For new sites and empty beds:

The first step is to test the soil. This can be done with a soil test kit but you can also test it by hand by touching and observing texture, solubility and aeration. You can tell how dense and clay-heavy the soil is and how the drainage is looking. Using an actual soil test will also tell you some basic nutrient and pH information, which can be helpful in knowing what soil amendments to add.

The next step is to actually till and amend the soil. We often recommend using compost in your soil. This covers a multitude of purposes, all in one product. Compost is choc-full of nutrients that will feed plants throughout the season. It generally has more than the average NPK fertilizer, providing essential micro-nutrients as well. It’s also full of worms and beneficial microbes, which will help to aerate the soil, chew through clay clumps and unlock nutrients in the soil to make them available for plants. For more precise nutrient knowledge, you can add fertilizers to the soil as well.

Depending on the soil, you can till it with a rototiller or just turn the compost under with a shovel. Many people are proponents of the “no-till method”, which leaves the soil amendments on top of the soil and you plant right through it. Over time, the amendments incorporate themselves.

Photo courtesy of johnandbobs.com

For existing sites/beds:

Obviously, heavy tilling is not usually an option but the soil still needs to be tended! Start with testing the soil again, using the above recommended methods. Many plants need a boost of nutrition after the long winter. Depending on the plant, you can add a specific fertilizer or, again, compost is a great catch-all and will benefit all soils and all types of plants, from trees to roses, ferns to shrubs.

You can use a trowel or shovel to gentle till in soil amendments around the base of existing plants but be careful not to damage root structure! Go very shallow and gentle with this- only mixing in the top few inches of soil. Compost and amendments can also just be left on top of the soil.

For existing lawns, fertilizer or compost can be thinly broadcast over the grass. Look to see if the grass needs to be de-thatched and aerated this spring.

Other tips for preparing your beds:

• Put out a pre-emergent herbicide to keep out the spring weeds.
• Pull any weeds that grew over the winter, to start the year off fresh and prevent them from going to seed and becoming established.
• You can either pull off or till in any decomposing mulch that is leftover.
• Rake empty beds smooth, removing clumps, rocks and remaining weeds as you go.

A healthy, prepared soil bed will yield healthy, happy plants all year long! Preparing now saves you time, money and labor later on in the year! Do you have a favorite type of soil amendment that you use? How do you prepare your spring beds? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page! We love to hear from you!

Abies balsamea (Balsam Fir)

Height: 50 feet

Width: 20 feet

This spire-like tree has dark green foliage that remains quite dark throughout the winter. They are soft to the touch and spread over fanning branches, giving this tree a romantic, delicate feel. Its smooth gray bark adds interest and dimension to the landscape. The pyramidal form makes it easy to blend this tree into many designs but it can be a focal point, if placed against a lighter background. It requires little maintenance and pruning so it’s an attractive AND easy-going tree!

Abies grandis (Grand Fir)

Height: 200-250 feet

Width: 20-30 feet

This Pacific Northwest native is a tall drink of water. It can tower over most other landscaping trees, though it blends right into your typical Northwest forest. It makes a great shade tree for a large park but is often too tall for most homes and small properties (though it does take a few decades to reach maturity). The Grand Fir has gorgeous medium green to yellow-green needles that lay flat, horizontally, along branches, exposing their two white-striped stomatas underneath. When you look up into the branches of this beautiful tree, those silvery white stripes glisten amongst the green.

Abies koreana (Korean Fir)

Height: 25 feet

Width: 15 feet

The Korean Fir is slightly uncommon and therefore under-utilized by many landscapers. It is a truly attractive conifer, with white-banded needles with a pleasant bluish-green color throughout.  They even keep their striking color through the winter months! This tree is distinctive and polished, making it an easy choice for a central position. The Korean Fir is low-maintenance and poses no significant problems. Try it as a vertical accent in your next design!

