varieties with our plant specialists. All that’s needed is 4-6 hours of direct sunlight, planting soil that’s been upgraded to include added organics, a soil PH of around 6.5 to 7.0 and a feeding schedule of fertilizers once every 4-6 weeks throughout the growing season for the best results. As a garden center or retailer that sells roses, make sure you identify the fragrant selections in your assortment.
Where roses aren’t in demand, the consumer has shifted a buying focus on fragrant shrubs and perennials. Proven Winners continues to drive plant breeding to new heights. The ColorChoice flowering shrubs offer a huge selection of fragrant plants. Combined with new retail products that are time savers for plant care, there’s no better time for fragrance aficionados. It’s time to stop and smell the garden once again!
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Tune In the Perfect Bed & Breakfast
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May the Force Be With You
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New Year, New Beginnings
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Timberrrr! Tree-Pruning Tips for Late Fall
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The Real Dirt: Composts & Manures
After a season of blooms and/or the bounty of nature’s harvest from the garden, many gardeners are now cleaning up debris and turning over soil to prepare for next season’s plantings. Breaking up compacted clumps and loosening decaying roots helps to add nutrients back into the soil. Fall is the best time to add composts and manures to rejuvenate nutrient-deficient or underperforming soil prior to winter.
Reap What You Sow
This old adage bears the wisdom (and experience) of farming today. We’re familiar with the concept of crop rotation and its many benefits: maximize soil nutrients by turning over crop waste, systematically manage different crops in the same area to minimize soil-borne diseases and soil-dwelling insects, reduce soil erosion, and increase soil yield and fertility. Do your customers know, too?
For consumers with zero patience or those wanting a quick fertility solution, you’ll want to stock composts or manures that can be spaded or broadcast into the garden bed to fortify the soil over the winter months.
Use signage or in-aisle staff to ensure your customers understand the value of adding soil supplements in the fall: The better the planting soil, the better the health and yield of your plants.
Choose Manures Wisely
For years, farmers have spread their share of fresh manures, allowing its decomposition to work wonders in the soil. Many homeowners, however, tend to turn their noses up at the fragrance.
Fresh manures will provide some hot temperatures and some weed seeds that need to be managed over time. While fall weather provides warm days and cool nights, it’s also favorable for weed seeds to germinate and sprout.
By adding manures to a compost pile of leaves and lawn clippings in the spring and summer, allowing it to work its magic over time via aeration and separation, a dark loamy soil is produced. Rich in nitrogen, trace elements, microorganisms and worm castings, this top dressing delivers impressive results in the garden. But, it takes time to create a well-rotted, nutrient-rich manure.
For the gardener who doesn’t have time or space to compost, bagged composted cow manure is a traditional go-to. This type of soil amendment is a moist, heavier manure that would clump right out of the bag. With a shovel or hoe in hand, a bit of elbow grease is needed to work it into the ground.
Dehydrated manures provide the benefits of composted without the smell or moisture content. In many cases, these products may be applied to the lawn or garden bed through a spreader. Hoffman’s Super Manure is one such dehydrated manure product that remains popular today.
For a unique manure option, try Coop Poop. It’s an aerobically dehydrated chicken manure that’s all-natural and rich in humates. This slow-release, non-burning fertilizer enhances the soil and promotes root development and plant growth. Coop Poop is also OMRI-listed and widely used by organic gardeners.
Today’s Premium Composts
Our industry has developed some great products over the past decade or so for retail sales. Premium composts like leaf compost, mushroom compost and lobster compost have exploded onto the garden scene with great success. These products have superseded the traditional composts and are the unquestioned leaders of soil amendments today.
The Coast of Maine Quoddy Blend Lobster Compost comes from crushed and well-composted lobster shells. This product has the added benefit of naturally occurring calcium to combat blossom end rot on tomatoes. It’s a must-have product for vegetable gardens everywhere! The Quoddy Blend Lobster Compost is OMRI-listed with no municipal wastes and no bio-solids. This premium compost will revitalize your customers’ home gardens.
If your customers’ plants looked like they “pooped” out during the summer heat, maybe they should consider putting some “poop” in (or compost) during the fall, so they can plant in some “real dirt” come spring.
This Month's Featured Products
Space Invaders
Fall is on our doorstep and it’s time to turn our “prevention attention” from outdoor to indoor. From the first chilly night of the season, warm-blooded animals begin thinking about hibernation and look for openings and opportunities to take up winter residence. Insects are seeking warmer climates as well, and likely will find the smallest of cracks and crevices to enter your home. Be assured, no home is insect-free.
