Use Google Maps to Help Find the Right Tree for Your Yard

Google Maps is a wonderful tool for directions but did you know if use it to measure distance?

The answer is yes, yes you can if you house is a couple years old. Simply go to maps.google.com and type in your address. Then click over to satellite view to see you yard details.  Then with your mouse or track pad, right click and select "Measure distance." When a white dot appears, drag it to where you want to start your measurement like your house, click then drag the second white dot to where you want to plant the tree.  This gives you the distance.  Now you can do your research on trees based on their diameter. A tree is best planted half it's diameter away from homes, buildings or pools. 

Steps to use google maps to measure distance

Seeds are in!!

The 2017 Seed Rack has arrived!  It has a great selection of vegetables and herbs to grow a plethora of tasty crops.  Follow the links below to see about our selection and when to start vegetables in our area

2017 Seed Selection
Starting Vegetables in the Tri-Cities Handout
 

Tune your Irrigation System for Success

Tuning your irrigation system allows for a more efficient use of water and it's easy.  It also helps prepare your plants for different weather shifts and you apply water based on that irrigation zones conditions.  Both Hunter and Rainbird have free apps to set your run times more appropriately for established yards. Also we have set up links to help determine your yards conditions. Remember that new plantings their first year will need to be babied a bit more but they don't need daily water. 

A link to Hunter's App

A link to Rainbird's App

Things to know as you tune your irrigation timer
-The soil type of your yard: Sand, clay, silt or a mix of the three (loam).  This will help identify how your yard behaves in drainage and moisture retnetion.  Sand has very good drainage and can handle longer run times of sprinklers but needs more frequent runs.  Clay soils hold moisture very well however it does not take to long run times well, short bursts work best to prevent run off and water waste. How to tell soil texture by feel.

-The exposure of that sprinkler zone.  Full sun, afternoon sun or wind exposed sprinkler zones dry out faster through evaporation than afternoon shade, mostly shade and wind protected zones.  Thus as you adjust your sprinkler zone times based on their separate exposures. This can be determined by taking time to walk around the house a couple of times of day and observe what area is sunny and what area is in shade at what time of day and for how long. Do this on a lazy day off.

-Your type of sprinklers.  Different sprinkles types throw out water at different rates. Common sprinkler types are rotors, impacts, sprays, bubblers and multi-streamrotors. Also if you have drip, what size of emitters are your using. Irrigation System Component Video can help you identify what type of sprinklers you have.

-The grade of the yard. Is it flat or does it slope up or down? The slope of your yard also affect how sprinklers work as well as how water will travel in the yard.  Here is a video to determine slope.

by Alex Job

Steps Preparing a Vegetables Garden

Starting the garden or refreshing the garden starts before you buy a seed or transplant.  

Place the garden in a space that is in a sunny spot, afternoon sun is best.

1.  Figure out your type of garden.  Row, raised, or container. Row gardens are where the garden is planted in rows. Raised gardens are a little easier because you build raised beds to house you veggie garden.  There are many variations to this garden type, you can organize your crops into rows or grids.  The final type is container gardens, they are portable and work anywhere there is sun, water and someone to care for them.  Just remember to go with a large enough pot for your crops.
2. Work organic matter into the soil, store bought or home prepped compost work great. See our selection of composts by following this link. You want to work the ground with it by turning it, tilling it or raking it.
3. Plan out the crops, what are going to use and when.  If the spring is mild enough you could plant peas, radishes or quick maturing lettuce, harvest them then plant your tomatoes in the same spot at Mother’s Day. Also consider planting a late summer or fall crop when you have had that fill of tomatoes.
4. Consider what you want to start from seeds or transplants. (Buying Seeds or Transplants)
5. Now plant that garden. Weed it, care for it and then harvest!  Enjoy!

Written by Alex Job

Seeds vs Transplant for Vegetable Gardening

Vegetable gardens can be started by seeds or transplants.  A lot of vegetables are available both ways, sometimes its advantageous to go one way or the other.  

Seeds- Are inexpensive, however if you planning on starting the seeds indoors you are going to need pots, potting soil, fertilizers, space and the time to care for them.  Some vegetables are easy to plant in the ground when the time is right, these include lettuce, radishes, carrots, spinach, mustard, melons, beans, peas, corn, cucumber, squash,  and pumpkin.  While tomato, eggplant, celery, peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower require indoor starting to get them to produce on time, this can be 3 to 5 weeks before planting time.  Also how much do want of each crop, if your just feeding the household you may want to limit your number of starts, so your not overwhelmed with one crop or another.