Abies nordmanniana (Nordmann Fir)

Height: 60 feet

Width: 25 feet

The Nordmann Fir is shaped like the perfect Christmas tree, upright, open and gorgeous. It thrives in moist, cool climates, making it an easy choice for the Northwest. Dark green needles frame its spreading branches and remain dark and lush through the winter. Another low-maintenance tree, it just needs moisture to be happy. Try it as a vertical accent or as part of a blended natural forested look. You won’t regret the choice!

What’s your favorite Fir tree? Have you used any of these varieties in your designs? Leave a comment below with your thoughts!

Picea omorika (Photo: Northscaping.com)

We love the idea of the living Christmas tree for holiday décor! It’s a green alternative to cutting down trees every year and then tossing them in the landfills one month later! But here’s the biggest benefit we see: when you buy a living Christmas tree, you not only get a traditional holiday decoration; you also get a new addition to your home garden or landscape! An evergreen tree is a joyful treasure that can be enjoyed for decades to come. You can even decorate it every Christmas, after it’s been planted!

Living Christmas trees come in potted containers and can usually withstand the temperatures of the average home for the duration of the holiday season. They do require some extra care, however. Try to keep them as cool as possible; positioning them near a window will help with that. Additionally, they need to be watered regularly when in the home, to keep them healthy. Check the soil often to make sure it consistently retains some moisture.  After the holidays are over, take your tree outside and plant it in a roomy spot with plenty of space for its expansive future growth. If the ground is frozen in your area, you will need to wait to plant it. However, you should still move your living Christmas tree outdoors, to avoid any damage from long exposure to dry indoor heat.

Here are the varieties we recommend for a few weeks of indoor use, during the holidays:

Balsam Fir (Photo courtesy of Northscaping.com)

Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea): This is a delicate spire-like evergreen with soft dark green needles, growing tall and stately with straight, strong branches.

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii): Dense, dark fragrant foliage grows in short, tight bundles on a straight, upright trunk.

Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra): is a fast growing, pyramidal tree when young, becoming a flat topped large tree when it matures. It’s strong, stiff branches hold clusters of dark green needles.

Nordmann Fir (Abies nordmanniana): A beautiful yet uncommon evergreen, very upright and open, spire-shaped.
Omorika Spruce (Picea omorika): A tall and narrow spire-shaped evergreen with a more delicate appearance, featuring interesting white banding on the needles.

Grand Fir (Abis grandis): This evergreen grows with a horizontal spread so that both the upper and lower sides of the branches are clearly visible. The needles have glossy dark green tops and two highly visible white lines of stomata on the undersides.

There are also several wonderful varieties that make for great outdoor holiday décor! Try one of these trees on your patio or deck!

Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens):This lovely upright tree has fragrant, heavy-textured foliage and reddish-brown peeling bark, along with an excellent structure.

Deodora Cedar (Cedrus deodara): A grand spreading tree with a broad habit of growth, pendulous branches and shimmering silvery-blue needles.

Alaskan Cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis): A medium-sized evergreen tree with a wide, pyramidal form and numerous drooping branches covered with long, flattened sprays.

Excelsa Cedar (Thuja plicata ‘Excelsa’): This small, fragrant cedar is closely related to the giant Western Red Cedar, with the same relaxed appearance.

To learn more about the benefits of living Christmas trees, please click here. To begin to order some for your landscape or home, please visit our online inventory.

Assorted Potentillas

Height: 2-4 feet

Spread: 2-4 feet

Potentillas (or cinquefoils) are lovely perennial shrubs that produce beautiful blooms, even late into the summer. Their striking blooms attract beneficial insects, pollinators and other admirers. These plants work well as a natural shrub but not as a sheared shrub. They look great in their natural state so let them fill out, bloom and light up your yard. They are fairly easy to grow, requiring regular water and average soil.

Euonymus japonicus ‘Greenspire’

Height: 6-12 feet

Spread: 2-4 feet

This dense evergreen shrub makes a marvelous hedge. Its dark green, lush foliage forms a thick wall, while it’s columnar, multi-stemmed shape provides height and interest. It’s tough and adaptable, tolerant of a variety of soils, and can abide heavy pruning and shaping. ‘Green Spire’ makes for a well-behaved, low-maintenance hedge.

