Utah's First
Family Nursery
We love plants. We love to help our customers succeed with growing their new plants. So, we thought we’d share a bit more about the products we recommend using whenever new plants are planted.
It can seem overwhelming at first.
“Why should I add all these powders, liquids, and blends to my soil?”
“Shouldn’t my plants know what to do naturally without all this extra stuff?”
The answer to both these questions can seem complex, so we wanted to break it down for you to understand why we recommend these products and how they truly do help your plants succeed.
First off is “the little blue tub” that we always recommend for eligible trees and shrubs called, aptly named, “MYKE Tree & Shrub.” Yes, it extends the warranty from a 1-year to a 5-year, but why?
MYKE Tree and Shrub is an all-natural growth supplement that contains biological fungi called mycorrhizae which is an inoculant that stimulates the existing mycorrhizae in the soil to produce more mycorrhizae.
Soil is naturally teeming with bacteria and fungi, though most are neither beneficial nor harmful. Still, they play a subtle, yet vital, role in plant health by boosting the number of helpful organisms in the soil. By adding helpful bacteria or fungi to take up those tiny spaces, you minimize the risk of dangerous microorganisms taking up residency and potentially harming your plants. An easy-to-understand comparison would be an inoculation humans receive to ward off undesirable diseases, sort of like a flu shot.
When applied correctly, which is close to the roots during the transplantation (we recommend patting it directly on the root ball), Mycorrhizal fungi will start to germinate in the soil and make their way to the nearest roots. The roots are then colonized by the fungi and mycorrhizae is established. Upon establishment, mycorrhizae assist the root system through a more efficient uptake of water and nutrients for the plant.
While MYKE has minuscule amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in it, it is not to be confused with fertilizer. It’s true that those minuscule amounts may be of minor help to the plant, but it is not a replacement for a good plant starter fertilizer such as Fertilome Root Stimulator.
No, for new plants with tender roots, you want to use something formulated specifically for root growth. Fertilizers that are for established plants have higher concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which can burn the tender root systems of new plants.
Fertilome Root Stimulator is recommended when transplanting to stimulate early root formation and development. It is perfect to use when transplanting trees and shrubs. In fact, it can also be used on berries, fruit trees, and flowers. In addition to the gentle fertilizer needed to give the plants a healthy, but not overwhelming, boost of nutrients, it includes an active ingredient called Indole-3-butyric acid.
Indole-3-butyric acid is a plant hormone used to initiate root formation. It should be used one time after initial planting at the rate of 3½ tablespoons of root stimulator in one gallon of water. We recommend using this product for new plantings at the initial planting, then again in the fall when plants start going dormant and push their energy into root growth. Do not use this product excessively or in amounts higher than recommended as it can lead to root burn, nutrient toxicity, or dry and damaged roots.
Awww, OK, that all makes sense. But with those products, why would I also need to amend my soil?
Unfortunately in the Salt Lake area, the soil structure needs help to allow for proper drainage along with nutrient density. We used to be a lake bed, a salty lake bed, so we have high alkalinity, poor drainage, heavy clay or sandy soil, and not a lot of organic matter to help break down the clay or hold moisture levels appropriately.
This is why, in addition to a mycorrhizal inoculant and a root stimulator, we recommend one of the following soil amendments to give your plants the best start possible, depending on which area you are in.
These blends are fully composted composts with few or no raw wood products in them and create a wonderful soil environment for strong plants and healthy root growth. Additionally, they are OMRI listed for organic gardening and great for breaking up hard clay soils and improving drainage, which in return will promote healthy root development. We have found the best ratio for use is 1 part soil conditioner to 3 parts native soil.
Note: Using a product that is not fully composted will steal nitrogen from the plant you are trying to grow in the process of composting the raw wood in the material, so you will end up needing to add a nitrogen fertilizer to supplement the soil
In summary, key factors that will help your new plant to establish properly and successfully include a mycorrhizal inoculant, a root stimulator, and a soil conditioner.
Be sure to check out our other informational pages on how to properly plant and water your new tree.
Happy Gardening!
The Glover Diagnostics Department
How crazy was the weather this spring?
It was certainly far from typical and it’s impossible to predict what's coming up. Let’s take a look at what this weather has done to our plants, and what to look for moving forward.
This spring has been particularly cool and wet, especially compared to last year when we experienced one hundred-degree weather in the middle of May with almost no precipitation. While this spring has had significantly more rain we are still experiencing a drought so we recommend reviewing local watering guides.
Because of the cooler spring weather, many plants took longer than normal to break dormancy. . For example, maple trees usually are fully leafed around mid-April but this year didn’t break dormancy until nearly the second week of May.
Redbuds also had a rough go of this spring. Hard freezes arrived during its two major growth times, killing the flower buds and delaying the leaf buds from opening in their normal time frame
Additionally, it wasn’t warm enough for many Perennials to wake up and bloom when they normally would, so you still may not be seeing some of your favorites in the garden. The good news is, that doesn’t mean that they’re dead. It just means patience is key so give things a bit more time to catch up.
