Ongoing Specials
Dec. 26th - Jan 12th
‘Make a Fresh Start Sale’
- 30 % off Live Spruce Xmas Trees
- 40% off all spring blooming bulbs
- 20% off all bare root roses
- Monterey Liqui-Cop $6.99
- Safer Garden Fungicide 16o.z. concentrate $9.99
- Safer Garden Fungicide Ready-to-Use 32o.z. $7.99
Planting Bare Root Roses
First, choose the right site in your garden or yard. Roses like full sun (at least 6 hours of direct light a day). Then, prepare a planting hole two feet deep. Work in several shovels of Gardner & Bloom Soil Building Compost or Kellogg’s Rose Planting Mix to improve soil fertility and texture. Get your roses off to a great start by working a good organic fertilizer into the planting hole also. It will enhance your soil and in turn, provide an optimal environment for your rose to thrive. Next, backfill the hole slightly to form a mound down in the hole and spread the rose roots over the mound as evenly as possible. If your rose is in a plantable box, there is no need for a mound. Locate the graft union, (the knobby part of the rose where the roots meet the stem), and position it just above soil level. Backfill with remaining soil amended with compost or Kellogg’s Rose Planting Mix to ensure a successful transition. Finally, prune only if necessary. Most bare-root roses are sold "pre-pruned" so you don't have to do any pruning at the time of planting. However, if your bare-root rose has more than a few canes, or any of the canes are damaged or rubbing against each other, prune them so that you have just 3 to 6 strong canes (rose stems) that curve outward.
Here on the central coast, because of our mild weather, it is necessary to prune back all of the roses already established in your garden to force them into dormancy. This allows your roses to be replenished and flush out with all new growth next season. Do not fertilize or spray with anything other than an organic until new growth is at least 3 inches long. The exceptions are vine and tree roses, which only need pruning to shape or clean out diseased, damaged, or dying leaves and branches.
Camellias and Azaleas
Camellias and Azaleas are coming into bloom, and now is the best time to plant. This is because the roots and branches of both rest rather than grow during their bloom cycle. Both have a long bloom cycle that starts in fall and lasts through spring, but not all varieties bloom at the same time. Most of the Camellia sasanqua varieties have already bloomed, but the Camellia japonica varieties bloom a little later. Be sure to use Kellogg Azalea Planting Mix when you do plant, this will ensure a good acidic soil for your plant to establish itself in. Use a fertilizer especially for acidic plants but do not fertilize until the plant is finished blooming. If done too early, the flower buds will drop. On camellias the flower buds are round on the tips, while the leaf buds are pointy. We recommend using a good organic fertilizer like Dr. Earth or Peace of Mind as well. It can be incorporated into the soil during planting because organics are mild. Do not use other fertilizers until the bloom period is at its end or you may experience bud drop on your plants. Osmocote has a time released fertilizer for acid lovers like azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons that is available here at Miner’s as well..
Pruning and Dormant Spraying
Now is the time to prune roses, deciduous fruit trees, shrubs, shade trees and perennials. A good rule is to prune out any dead, damaged or diseased branching first. Then prune back any crossing or competing branches. Finally, prune to the shape desired. We carry a few very good books on pruning or you could ask a Garden Center Associate for some more tips.
Miner’s Ace Hardware carries a variety of pump sprayers with average prices starting at $14.99. The size and volume you want will depend on how many trees and shrubs you need to spray and how quickly you want to get the job done. Be sure to dormant spray deciduous trees and shrubs that are susceptible to fungus. Roses, fruit trees, sycamore, and ornamental pear are examples of a few. No matter where you live there is always a chance for fungus to thrive. They are just waiting for the right amount of moisture and the optimum air temperature to germinate. Fungus spores over-winter in crevices on the trunk and branches of trees and shrubs. If you had problems with fungus last year be sure to clean up all leaf litter as well, because the spores over winter there and rain can splash the spores right back onto your plant. Here at Miner’s Ace Hardware we carry a variety of fungicides, depending on your needs. The two best for broad-spectrum control are; Liqui-Cop (Copper Ammonium), and Bravado (Chlorothalonil). Read the directions carefully, most deciduous fruit trees and roses require multiple spraying. Safer Garden Fungicide (Sulfur) is a good organic for control of Black Spot, Leaf Spot, Rust and Powdery Mildew. Always read the directions, sulfur cannot be used on Apricots. Green Light neem oil is also a good fungicide and kills over-wintering insects, mites and their eggs as well. These little pests will wait out the winter just to hatch in early spring in time for all of the tender new growth on your trees and shrubs. Never use cooking or vegetable oils as they get gummy and can clog the stomata on the undersides of the leaves.
Garden Clean-up
Keep your garden healthy and in tip-top shape by regularly raking up fallen leaves and debris that can harbor insects and funguses. Keep the weeds picked before they go to seed. Get rid of spent blooms often for continued bloom on your annuals and perennials. And don’t forget to feed the soil by spreading some good organic compost throughout your flowerbeds, around shrubs and trees, and of course in your vegetable garden. Periodically check your irrigation systems to make sure they are working properly. You may cut back considerably on irrigation but not completely.
Frost Protection
The freezing temperatures affected everyone’s garden last year. Be sure to protect your most tender plants this year by spraying with an anti-transpirant spray or covering with landscape fabric on those days when freezing is expected. You can always bring the ones planted in pots inside the house or in your garage.
*Please do not forget to water! Plants that are water stressed cannot protect themselves against the cold as effectively. *
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