Escallonia exoniensis ‘Fradesii’

Height: 5-6 feet

Spread: 6-8 feet

This broadleaf evergreen boasts attractive glossy green leaves and deep pink flower clusters, that open in midsummer. When the weather is warm, the leaves give off a sweet fragrance. It’s adaptable to pruning and shaping, making it a topiary delight. However, this shrub is native to South America and is therefore less hardy than some. It needs full sun and thrives best in mild year-round temperatures: zones 8-11.

Ligustrum japonicum ‘Texanum’

Height: 6-9 feet

Spread: 4-6 feet

The Waxleaf Ligustrum is a pleasant, vigorous evergreen shrub with an upright, dense growth habit. Its oblong dark green foliage makes for a lovely, sheared hedge. It’s quite tolerant of a variety of weather and soil conditions, so it is a good choice for just about any Northwest landscaping (east or west of the Cascades). In late spring, white flowers bloom from between the waxy leaves, attracting pollinators.

Spiraea japonica ‘Shirobana’

Height: 3-4 feet

Spread: 3-4 feet

The Shirobana Spirea brings character and color to your hedge. With flowers blooming in three colors (shades of white, pink and red), this beauty lights up against the background of slender, green foliage. This smaller, deciduous shrub appears to be more delicate and lovely but is still an easy, hardy shrub to maintain.  Shirobana prefers full sun and is tolerant of poor soils, though it prefers well-drained fertile soil.

Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’

Height: 6-8 feet

Spread: 6-8 feet

The Schipka Cherry Laurel is an attractive broadleaf evergreen shrub with long, slender leaves. The dense, dark-green foliage resembles Rhododendrons but the plant is better suited to hedge formation. This shrub forms a wonderful screen, without completely blocking the view. White fragrant flowers in spring accentuate its handsome features. It is tolerant of shade and cold temperatures, thriving in many conditions.

Drainage:

Proper drainage is important for any plant but it’s especially important for a container plant because the soil and space are quite limited. If roots lack moisture (or if there is too much), there is only so far for them to spread in search of balance. Plants can suffer from both too much drainage and too little. If your soil is draining too quickly, chances are there is too much sand. Try adding some good, thick compost to the mix and see if that helps. If your soil is draining too slowly, it may be clay-heavy or you are watering too often. If the soil needs to be amended, try mixing in a good loamy potting soil. Poor drainage will lead to a plant’s death so it’s a great idea to fix it sooner than later!

Soil amendments:

When we keep plants in containers for more than one season, it’s a good idea to amend the soil and replace some of the nutrients that the plant is taking out. This is especially important for containers since the soil is trapped and cannot regenerate on its own. Try adding in some organic compost or a well-rounded fertilizer to spruce things up. You can try some other additives to spruce up old soil; try putting fish meal, kelp meal or shredded leaves on top for a nutrient boost. If you re-pot your containers, that is the best time to mix in new soil and soil amendments.

Placement:

The placement of a container plant depends on a few factors including environmental conditions, the needs of the plant and the aesthetics of the landscape. During harsh weather-heat, cold, high winds, etc-  it’s best to place containers up close the side of the house, preferably under some sort of cover. However, when sunlight is at a minimum (and conditions aren’t too harsh), move the containers to a place where they can soak in more light. The best policy is to know the needs of each plant, particularly its hardiness and sun requirements. Other than that, it’s all up to the eye of the beholder.

Types of plants:

Try planting these beauties in containers and enjoy the added splendor and dimension that they bring to your landscape, porch or patio:

Hydrangea (Hydrangea sp.): beautiful, ornamental shrubs known for their large flower heads and lush foliage.

Boxwood (Buxus sp.): an evergreen shrub with attractive, dark-green foliage that is easy to prune and shape into whatever form you wish!

Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum): many smaller varieties thrive in containers, giving cascades of delicate foliage that drape over the sides of a container. To see all the Japanese Maples we offer, please click here.