Transplants- These are plants that have already been started and ready to plant when the time is right (weather and ground conditions).  Instead of buying seed packs of every variety you want to grow or try, you can buy only what your garden has room for or what you want to contend with.  This allows you to have several varieties of a crop to mix it up a little or experiment with new varieties, while still having some old favorites.  

Here is a list of Plants and which way is best, easier or convenient to have from seeds (S) or transplants (T).  It really all based on how much work you want to do.

Beans (S or T)
Beets (S)
Broccoli (T)
Cabbage (S or T)
Carrots (S)
Cauliflower (T)
Celery (T)
Corn (S or T)
Cucumber (S or T)
Eggplant (T)
Lettuce (S or T)
Melons (S or T)
Onions (S or T)
Peas (S)
Peppers (T)
Pumpkins (S or T)
Radishes (S)
Spinach (S or T)
Squash (S or T)
Tomato (T)

By Alex Job

Gardening by Soil Temperature

This is a practice to help you be more successful with you seeds and transplants.  All you need is a soil thermometer to track the soil temperature three inches down.  This tends to more effective than planting by calendar, or if the air feels right for spring.  The weather and seasons don’t always follow our calendars.  The weather can be warm but if the ground hasn’t warmed up yet, your transplant won’t root and the seeds won’t germinate!   

On the parent page to this one, we mentioned Cool Crop Veggies, Warm Crop Veggies and their differences. Now lets look at their soil temperature requirements and this will help plan, plant and grow easier.  

Cool Crop Veggies seeds will germinate between the soil temperatures of 40 to 90 degrees F.  Cool Crop Veggie Transplants can be planted at about 50 degrees F.  

Warm Crop Veggies seeds germinate between the soil temperatures of 60 to 100 degrees F.  The Warm Crop Transplants prefer to be planted when the soil is about 65 degrees F.

When the soil is at proper temperature for your crop, generally the weather is also at the proper conditions for it to survive and grow.  Remember to be patient and follow the directions of your Thermometer.

By Alex Job

Understanding Buded vs Own Root Roses

In today’s market of roses you can buy own root or budded roses.

Budded or grafted roses are roses that a bud has been attached to another rose variety’s root system. Usually a single red rose called Dr. Huey.  Budded Roses are hardy to zone 6, which works in the Tri-Cities.  Most of the Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Grandifloras, Climbers, and David Austins are budded. It is best to mulch these rose for the winter either with compost or bark to protect them from quick arctic blasts.

Own root roses are roses that are propagated from cutting and are raised on their own natural root system.  Own root roses are more cold hardy (zone 4 to 5) which is great for the Tri-Cities and outer lying areas that tend to be more exposed or colder in the winter.  Own root roses, being own root, do not bolt (sucker from the root stock) and do not revert to the root stock.  Shrub, Miniature and Ground Cover Roses are own root.

Written by Alex Job

Pruning Rose throughtout the Year

Pruning roses is really easy with the right techniques and tools. What we are going to do is break down pruning to time of year, so you can keep this as a little calendar of care for your roses.  

Mid February to Early March-The Rejuvenating Pruning
Recommended Tools: Loppers, pruning shears, canvas or denim coat, thick gloves and eye protection.

The goal for rejuvenating pruning is to refresh the plant by cutting it way back and thinning out some of the older canes.  
For Miniatures, Shrub, Floribundas, Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, and David Austin or Romanitca roses, you want to take the loppers and cut the canes down to about 18 inches to 24 inches. Once cut down, remove any damaged, dead or crossing branches with the pruning shears or loppers.  Next you will remove about a third of the canes (some older, some newer) with the loppers.  For climbers, we generally with leave them trained to the trellis, we just remove the crossing, damaged or dead branches and canes. For Ground Cover Roses, shear back to 2 to 3 feet wide and thin out the damaged, crossing and dead branched.

April till Mid Octoberish- Deadheading and shaping.
Recommended Tools: Pruning Shears, thick gloves and eye protection.    

Deadheading and shaping is to remove spent blooms and errant growth.  This is recommended to do at least monthly, to promote new blooms on most classes.

For Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Climbing, David Austin/Romanitca, and Shrub Roses; we recommend grabbing the stem just below the base of the bud (less thorns are there).  You want to cut at a 45 degree angle just above the second fifth leaf set.  If the plant is leggy or you want to reduce its height you can cut lower than this leaf set.

