July was quite hectic for us here at the nursery. I am still working with
Steve on our project for Africa, so I'm not back to the nursery full time
quite yet. If you have planting questions, drop me an email or phone the
office. Brenda and Indy are there full time and will be happy to be of
service.
Considering we are only a month away from fall, I thought it would be the
perfect opportunity to talk about fall planting. I know, I know. Some of you
are skittish about this very topic and may even cringe at the mention of it.
But, for most areas, (except the Deep South, who should wait for winter
months and northern areas, such as zones 3, 4, and some spots of zone 5),
planting in fall is truly the best and safest time.
Fall planting perennials, shrubs and trees will give them a stronger and
larger developed root system to kick off with new spring growth. During
September through early November (for zones 8, 7, 6, and mid/lower 5), the
ground remains warm allowing a freshly planted plant to produce new root
growth before the cold weather of winter hits. As the weather phases into
the cooler temperatures of fall, the plants will go dormant. However, the
root system will continue to grow until the ground begins to freeze. Once
the ground begins to thaw and warm in spring, this newer developed root
system will kick off with even more growth much earlier in the season.
Indy has been visiting with our growers and found some new items that we
will be adding over the next couple of weeks. Just to give you an idea, we
will be adding several varieties of trees, such as white dogwood and green
ash, which we will be offering as individual plants in a 2 to 3 foot height.
Fast growing trees in a size that are easily planted. Much easier and more
affordable!
Speaking of fall planting, we will also be adding a couple of Asiatic Lily
varieties such as Stargazer. They will be offered as bare root bulbs and
will be available on the site within the next week. These will begin
shipping in mid/late September and, unlike most summer flowering bulbs need
to experience the coolness of winter in the ground.
Our perennials, ornamental grasses, container-grown trees & shrubs and bare
root ground covers will all begin shipping in September. Bare root trees and
shrubs begin shipping in late October/early November. Our strawberry plants
will be available for shipping mid/late October. Other fruiting plants
(fruit trees and berry shrubs) will be available mid/late February for early
spring planting.
We keep planting instructions on the web site; so if you should need to
refer to them or see what's entailed before hand, check them out. You will
find them under the tab Plant Tips. Our site will be getting a fresher look
later this month. We've been working on it for a while and hope you find the
newer look cleaner and easier to mover through.
I hope your summer is going well and your garden is thriving. Our Greenwood
Team has been working hard over the past month and you will be seeing many
new and exciting plant varieties and tools on our web site that will help
make your landscape amazing. After all, whether it's on a farm, in a
subdivision, or an apartment, our homes are the only real sanctuary we truly
have.
Until next week.... Cheryl