Many people use Mother’s Day as the season marker for planting. However, this year we had a hard frost after that target date. You might have experienced damage in your veggie gardens, even if they were covered. This will result in a shorter crop season, but you will still likely get a decent harvest
Tomatoes typically have a 10-12 week harvest season. This year it will most likely be closer to 6-8 weeks, especially if we get frost in September.
Though it is almost at an end, June is known as Perennial Month. While temps are starting to warm up for summer, it is still a great time to add perennials to the garden to enjoy the summer blooms and feed the pollinators. As perennials all have different bloom times, it’s a great idea to add throughout the season so you can have a variety of colors throughout the year.
With hot temperatures becoming more regular, it’s important to keep an eye on your plants for signs of heat stress. The shock of the temperature swing from the cooler spring can be too much for your plants. Signs of heat stress include:
The best cure is always prevention. When possible, water your plants prior to 10 am, provide permanent shade, and mulch your plant beds and trees to keep the roots cooler.
Morning watering is preferred so your plants don’t lose water to evaporation in the afternoon sun. Evening watering makes your plant more susceptible to fungus and pests overnight.
It’s also worth looking into growing water-wise plants that are able to withstand extreme temperatures.
Take a look at 7 Waterwise summer blooms for your garden here.
What can you do if your plant has already experienced heat stress? It is possible for many plants to recover.
Heat stress can happen to plants in temperatures starting at 85℉ so keep an eye on your thermometers.
For more information about how the strange spring weather will affect this year’s growing season, make sure to join the Glover Nursery Facebook group and watch this live with Erica.
If you have any questions about how your plants have been reacting to the weather, please feel free to reach out to the experts at our Utah garden centre as well!
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These dog days of summer sure seem to be barking rather loudly lately - It is hot!!! Thank goodness you've done all the hard work to get your yard in great shape. Here are some easy things to do to help maintain all the effort you've already put in so you can keep enjoying your summer garden. |
Your landscape is your art form and you can design it however you’d like. This is a great time of year to add some easy color to your garden. The addition of colorful flowers always adds a fun pop to the landscape. We have perennials that are in bloom right now in the heart of summer and it’s also a great time to refresh your annuals. Flowers aren’t the only plant that can add color though. In shady spots you can add plants with beautiful foliage colors as well as grasses for different hues and movement. Yard art is a wonderful and fun way to add color as well. We have all sorts of cool metal art like cacti, flamingos, and peacocks. We also have sculptures and are expecting more this week! If you are looking for something in particular, give us a call - we have a lot of stuff and are always bringing in more.
This is a good way to spend a hot day as it doesn’t require any manual labor. Go outside and enjoy the all work you’ve already put into your summer garden. Sit in the yard and make notes in a journal as to what is working and what is not working. For example, in your vegetable garden, perhaps you notice that one type of tomato is thriving and another is not. Maybe you note that around the beginning of July, your squash plant developed a powdery mildew. Taking these notes will help you be better prepared for next year.
A journal is also a great way to remember and plan ahead for plants you want to try out next year. Maybe you saw flowers in a neighbor's yard or a beautiful plant in the park. Write those down and come next spring you can either start them from seed or find them at your local garden center.
We know we’ve touched on this a lot this summer but it is the hottest part of summer and it’s crucial that your plants are getting enough water. At the same time, our state is experiencing an extreme drought so it’s just as crucial that we aware of our water use. Take this time to reassess your watering. Inspect your sprinkler lines and drip irrigation systems to be sure they are running efficiently. Kids, pets, and pests can sometimes unknowingly mess with the lines causing small breakages you may have not noticed.
If you aren’t sure how to inspect your watering system a QWEL certified landscaper can come to your property to do a water audit for you.
Mulch is super important during the hottest time of year for retaining water in your summer garden. Mulching can retain up to 80 percent of added moisture in your soil. On top of that, mulch can also add some color to your garden (see tip #1). We also recommend Using products like Revive, Ground Breaker, Hydretain, or Turf Max to help your lawns and gardens. They all help to add nutrients and retain moisture where it is needed - the roots.
Even in the hottest part of the summer you can still plant trees and shrubs. If you find your backyard is hot and you want to plant a tree, or two (or five) give us a call. We can help you choose the right trees for your yard and we also offer delivery and installation services. Our crew are experts and will plant trees correctly, which is important for the longevity of the trees' life. Adding shade trees now is beneficial for multiple reasons: not only will you have a shady place to sit and enjoy the outdoors but also, it helps reduce temperatures in your home AND, if you position them correctly, it can provide shade over the AC Unit which helps reduce the cost of running it as less energy is required to keep the unit cool while it works to cool your home. Plus, trees and shrubs provide habitats for birds which means more songs to listen to while you enjoy their shade. I think that is a win-win-win-win...maybe even one more win?
Make sure to join our Facebook group for more ideas and tips like this during our Facebook Live ‘Ask Erica’ segment every Thursday at 11am MT.
Updates, Sales, and Gardening Tips
9275 S. 1300 W. West Jordan, UT 84088
Phone: (801) 562-5496
Fax: (801) 562-5595
Email: [email protected]
Updates, Sales, and Gardening Tips
