This Tuesday we received balled and burlapped trees from our longtime vendor of 45 years Losely nursery. They are available for this fall, or next spring sales, although fall planting is excellent because of the prolific amount of root growth that occurs which will give the tree or shrub a jump start in spring!
We have a huge back stock of Emerald Green arborvitae as we typically have a rough time through the spring and summer keeping them in stock. Supplies are good and can be planted until the ground freezes. They will be available when we open March 1st which will be an advantage as normally they are not available until the first week of April with new shipments. For overwintering, the stock will be stored outside by digging them into the bed to prevent the killing of the roots and then sprayed with deer stopper to prevent deer browsing.
While we plan to cover the first week of November, all will depend on the weather. If too warm, it is not good for the plants, and if temperatures fall below 20º F, root damage could occur on some sensitive stock.
Years ago, the owner of the now defunct Roemer Nursery of Madison, Ohio went back to his native Holland to visit his family. Gied Stroombeek was exceedingly fussy about perfection and cleanliness, as Dutch people are probably the cleanest people in the world. For whatever reason, workers did not cover the huts and when Gied returned he was quite angry of the no covering of the houses with white polyethylene. Fortunately that year like the winter of 1965 through 1966, according to the now deceased weatherman Dick Goddard, significant snow cover blanketed the ground from late November through the middle of March!
Furthermore, fall temperatures are typically warmer near the shores of Lake Erie and spring temperatures cooler than inland Ohio due to the cold lake water early in spring preventing snow melt that is so important for insulating ornamental plants, many farm crops and the primary way that ground water is replenished. Undoubtedly indeed, a miracle occurred.
Then we must somehow sandwich in the planting of at least 8000 spring flower bulbs although they may be planted up until February 15th or until the ground freezes very hard. As always, it’s going to be quite a busy fall.
Tom