First Steps in Fighting Back
Advise your customers to closely survey the foundations of their homes to identify cracks and openings that insects or, if large enough, animals could gain entry. These should be sealed up before freezing weather sets in. Common insects include ants, crickets, grasshoppers, earwigs, sowbugs, centipedes, spiders, bees, fruit flies, termites, and stink bugs. Common animals include chipmunks, squirrels and birds.
Space between window frames and door frames can also be easily accessed. It’s an ideal time to install weather stripping. Observe the condition of your caulking around these frames, too. While weather is still warm, homeowners might caulk openings, especially when the ingredients are pliable and easily applied. Immediately inside the home, consumers should survey the ceilings, perimeter walls, and corners for spider webbing and promptly remove it.
Remind your customers to vacuum carpets thoroughly to remove fleas and ticks that may have hitched a ride with their pets from outdoors. Fall is also a good time to replace flea collars and wash pet beds. Upholstery should be moved and inspected, as these areas are a perfect sanctuary for overwintering insects.
Pantry areas are often overlooked in spotting insect issues. Consumers should make time to remove outdated products including flours, grains and even seeds. This includes birdseed! Stocking birdseed inside for long periods of time may offer the perfect opportunity for grain weevils to hatch and emerge as tiny flying moths. Since chemistry is not sprayed in areas of foodstuffs, options like the Pantry Pest Trap are highly recommended for indoor use. Encourage your customers to also give pantry shelves and floors a good wipe down using a suitable household cleaner labeled for use in cabinets and around foods.
With the last of the harvest brought indoors, the occurrence of fruit fly is commonplace in homes. While remedies found on Pinterest can be questionable in their effectiveness, an indoor trap from Rescue is a safe and reliable option.
Choosing Your Chemicals for Home Use
When selecting a chemical to treat any insect problem, consumers must review the product label to ensure it’s suitable for WHERE the product will be used. Some chemistry is only to be used OUTDOORS. Other products are available for indoor use and indoor/outdoor (perimeter) use. When applied as directed, these are safe to use around pets and children. Consider stocking several options to meet varying customer needs.
Remind your customers to read the directions carefully. Most all directions clearly state that once you spray, you must make sure the solution is completely dry before allowing pets or children to reenter the area.
You’ll also notice that precautionary declarations on the label will vary based on the type of chemical. Such messages are boldly stamped Caution, Warning or Danger. It’s rare to see anything available for indoor use besides a Caution label. Your choices for types of delivery vary from aerosols to the popular ready-to-spray chemicals.
Long-Term Control
Perimeter sprays are popular among consumers for home insect control. Such products are usually applied upwards along the foundation wall up to three feet from the ground. Spraying under door jambs, around outdoor window frames, and even patio and under garage doors will help prevent insects from entering your home. These long-term products last anywhere from three months to up to a year.
When a customer needs further clarification on their chemical application, make sure they know where to go for help. Most products include a toll-free phone number on the product label, which consumers can use to contact the manufacturer directly. There may be another phone number for medical assistance.
Whether you’re advising a homeowner customer or a store employee, the importance of personal protection can’t be overstated. Use common sense, of course, and don’t eat, drink or chew gum when applying chemicals. Cover exposed skin thoroughly and protect eyes from spray and drift. After an application is made, wash hands with soap and water, paper towel dry and dispose of materials properly as stated on the product bottle. Your key to success is knowing that the manufacturer makes these products safe when used as directed on the product label. Follow directions all the time, every time.
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Wet Feet Remedies
This year’s spring and summer seasons were among the wettest in recent memory on the East Coast. Every region in the country has pendulum swings, alternating years of hot and dry weather with wet and cool conditions. This year, it was the East’s turn for a soaking.
While the West Coast endures historic heat and drought, the East Coast has been pounded by a constant southerly flow of torrential rain, setting records for daily and monthly totals in many states along the Atlantic seaboard. Usually by summer’s end, East Coasters see signs of flowers, trees, and lawns in declining health. Not this year! Here are some tips to optimize lawns and gardens as you and your customers anticipate cooler fall weather on the horizon.
The Backyard Quagmire
Stepping into your backyard shouldn’t require rubber boots. With above-average rainfall, drainage issues are easy to spot when water doesn’t recede or disappear within a half hour or so. This standing water causes stress on turf grasses and can lead to lawn diseases if the turf is unable to dry out. The rate at which water percolates or drains through the topsoil slows when there’s nowhere for water to go or when the subsoil is severely compacted to restrict liquids from absorbing into the ground.
While all that rain keeps the grass growing, the lawn mower can make a bad situation worse. Some turf diseases can be spread when a homeowner mows across an entire lawn area. The act of mowing itself, especially with dull, wet mower blades, can create further lawn stress.