Dwarf Globe Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Globosa Nana’): A handsome dome shaped evergreen shrub with fine green, ringlet-like foliage: a perfect container centerpiece.

Compact Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Compressa’): As the name suggests, this is a compact, rounded shrub with tight dark green foliage. It develops bronze-purple overtones in winter, offering extra visual interest.

Visit our full inventory for more ideas by clicking here! Leave a comment below to tell us your favorite container plants.

Do

Keep watering your trees, shrubs and other plants, as needed. Remember not to overwater them (refer to June’s newsletter for more details), which can damage and drown root systems. But, August is normally our hottest month so do be vigilant with watering.

Don’t

Don’t add any fertilizer to any plant, from now through the winter, whether they are tree, bulb or grass. Let them all rest. If you fertilize them now, they will have a surge of new growth as a result of all those fresh nutrients. The new growth is fragile and subject to damage, when the cold weather hits (sooner than you think). Protect your plants by refraining from adding any fertilizer from now until spring.

Do

Begin to clear away dead and damaged debris. This can be done on a need-to basis throughout the fall and winter. This keeps plants looking attractive and healthy. Too much debris can lead to a build-up of mold and disease-carrying organisms. Clean up dead flower heads, fallen leaves, branches that were knocked down during storms, etc.

Don’t

Don’t do any pruning now on either evergreen or deciduous plants. If you were delayed on pruning your evergreens, it will have to wait until next year. Similar to adding fertilizer, pruning results in a rush of new growth; that is the last thing you want right before winter! The nights start to get cold in September, with the first frost coming in October. Plants with new growth or, worse yet, fresh cuts, are susceptible to disease, damage and death by the cold and other elements. Protect your plants and let them sit til the spring!

Do

Go to the beach. Set the timer on the irrigation and take a few days away from landscape maintenance. This is a good time to go enjoy the last days of sunshine, while the landscape sits quietly, readying itself for the winter to come.

Living plants only thrive when their roots are secure in the ground. When they are in transport, they are particularly fragile and prone to damage. Special considerations must be taken when transporting trees, shrubs and other plants. It is best to protect plants from the elements when you transport them. Plants can get windburn, lose all their leaves, get overheated and even die, if left unprotected.

There are some simple precautions you can take, to prevent trees and shrubs from transport damage:

• First, check the moisture level at the roots. It should be nice and damp before you transport it.

• Make sure that whatever vehicle you set the root balls in is not too hot. Metal truck beds can sometimes reach alarming temperatures that can shock and kill root balls, if set on directly in the heat of summer.

• In order to protect the tops of trees and shrubs, it is best to cover them. An enclosed vehicle (truck or van) is probably the easiest way to ensure protection but a shade cloth can also be used. Secure all your plant bases with bungee cords or tie-down straps. For maximum use of space and added protection, plants can be secured at a diagonal, so that the tree canopies all face the front of the vehicle. Then, a shade cloth can be secured over them. This will prevent roots from drying in the wind and will keep the leaves intact. Shade cloth is better than a tarp because it allows for some ventilation, while tarps can flap on branches during strong wind and cause damage.

If covering your trees is not an option, then please keep your speeds to less than 40 mph and avoid the freeway, to incur less damage. Exposure to heavy wind, without adequate protection, can kill a young, vulnerable tree. Additionally, transporting in the driving rain can cause damage.

Following these easy tips will increase your chances of having a healthy, thriving plant waiting for you at the end of the journey!

Don’t leave your newly-purchased trees and shrubs out to dry!

In order to ensure the best results, transplant all new plants into soil as soon as possible. This will allow the roots to establish in their new location, with minimal stress to the plant. Leaving a root ball exposed increases its susceptibility to injury from the elements. However, sometimes circumstances get in the way and immediate transplanting is not possible. In that case, keep reading for some easy tips to protect trees and shrubs, while they await their new homes.

1. Keep root balls good and wet, while they wait.

2. Mulch the roots with sawdust, bark or compost.

3. Keep plants out of direct sunlight and wind, if possible. Try leaning them  against the north side of a building for more shelter.

