NICK’S NURSERY WEEKLY BLOG
1st week of May, 2012
‘Tis the merry month of May, and the warm season is on its way. Were your seedlings, annuals or vegetables killed or nipped by the recent frost? Don’t panic! Nick’s has plenty of stock to replace them.
BE PREPARED: Hold on to those hotcaps and row covers for a while yet. Cold, hail, and snow are not uncommon up here in May or even early June. So watch the weather reports, and be prepared to cover your plants at night if frost threatens.
SEEDLING CARE: It’s seed-sowing time (see last week’s blog for some seed sowing info).
• Place chicken wire or row covers over outdoor seedlings to protect them from rabbits, squirrels, and birds. For about a week after you plant them, shade the seedlings from the full heat of the afternoon sun, and fertilize them lightly.
• Gradually expose indoor-sown seedlings to outdoor conditions. Do not allow them to dry out. their soil should be kept just moist, like a sponge that has been wet and squeeze till it is just damp.
DIGGING A PLANT HOLE: Unsure how wide and deep to dig the hole for that beautiful Nick’s tree, shrubs, vine, perennial, herb, vegetable, or annual? Follow these rules of thumb:
• Dig the hole 2 to 3 times wider and 4-6 inches deeper than the rootball of the plant.
• Remove the soil from the hole and set aside. For sandy sites, mix the removed soil with an equal amount of Nick’s compost, plus any fertilizer to be added. For high clay soil sites, add to the removed soil an equal amount of the following mixture: 1 part drainage medium (such as crusher fines or small untreated wood bark chips) and 1 part compost plus fertilizer.
• Fill the hole 1/3rd deep with the soil mixture. Make a little raised mound of soil mixture at the bottom of the hole. Remove the plant from its pot and gently tease apart its roots a little. Set the rootball atop the little mound, spreading the roots over the mound. Then backfill with the rest of the soil mixture until the hole is completely filled. Do not tamp the soil down with your foot; gently pat it down with your hand.
• WARNING: Do not insert the plant deeper in the soil than it stood in its pot. Make sure the top of the plant’s rootball is level with the top of the ground.
• Water the plant thoroughly. We suggest mixing with each gallon of water ¼ teaspoon of SuperThrive™ vitamin concentrate (available at Nick’s). This will help guard the plant against transplant shock. Allow the water to settle the soil, then spread mulch in a circle around the plant (keep it 2-4” away from the stem of the plant). This will help keep the water from evaporating too quickly in Denver’s hot summer climate.
Any questions? Nick’s friendly staff is available to answer any concerns you might have. Thank you for shopping with us!