Advise your customers to keep their mower blades sharpened and engines tuned. Encourage them to raise the mower deck a notch or two higher – doing so will reduce drag on the mower engine, especially when the grass is wet.
Curing Standing Water Issues
If water surrounds root systems long enough, it disrupts oxygen exchange for the plant, eventually killing off root development. Top growth is reduced or, in extreme cases of waterlogged root systems, the plant suffocates.
Lawn care specialists recommend using core aeration machines for immediate relief of compacted soils. These machines drill into the ground, pull out plugs and deposit them across the lawn’s surface. These holes are usually positioned two inches apart (and two inches deep) exposing crevices to allow air, water and eventually the soil that was just pulled to penetrate the surface.
Competing plants like trees and shrubs can also drain nutrients and water away from turf grass. The technique of using core aeration along with a generous application of garden gypsum loosens the tension of the soil’s surface and allows water to eventually drain through or percolate.
Another source of excess water runoff is from the homeowner’s gutter downspouts. The roof of a typical home collects a vast amount of water from its surface and deposits it into the gutters and eventually the downspouts. These channels of high-volume water can easily pool in areas that may not allow the water to move away from the house. Downspouts may be extended away from the home and divert or channel water further away from pooling in problem areas.
Standing water is also a key breeding ground for mosquitoes. Populations can surge quickly if standing water is left undrained.
Kickstarting Root Development
Fall is the optimum time to start grass seed! The days are still warm and the nights are cool, allowing the seed to receive adequate moisture and germinate quickly. Choose to stock only high-quality perennial grass seed types versus annual grass seed types to provide your customers with the greatest value. Advise your customers to be patient: Depending on the type of grass seed, germination may take up to three weeks. Their patience, however, will be rewarded.
Before making a specific grass seed recommendation, engage with your customer to understand their lawn conditions. If the lawn receives full or near-full shade, they’ll need a seed that can thrive in densely shaded areas. Other types are optimized to perform in wet conditions. Poa trivialis is one of those types of grass seed that grows where others fail.
In many cases, a grass seed mixture (a blend of different types of grass seed) is often the best bet. The benefit of using a seed mixture is that one type of seed can establish when others won’t. (Some types may include: ryegrass, hard or chewings fescues, turf-type fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass.) One key to success is to ensure good seed-to-soil contact between the grass seed with the ground. Another key is keeping the seed moist to establish germination.
Whenever your customers are ready for their fall lawn renovation, encourage them to check the lawn’s pH as well. If soil is acidic, an application of lime is in order. This will allow their seed-starting fertilizer to work its best in supplying needed phosphorous to enhance root development. The quicker the spread of the root system, the easier it is to establish top growth of new grass seed by supplying nutrients needed for speedy uptake. While new laws have eliminated the phosphorus content from almost all lawn bagged fertilizer product, seed-starting fertilizers are exempt and able to provide this important element within their formulas.
Even if this summer was a washout where you live, there’s still time for meaningful lawn renovation. Your consultative selling and your customers’ efforts in the fall will yield positive results in the spring, with a greener and stronger lawn that’s better able to withstand future rainy seasons!
Pick a Starter Fertilizer & quality Grass Seed Mixture from one of these great manufacturers!
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Marching One By One
Many of us recall this song from childhood: “The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah.” It seemed innocent enough back then. Even today, we have ant farm kits available to entertain the most daring and inquisitive minds for willing parents. But as homeowners, we view ants through a different lens, and face the challenges of identifying and controlling ants in and around our homes.
Ants are problematic just about everywhere in North America, whether it’s the nuisance type or ones with a painful bite. They’re found wherever there’s food, moisture or decay. Here are some common ant species to look out for, and the appropriate courses of action to combat each. Depending on your geographic region, you may choose to stock solutions for several different species.
Space Invaders
The Black Garden Ant is a species found under rocks, bricks, lumber and crevices. It’s very active in foraging for food and keeping its colony (and queen) alive for a few decades. Black Garden Ants eat a variety of foods including soft fruits like raspberries and strawberries, small seeds, leftover food particles, small insects and even sugar nectars. Our industry manufactures specific chemistry to neutralize and kill transparent ant colonies in and around the home along with control products for lawn areas.
The most destructive species of ants to farms and agricultural crops include the Leaf Cutter Ant, which can strip leaves of citrus trees, and the Harvester Ant Research statistics estimate that they cost the crop industry over $1 billion dollars in destroyed vegetation.
