Watering New Shrubs

WATERING is a topic of discussion that can baffle any newfangled homeowner eager to take a stab at his green thumb. A newly planted shrub needs supplemental watering until it is established in its new habitat this can take 2 or 3 summers. 

  Here are 6 sure ways to help you water more efficiently:

1. Before planting a new shrub or tree submerge the entire root ball in a bucket of water while digging the hole. If you don't have a bucket large enough turn the hose on a trickle, into the pot until the hole is dug. Once planted leave hose on a trickle or a little more and water surrounding soil to help remove air pockets and let soil settle.

2. Morning is a good time to water, however anytime it works for you is ok. Watering in the evening and getting leaves wet can cause fungus. NEVER WATER THE LEAVES - KEEP HOSE IN THE SOIL. Watering in the heat of the afternoon will not affect the plant.  Any water is better than none to keep the plant from stressing in the hot summer sun.

3. A steady stream or trickle of water should be applied for 15 to 20 minutes twice a week for a month after they are planted. Weather may dictate more or less watering. During summer months keep an eye on spring plantings plants planted in the spring they may need supplemental waterings. A deep soaking is better than water that doesn't reach the entire root ball. WATER DEEPLY AND SLOWLY.

4. Don't allow Mother Nature to do your watering for you. Most summer rain does not soak the soil down to the root ball. Imagine yourself in a rain storm trying to catch enough water in your mouth for a drink - it doesn't work.

5. Continue watering into the End of October, give those newly planted broadleaf evergreens a good last watering going into December and winter protect or use an anti- desiccant spray such as wilt stop or wilt proof.

6. Mulch your newly planted shrub to help keep moisture in and weeds away.Water deeply and slowly, don't water leaves - water soil where root ball is, twice a week at a slow trickle for 15 to 20 minutes for 1st month. After a month, do it weekly.  Don't count on Mother Nature. 

Remember - different plants have different needs.  Be sure to pick the right plant for the right spot.   

Landscape Design Service Now Offered At Ashcombe

Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses is now offering a landscape design service. This is a great way for do it yourselfers to get some help planning their landscape.Landscape design fees start at $60.  Whether you have awhole yard or a small area that needs some attentionwe will provide you with a professional design.We will not be coming to homes to take measurements

but ask the homeowne to provide as much information

on the design as possible.

 

Hereisasampledesign:

Stop by our Tree and Shrub department to learn more.

David Austin Roses are Back!

This week's spotlight is on David Austin Roses.  After a brief absence from Ashcombe's inventory, the ever popular, gorgeous David Austin roses are back!

  

This year, we will be carrying 9 varieties:

'CharlesDarwin'

'ClaireAustin' 

'CrownPrincessMargareta' 

'JamesGalway' 

'JubileeCelebration' 

'MunsteadWood' 

'PrincessAlexandriaofKent' 

'QueenofSweden' 

'TheMayflower'

Mass then, plant in mixed borders, or use them in areas where their wonderful fragrance can be appreciated.

Azaleas and Rhododendrons

Azaleas and Rhododendrons

Azaleas and Rhododendrons are the premier harbinger of spring.  The arrival of the 'PJM' rhododendrons' bloom (pictured at left) signal the kick off of cookouts, camping trips, baseball games and porch sitting.

Along with the appeal and beauty of azaleas comes the agitation of finding the correct spot to place the plant.  Here are some key points to keep in mind when choosing the area to plant your newly acquired beauty.

DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE AND DRAINAGE 

Rhododendrons and azaleas prefer an area that is well drained.  Keep them out of clay soil and away from drain spots.  Planting rhododendrons in a raised bed with amended soil would solve the drainage issues.  If you are unsure of the types of soil you have in your garden bed, plant the rootball high and cover with soil and mulch.  The soil your plant is placed in should also be acid in the 6pH to 6.5 pH range.  Rhododendrons prefer an area with dappled sun or morning sun and afternoon shade.  When planting container plants, be sure to rip tangled, matted roots apart well to allow for water uptake.

Rhododendrons and azaleas, being the matriarch of spring, are the perfect gift for the matriarch of your family on Mother's Day!

Check out Ashcombe's gorgeous selection of rhododendrons and azaleas now before they are sold out. 

