PLANT DEPOT PHOTO GALLERIES
Around the Nursery	Garden Shop
Please Click Here	Click for a Tour

Tips on Gardening
MID-SUMMER FEEDING.
The recent string of high temperatures has taken a toll on gardens and gardeners alike! The lush green leaves of weeks past now have a yellow…or worse, brown crispy appearance.
Bringing healthy life back into the garden is pretty basic: Increase water, cut out the dead stuff and feed! Mid-summer feeding is essential for ensuring a healthy and productive garden. Roses, citrus and evergreens tend to suffer from iron and nitrogen deficiency this time of year but with the proper food plants will green up very quickly. A rangy pile of petunias can be cut back and fed and within a couple weeks will explode with color again! Most garden plants including Buddleia (Butterfly Bush), Salvia, shrubs and assorted annuals will benefit from a trim, a good drink of H2O and food. Organic sources of food are always better as they not only give the soil the nutrients necessary for supporting plant life, they also add essential bacteria. Meal or liquid form may be used…meal being slower release and longer lasting, liquid giving a quick fix will result in faster results but require a more frequent feeding schedule. Since organic solutions feed the soil rather than the plant there is no danger in chemical burn. Plants will feed themselves directly from the soil, as they need it. A little extra effort today will give you lasting results!

The Silent Killer
It may be… lying in wait, just looking for the next opportunity to wreak havoc around your home. Or it could creep in slowly, inch by inch and week by week, resulting in certain destruction. Be on guard for this silent killer. It can result in a broken home, crumbling walkway and many dead plants with a cost to you of thousands of dollars. The silent killer is alkali. It can be a problem in almost any yard west of the Mississippi River. In the arid West, this is one of the most common problems in new yards and can even affect established landscapes. Alkali can rear its ugly head in the form of crusty white powder evident on the top of the soil after heavy rains or deep irrigation. Or it can be black, looking like an oil slick that will not go away, making it impenetrable to water. You will appreciate this if you need a natural pond, but it's a big problem if you expect any plants to grow. You will also see alkali as a brown heavy crust in which you may find only cactus will thrive. In any color or form, alkaline soil is high in sodium and other salts. It almost always has drainage problems, restricting the water supply to the plant roots. It binds the fertilizer so that the plant can not get proper nutrition even if you feed weekly. It often causes brown edged leaves or yellow veins that look unsightly and slows the plant's growth or, in severe cases, will cause death. Alkaline water is absorbed through the plant's roots and transported to the leaves where the water evaporates, leaving behind the salt. As the salt builds up on the plant tissue, the concentration becomes toxic, causing the tissue to die. This often results in a brown edged leaf that is green in the middle. Alkaline problems can go beyond your garden right to the foundation of your home. Concrete and stucco can be dissolved by the alkali menace, costing you thousands of dollars in repairs. To keep this silent killer at bay, you need to take action. In the garden, it is important to prepare the soil. A combination of Gypsite, compost and beneficial soil bacteria can turn your dead dirt into rich, productive garden soil. Start by adding 150 pounds of Gypsite, 2 yards of compost and 50 lbs. of Gro Power for every 1000 sq. ft. Rototill this into the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. The Gypsite will combine with the sodium that constitutes most of the alkali problem and allow it to leach away. The compost will physically pull the soil particles apart allowing for better drainage and aeration to the root system. The Gro Power will provide the beneficial soil bacteria that will allow breakdown of the organic matter and conversion of the fertilizer you are applying into a form the plants can use. To save the house or sidewalk, you can neutralize the alkali that will cause the concrete to melt away. Start by adding 1 cup of WHITE VINEGAR to 1 gallon of water. Apply the diluted solution to the concrete surface with a broom or scrub brush. Let stand for 1 hour. The surface will bubble while neutralizing the alkaline menace. To prevent the problem almost permanently, simply dig a shallow 4” to 6” deep trench as close to the walk or wall as is practical. Apply a ¼” deep bead of SOIL SULPHUR to the bottom of the trench. Cover the trench and you are done. As the water brings in the alkali, the sulfur will neutralize the intrusion for many years to come. If left undisturbed, this cure can last for 10 years or more. Follow these easy instructions, and the case of the silent killer is solved.

Red Dogwood

The Red Twig Dogwood is one of the most versatile of all of the dogwoods. It is native to North America and has been used by Native Americans for a variety of purposes. The red twigs are useful for basket making. The bark has been used for a red dye. The plant itself has a variety of traditional medical uses. The Red Twig Dogwood spreads slowly by underground runners and makes a spectacular clump after a few years. The white spring flowers are followed by white berries in the summer. The bright red leaf color is one of the most noticeable in the fall. Its claim to fame, however, is the dramatic bright red stems that stand as a stark contrast in the winter. Like most dogwoods, the Red Twig likes high organic matter and a moist, well drained, acid soil. Try this beauty under more mature trees. It will make a nice contrast as well as fill in those voids created as trees mature.

Garden Guide…"Creative Inspiration for Gardeners”
MIDSUMMER GARDENING DOLDRUMS
Midsummer for our area can be excruciatingly hot, so who wants to garden, right? It's way too hot to be digging large planting holes, especially in our rocky and clay soils.
It certainly isn't the time I would choose to renovate sections of my garden or to tackle that long put-off garden project. However, it's a great time to add creative elements to your garden and work on creating those outdoor rooms! As with indoor decorating, your garden should reflect you and your family so that everyone feels comfortable there. Create a wonderful retreat away from the house under a big shade tree. Place furniture so that family and guests can easily converse with one another, enjoy powerful views and listen to the trickling stream. If you don't have a natural water element in your garden, now would be a great time to add one! Did you know studies have shown that a water element can actually lower one's body temperature by two degrees on a hot day? Prefabricated concrete or stone fountains generally take less than an hour to set up and are quite easy to care for. However, they're heavy so, enlist the help of some neighbor kids. But if you want something that is really quick and easy, try our preformed poly ponds. They come in a wide array of shapes and sizes and are light and simple to install. As an added bonus, they are backed by a 15 year warranty. Now…sit back and relax with friends and enjoy that great glass of lemonade in the greatest room in your house….your backyard garden.