The Carpenter Ant tunnels and makes its nests usually in moist or decaying woods and, although they don’t eat wood like the termite, they can weaken structural integrity if left unchecked. It’s a reportable condition with real estate transactions. These ants don’t sting, but they can bite. Just killing the ants that are visible doesn’t eliminate the colony or stop progression. You need to eliminate all colonies, including main and satellite locations. Ant baits containing the active ingredient Borax or boric acid are the most common method of treatment for ant control. However, Carpenter Ants are treated with unique active ingredients developed for indoor and outdoor use.
Unwanted Dinner Guests
In Southern regions, the Red Imported Fire Ant is a painful biting and stinging ant that was accidentally imported from South America in the 1930s. They build nesting mounds in just about any soil type but prefer open grounds like pastures, lawns and fields. Fire Ants reproduce rapidly with aggressive and swarming behaviors. Baiting with the appropriate control product near these mounds in early spring and fall allows worker ants to bring the bait back to kill the queen and the colony.
Another food-craving ant that’s very common indoors is the Sugar Ant. This little ant is attracted to sugar and grease spills. Sugar Ants spread the word quickly to the colony to follow the trail, collecting and redistributing these foods to the queen and colony. White vinegar is a natural repellent to sugar ants as the acid kills the ant and the smell deters. Another common natural product for treatment is diatomaceous earth, which can be used indoors and outdoors.
Encourage do-it-yourself homeowners to keep monitoring the common trails for additional visits. If the situation continues to escalate, they may need to seek the help of a professional ant man. With early and aggressive treatment, hopefully the only Ant-Man they’ll see is in the movie theater.
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Pumping Iron for Gardeners
Optimum performance and good health go hand-in-hand with our perception of fitness, correct? How about your customers’ plants? Are they as fit as they could be? Ornamental plants crave specific elements in their diets. All are important, but iron is especially so. Imagine what would happen if we removed iron from our diets: We’d feel a range of negative effects. Plants are no different.
The Green Machine
When we think of maximizing green in our industry, we usually think about fertilizer. The more, the better, right? It’s not that simple. Too much fertilizer can be damaging through excessive salts or overwhelming nutrient uptake, the result of which can actually stop plant growth in its tracks.
New and tender root fibers can be irreversibly damaged from excessive feeding of nutrients that offer quick uptake. In fact, this mobility within the plant teaches us how we might diagnose specific symptoms of nutrient deficiency. Age of the plant, moisture, temperature and even the root mass can affect the movement of nutrients throughout a plant.
Iron Chlorosis
When iron isn’t readily available to plants and lawns, iron chlorosis is a common result. Symptoms include yellowing leaves, slowly developing growth, early leaf defoliation and/or light green leaves with darker veining. These characteristics are often first noticed on young plant foliage, especially in warmer summer temperatures after a cool, wet spring.
Although iron is often present in the soil, uptake by plants can be restricted when soil pH is too high (i.e., pH levels above 6.0). A pH adjustment, with the addition of sulfur or iron sulfate, may be just the ticket for customers who are seeing these symptoms their gardens. These products may be applied as foliar sprays or by incorporating a solution to the drip line around the plant or as application to the lawn. Iron can condense on the foliage, causing pitting. It’s best to rinse the foliage with clear water following any iron application before it dries.
Read the Fine Print
Lawn care products are available from many manufacturers, but they’re not all created equal in how plants receive their nutrients, especially in the summer months.
Extensive research has been devoted to increasing the speed with which a fertilizer’s effects are visually noticeable in plants and lawns. Some fertilizers include microbes and a non-staining iron supplement to help promote faster greening and deeper roots, while improving soil structure. These fast-acting iron supplements generally range from 1%-12% iron to enhance the deep green color of a lawn without excessive growth. Some high-tech formulas contain humates and gypsum to speed uptake and help condition the soil.
Additional Iron (Fe) Products
Quite a few iron-enhancing products are available on the market today. Options include fertilizers tailored for iron-hungry flowers like petunia, bacopa, calibrachoa and tomatoes!
While ferrous sulfate has been the main ingredient to control and kill lawn moss for years, advise your retail customers to sweep remaining granules off concrete driveways and sidewalks to prevent staining.
One of the newest technologies comes from naturally occurring iron-based herbicides or FeHEDTA. Bonide introduced a unique Weed Beater Fe formula that kills broadleaf weeds, moss, algae and disease, plus greens up your lawn. Results are usually visible within hours and it’s pet-safe. This 5-in-1 product effectively works in cooler temperatures, too! This ready-to-use product represents a whole new way for consumers to pump iron!
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Fruit of the Bloom
Home gardening has enjoyed a centuries-long love affair with fruit trees. As far back as the 1750s, fruit trees had a prominent place in many backyard colonial gardens. Researchers at Colonial Williamsburg have explored documentation and excavation of many on-site water wells, revealing long-kept secrets of landscaping from our nation’s early years.