4. You can cover them with a shade cloth, to create artificial shade, for added  protection.

5. Do not leave plants on the pavement! This will kill their fragile roots! Put them on soil, if possible, until they can be transplanted. If soil is unavailable, any cooler surface will do: mulch and grass are best but even concrete and gravel are cooler than asphalt.

By keeping the roots of trees and shrubs moist and cool, you increase their ability to survive and thrive in their new location and save you the hassle of having to repurchase plants!

Advantages of Root Control Bags

The Root Control Bag is a fabric container that contains plant’s root structure and makes harvesting and transplanting quick and easy. We use them on our farm to control growth and manage healthy plants, while saving soil and easing the transition. This increases plants’ survival rates, while making your job-and ours- a lot easier. Here’s how:

Trees root-prune themselves!

As the roots of trees and shrubs grow, they hit the fuzzy fabric inside the bag. The roots do not circle on the fabric as they do when encased in plastic. Instead, the root is caught by the fuzzy inner surface of the material. The root penetrates the fabric. The tough fabric, however, prevents the root from expanding. The root is choked or girdled by the fabric. The choking causes the root to lose its apical dominance and lateral branching or pruning occurs inside the bag.

Much lighter root balls!

The roots of trees and shrubs grown in Root Control Bags are more compact, containing less soil and more root mass. A smaller root ball does not mean less roots; they are just tightly compacted. This makes them much easier to lift and transport, offering ergonomic protection for backs and knees. It also saves on a precious gasoline because you can fit more trees onto each truck load!

Leads to stronger trees!

When bags are cut and trees are planted, compact root bags save 90% of the roots, when planted while B&Bs only save 30%. The fewer number of root cuts leads to improved disease-resistance: fewer points of vulnerability for disease-carrying organisms to enter the plant. Once these trees and shrubs have been planted, their adjustment and growth are much faster than B&Bs. They have a much higher transplant success rate (the tree doesn’t even know that it’s been transplanted!)

We use High Caliper Growing root control bags. To learn more about them, click here.

Proper tools are needed for the job, depending on the size and type of plant you are pruning. Hedge clippers, pruning shears and loppers are all handy to have for various pruning jobs. For big jobs, like cutting thick tree limbs, a handsaw may be used. But for many pruning tasks in the garden, the smaller tools do nicely.

When pruning trees and shrubs, the first task is to remove dead wood, which would be any wood without leaves, which is dry and breaks easily. It is important to remove wood that is damaged in any way, either by weather, accident or disease. Otherwise, the plant will put all of its energy into trying to heal the damaged portion of the plant, rather than focusing on its overall health. This is usually a waste of energy, since the damage is often irreparable. You may also want to prune any branches that are growing into pathways or crowding other plants. Stepping back and looking at the overall shape of a tree or shrub can be helpful to get you started. Visualize the finished shape that will fit in the design and the scope of the landscape.

There are several pruning techniques that can be handy to use. The first is called thinning, which is to remove branches where they join at the stem, cutting just above the branch collar (the raised area at the base of a branch), to encourage quicker healing. Heading is another useful technique that promotes new growth: this involves cutting a branch back to where a bud has formed or to the tip of a side branch. Thinning should be used to cut back dead and damaged wood, and to help a plant regain a healthy shape; heading should be used to stimulate new branch growth in a plant. Renewal pruning, cutting the plant back to just a few inches above the soil, is another great technique to stimulate fresh growth in shrubs and cut back the thick, woody stems. This works well for Hydrangea and Potentillas.

Many trees and shrubs require regular pruning in order to thrive. Fruit trees should be pruned to encourage more fruit production. Some shrubs, like deciduous Viburnum, need to be pruned immediately after flowering to ensure that they will bloom the following spring. Most roses can be pruned quite heavily, by making sharp, clean cuts at a 45° angle, just above the buds. A good general rule is to cut the bush back by a third and to just leave the biggest, strongest canes to grow.

Regular pruning adds vitality to many plants, trees and shrubs, as well as making them more attractive and colorful.