For Miniatures, grab the stem below the bud and cut just above the first leaf set.

For Ground Cover Roses, generally we don’t worry about dead heading because they are self cleaning and it takes way to long trim out all those blooms. Mainly worry about if encroaching on sidewalks, patios or other plants. Cut back and your done.

October or November-Prepping for Winter.
Recommended Tools: Pruning Shears or Hedge Shears, thick gloves and jacket.

On all classes dead head and tidy up the shape of the plant, so looks decent for the winter. Hedge shears are okay to use on everything except for Climbers, they make the job quick and easy.   For climbers, just use pruning shears to selectively remove spent blooms and errant branches.

Written by
Alex Job

6 Ways To Grow Roses Easily

Roses love our warm, dry climate.  Here are some steps to make roses easy to grow.

1. Give roses light, they do best if they get at least 8 hours of sunlight a day.  Afternoon sun is best for the warmth to encourage more flowers.

2. Give roses some space,  jamming them in tight leads to more disease, bugs and literal pain as you try to prune them.  We like to take the height of the rose plant, divide it in half and add 1 to 2 more feet to give us a distance to keep the plant from other roses, structures or other plants.  This spacing allows you better access to prune roses when needed. Proper spacing also allows airflow to dry the foliage and prevent disease from occurring. It allows beneficials (predator insects, birds, or spiders) to assist in keeping aphids and other bad bugs down.

3. Water roses to keep them blooming.  If your not sure if they are getting enough, they communicate by wilting and not blooming a lot.  Roses can be watered by drip or overhead sprinklers.  If you water overhead, to prevent diseases, make sure the roses go into the night dry. 

4. Feed roses for the most blooms and healthy leaves.  Start feeding them April 1st and feed as directed until August 15th.  Choose a blend geared for roses or flowers, preferably one with trace elements in it to build strong foliage.

5. Mulch roses for winter.  In October mound bark or compost 2 to 4 inches around the crown or bud union; this protects the crown from heavy freezes and prevents damage. Using compost instead of bark is a great way to build up the soil with nutrients for the roses to come out winter ready to grow.  In March rake the mulch flat. If the roses are plant in gardens of rock mulch you could use landscape edging to create a ring around the plant to allow for mulching.

6. Observe your plants or roses, is simply walking through and making sure things are looking good.  If the plant is having a problem (bugs or disease), get it identified then use the proper solution for that problem.  If you are not sure what the problem is or the best solution, you can ask us.

Hopefully this will help you take care of your roses easily in the Tri-Cities and make them the fun and enjoyable plant that they truly are.

Written by Alex Job

Rose classes broken down

By Alex Job
Job's Nursery LLC

Roses are broken down into classes or types of roses to help define the characteristics common to a group of roses. 

Hybrid Teas are your cut roses to take inside the house, for they bloom on flower per stem.  They usually grow to a height of 4 to 6 feet.  To encourage frequent blooming, you will need to prune out the spent flowers them at least monthly to promote blooms.

Grandifloras are a more vigorous hybrid of rose tends to be 5-6 feet tall with one to five roses per stem, with a Hybrid Tea blossom. May not be the best for cut roses but it makes up by having lots of blooms to show off. 

Floribundas reach a height of 3-4 feet and provide lots of color.  Generally blooms in bracts or bouquets of 3-7 blooms per stem. Petal can range from 10-50 depending of the variety.  These color throwers are easy to care for and don't require much pruning to keep blooming.

Miniatures range in height of 2 to 3 feet. Miniatures get their name from having a bloom size of about 1 to 2 inches wide versus the actual plant size. They typically bloom in 1-5 rose clusters per stem.  Great for borders, foundations and smaller flower beds. Most modern miniatures are self cleaning, where they do not need to have spent flowers removed to keep blooming; to remove spent flowers on miniatures you simply cut to the stem to the first leaf set.

Ground Cover range in height of about 18 inches to 3 feet.  Ground Cover Roses have a mounded spreading habit that is great for borders or areas where you need low, ever blooming, summer color.  Their flower size is the same as a Miniature and they are self cleaning, which is great considering how much they bloom.  Generally we don’t worry about pruning this class in the growing season, unless they are growing into areas where they shouldn’t be.  

Climbing Roses are roses that tend to have an upright, arching habit that can either be trained to a trellis or arbor.  Otherwise if left untrained they form a large 10 to 12 foot high cascading rose bush. They great for screening or a trellis of color. Climbers only need an occasional trim to be blooming.