Many native species of crab apple and cherry trees were bitter for consumption. We owe almost all of our fruit-tree origination to Europe. While nut-baring trees like chestnut and pecan were popular in the New World, fruit trees like apple, peach, plum, quince, pear and even nectarines arrived from overseas via coastal ports. Mostly dormant and bare-root plants were quickly planted on homeowner plots and in nearby orchards.
Homesteading 2.0
While fruit trees have transitioned into niche status among newer generations, their fans are loyal. Homemade jellies and preserves, and fresh-picked fruit are seeing a resurgence in popularity. Mail-order catalogs have largely been replaced by the internet and hard-to-find heirloom cultivars are available.
Over the past 30-40 years, homeowners have been discouraged by failures to produce good quality fruit, often due to lack of knowledge regarding tree care and maintenance. Fruit trees can also be insect magnets, especially for Japanese beetles and bees. When demand for fruit trees began to wane, supply soon followed suit.
Spearheading a Harvest
Citrus fruit is especially on-trend among younger consumers, driven at least in part by the craft beer industry. Many popular IPA and craft beers are infused with citrus flavors. The pacesetter for this was, without question, Corona beer, whose television commercials feature the signature lime wedge atop the beer bottleneck.
A higher demand for lemon and lime trees has even changed the way we sell plant stock today. Grafting both lime and lemon onto the same rootstock has offered a unique two-for-one sale for space-saving gardeners. Dwarf varieties have improved dramatically over the years; many are plantable in large containers on a deck or patio.
Trekking to the local orchard for you-pick apples, peaches and cherries is a favorite fall activity for many families. Some regions of our country really do a great job of promoting and hosting these events! The comeback of canning, jams and jellies, pickling (my favorite is pickled pears) and specialty baking, all using fresh harvested fruit, is another reason to promote fruit tree plantings.
Simple Steps for Planting Fruit Trees
Advise your customers to plant their trees in well-drained holes that allow the root ball to stand
slightly above level grade. The area should also receive at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. A soil conditioner or soil amendment can be added, provided it’s not fresh manure, to the existing topsoil drawn from the hole.
Homeowners will want to keep ample spacing between trees. A minimum distance of 12 feet is a good guideline, unless dwarf or espalier varieties are involved. Of course, watering fruit trees is vital to their success, especially if planted in sandy soil. Deep watering helps establish vast root systems.
Additional Care
Be sure to stock horticultural spray oil, for use to smother overwintering insect eggs. Bonide and Summit offer quality products in this category. The consumer should spray early in the season, once temperatures rise above freezing but prior to bloom and leaf development.
Fertilizer can be applied as long as ground isn’t frozen using traditional feeds like 10-10-10. There are proven organics available from Espoma like Citrus-tone 4-3-2, Plant-tone 5-3-3 and the popular favorite, Bio-tone Starter Plus 4-3-3 for all planting conditions. A topdressing of mulch (2-3” inches) will also help conserve moisture.
Occasional pruning may be needed to trim away dead wood or sprawling branches. Timing is important on WHEN to prune. Apples, pears and plums are usually pruned during winter months while they’re still dormant. Cherries are pruned during late spring or summer. When in doubt, refer your customer to an arborist or a local county extension service.
Above all, encourage your customers to enjoy the fruits of their own labor!
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Retail Tip Articles
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January 2021
What's New For The Winter?
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August 2020
Mission Possible - Repairing Your Lawn
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July 2020
The Great Outdoors
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June 2020
Common Issues, Common Remedies in the Summer Garden
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May 2020
For The Love of The Rose
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April 2020
Emerging Trends from Homeowners
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March 2020
Spring Fever
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February 2020
Under Pressure
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October 2019
Outdoor to Indoor Green
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August 2019
Bring Home the Harvest
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July 2019
Second Chance Chemistry
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June 2019
Time of the Season
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May 2019
Garden to Table: America's Favorite, The Tomato
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April 2019
Getting Down & Dirty
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March 2019
Starting from Scratch... Then Sniff
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February 2019
Tune In the Perfect Bed & Breakfast
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January 2019
May the Force Be With You
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December 2018
New Year, New Beginnings
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November 2018
Timberrrr! Tree-Pruning Tips for Late Fall
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October 2018
The Real Dirt: Composts & Manures
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September 2018
Space Invaders
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August 2018
Wet Feet Remedies
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July 2018
Marching One By One
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June 2018
Pumping Iron for Gardeners
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May 2018
Fruit of the Bloom