Planting Rhubarb

If rhubarb is planted properly and receives good care, it can be a great crop for those who enjoy this distinctively different vegetable.

Rhubarb is a cold-climate crop.  It should have a well-drained soil and for best results it should be planted in a fertile loam containing a good bit of organic matter.  Early spring is the best time to plant.

Rhubarb requires high fertility for good production.  Dig a trench about 18 inches deep and 12 inches wide.  Add about 2 inches of soil mixed with manure, fertilizer and compost.  Moisten and pack the soil.  Place the rhubarb divisions upright at about 3 foot intervals and cover with top soil so they are 2 to 3 inches below the surface.  Apply a heavy mulch for weed control but maintain a bare area directly over the plants.

Soon stalks of rhubarb will appear but refrain from pulling any the first year.  The second year, only remove several of the stalks. This enables the roots to become established and for the crown to enlarge.  Any seed stalks should be removed.

In the fall, mulch your rhubarb plants with straw or manure.   If it is not too heavy, it can be left in place in the spring or removed only from the crown area.

Rhubarb, when well-established will produce an abundance of stems for many years.  Remove week or slender stalks in the spring in order to stimulate better development of those that are left to be pulled for food.  

Crown rot is the most serious trouble of the rhubarb.  It is more likely to occur in poorly drained soil after periods of prolonged rainfall.  Use of Bordeaus mixture or any other good copper fungicide as a drench is helfpul.  Should any plants die from this trouble, remove them to prevent contamination of the healthy plants. 

Planting Asparagus

Asparagus is usually the first vegetable to push up through the soil in the spring.  This harbinger of spring arrives with the advent of warm days and nights.  It could be in April or as late as early May in central PA.  To enjoy this nutritious vegetable you must plan 2-3 years in advance.

~ Grow asparagus in partial or full sun (it performs best in full sun) in soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0; ammended with plenty of organic matter that is rich in potassium and phosphorus.

~ Make a 7-inch deep, V-shaped furrow (or more, depending on how many crowns you are planting), and in each one spread a handful of wood ashes, a handful of bonemeal and an inch layer of compost or well-rotted manure.

~ Soak the crowns in compost tea for 10 minutes or so and lay them on their sides on top of the organic matter, 12-16 inches apart, in rows 4 feet apart.

~ Fill the furrows gradually as shoots emerge, taking care not to cover any foliage; eventually the furrow will be level with the soil surface.  Don’t bother spreading out the roots; they’ll find their way down.

~ Give new plantings one to two inches of water a week; after that, only water when rainfall is scant.

~ Side-dress plants with a balanced organic fertilizer in late summer and top the bed in organic mulch in the fall.

~ Refrain from harvesting and spears during the plants’ first year in the garden.  Each spear needs to “fern out” so that the roots can grow stronger and more producting.  The second year, pick a few that reach about the size of an index finger.  The third year, pick finger-size spears for two to four weeks in the spring. In subsequent years, take all the finger-size spears desired for 6 to 8 weeks or until the spears that come up are thin and spindly.

~ Asparagus is well worth the three year wait it takes before harvesting the first full crop.  A well-tended bed will give tender, delectable spears year after year for a decade or more, at a tiny fraction of the price it would cost at the supermarket.

~ The experts disagree about when to cut down asparagus foliage.  In the fall to keep pests from moving in for the winter or in spring so that the foliage can protect the crowns through the winter.  The choice is the gardener’s, but if they are cut back in autumn, do it after a few killing frosts have struck and then mulch the bed.  If cutting back in spring, cut the foliage to ground level before new spears start popping through the soil.

Apply Preen NOW

NOW IS THE TIME TO APPLY PREEN (when the forsythia bloom) Preen Weed Preventer stops weeds from germinating in flower and vegetable gardens, in ground covers and around trees and shrubs. Preen will not kill existing weeds. It will prevent new weeds from sprouting - eliminating the need for difficult and time-consuming hand-weeding. Without weeds, your valuable plants can grow larger and stronger. Your beds will stay neat and weed-free all season long! Get your PREEN products at Ashcombe!

Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which events are held worldwide to demonstrate supportfor environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 192 countries each year!

National Herb Week is the  1st week of May - Plant an  herb today!