David Austin and Romantica Roses are cabbage head roses.  David Austins are English,  while Romanticas are French. The plants height can range from 3 to 6 feet tall with an arching habit.  Generally they will bloom 1 to 5 flowers per stem with a petal count of over 90.   A majority of these are varieties are very fragrant. These roses can be trained as a bush or as a climber. David Austin or Romanticas are great for foundations, hedges and focal points. They require as much pruning as a Climber or Floribunda.

Shrub or Landscape Roses basically includes everything else rose. The size can range from 2 feet to 12 feet, with flower shapes varying from a tea rose to a cabbage head. With this class, the uses are endless due to the variety of characteristics, so select a variety based on your needs.

Tree Roses are bush roses grafted up on a standard (stem or trunk) to create a tree look. Unfortunately they are tender zone 7 in the Tri-Cities and need to protected in the winter.  This is done by keeping them in pots and placing them in a protected shed, garage, or greenhouse. If planted in the ground you want to wrap the top in burlap or an old blanket.

Written by
Alex Job

Establishing Your New Tree from Job’s Nursery

Establishing Your New Tree from Job’s Nursery

Watering for the First Year

In the first growing season, all new plants (including drought resistant ones) need extra water to allow them root into the surrounding soil. Make sure to deep soak the plants enough with a sprinkler on a hose; so that your soil is moist to 12 inches below the surface of the dirt a day after you have watered. You want your moisture to soak in this deep so that your plant’s roots develop deep and can handle not being watered for a few days in case there are problems with your irrigation system. If in doubt, you need to dig down 12 inches with a shovel, trowel or use a soil probe to make sure you are soaking in deep enough.

A general deep soaking schedule for sand loam soil (the main soil texture for Tri-Cities) it is listed by day time high temperatures
50 ̊F or less once a month for evergreens, check every two months for deciduous plants 50 to 70 ̊F deep soak once every two weeks after foliage emerges or drops on deciduous

70 to 85 ̊F deep soak once a week for one hour
85 to 95 ̊F deep soak twice a week for two hours
Above 95 ̊F soak three times a week for two hours
After all wind storms when temperature highs are above 85 ̊F go check the soil moisture.
**For Clay or compacted soil you will need to shorten you water run time and increase the amount of time your water to get the same effect**

Remember to check your sprinklers, filters and drip emitters regularly. A plugged sprinkler or drip emitter will not a water a plant adequately, if at all. Also to prevent fungal disease, try to avoid watering late evening and night on a daily basis, fungus likes cool and moist conditions.

Removing the Stakes

Remember the stakes, if needed, are to be removed after the tree has been planted for a year.

Good Fertilizing Practices

We recommend using the Fertilome Start N Grow every April 1st and July 1st. Or you can use the Miracle-Gro Fertilizer Tree Spikes every April 1 and August 15. You may have to use an additional fertilizer, or to adjust the ph of the soil.

Plant Problem Diagnosis

Remember when a plant is causing you to question it’s health, please contact us when you notice a problem, not after the plant dies, because most of the time a simple fix is all that is required. We invite you to call, or send us an email with photos of the problem or bring us a bagged sample to help you answer and solve your plant problem.

Excerpt from Job's Nursery's Planting and Care Guide

How are trees available for planting from Job's?

Trees can be offered in many different ways, below are the different ways that Job's Nursery offers trees, when they can be planted, and size range.

Potted-Potted Trees are trees grown in pots, usually younger to start with, they range in size from about 4 feet to 12 feet in height and are beginning to develop a good canopy to provide shade in time. They can be planted year round.

Balled and Burlaped (B&B)-B&B trees are trees that are dug out of our field and placed in a burlap lined wire basket to keep their root balls together. B&B trees usually range from 12 ft to 18 feet in height and have a developed canopy to begin providing shade. They can be planted from October to Mid June.

Bare Root Shade Trees- Bare Root Shade Trees are trees grown in our field and harvested in the dormant season (December through April). They range in height from 8 feet to 25 feet tall depending on their stage of maturity.  You can select trees starting September 1st of each year.

Knit Bag Evergreen Trees (Knit Bag Trees)- Knit Bag Trees are evergreens like pines, spruces, cedars, junipers and arborvitae are grown in the fabric bag shaped like a pot that is buried in the ground and allowed to grow until ready.  These trees are harvested from November to April.  You can begin selecting them starting September 1 of each year.

By Alex Job