Damage from snow mold fungi

It's not too early to start thinking about a turf disease called Snow Mold. We have had the early deep snow that has prevented the ground from freezing and often a layer of wet slush keeps the ground and grass saturated for extended periods of time promoting the disease.  

Typically the crown of the grass plant does not die as does the leaf blade, but the condition does look really bad. If possible, try to remove some of the snow from plowing operations so the grass and ground dries a little quicker. Then as soon as you can, rake off any dead matted grass being careful not to pull up the crown and roots of the plant. It may look dead but it is most likely still alive. As things begin to warm and excessive water has either evaporated or drained, consider an application of fertilizer.  

You will most likely be very surprised how well lawns can recover from snow mold if given just a little TLC! Read more about snow mold from U. of Rhode Island.

Learn and Earn!

Leafspot on Rudbeckia

NEXT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, at 1:30pm in Newtown

Common Diseases in the Landscape, What to Expect for 2011

We are very pleased to have Dr. Sharon Douglas come to us from the CT AG. Station in New Haven. Sharon is a plant pathologist and is head of the Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology. Accurate diagnosis of plant disease is fundamental to maintaining healthy and attractive landscape plants.  She'll cover not only this diagnostic procedure, but also how to evaluate environmental and site conditions, how weather impacts disease severity and more. Not to be missed!

Receive 1 credit for this class for CT 3a, 3b, and 3d.

There are still some seats available. REGISTER SOON!   

Tel. 203-426-4037 (Newtown Office) or reply to this email (sbarbier@planterschoice.com). 

Reminders: Ecological Landscape Association's Conference next Thursday, March 3rd and UCONN's Perennial Plant Conference for the Professional Horticulturist, March 10th.

First batch of trees arrive in Newtown!

Believe it or not, we've begun to see trucks roll in this week bringing us the first  round of deciduous material! Though most of us can't even see the ground, the days are getting longer, and before you know it the phones will start ringing. So let's ease into the season by looking at a handful of this first shipment.    

Amelanchier lamarckii (Lamarcki Serviceberry) A small native tree  perfect for the woodland garden. Likes moist soil and part shade - will be fine in full sun with adequate moisture. Small star-like white flowers in spring followed by dark purple fruit. Great yellow-orange fall color.

Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud) Hard to resist the beautiful pink haze made by its bright pink flowers mid-spring.  This native tree works especially well on the edge of the woodland. 

Cornus (Dogwood) Many varieties,  but here's two interesting cultivars: C. florida 'Appalachian Spring', a white, upright form with very good disease resistance, and C. x 'Venus', a Rutgers hybrid (C. kousa x C. nuttallii) which has very large 4-6" white flowers, dark green foliage and a dense branching structure. Can't wait to see that in bloom!

Hamamelis virginiana (Common Witchhazel) Another small native tree, this one is fall blooming - a nice way to end the year.

Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree) One of the largest growing native trees in the Northeast capable of reaching over 100'.  It has a pyramidal crown when young, becoming oval with time. Named for its yellow and green tulip-like flowers which bloom high in the tree's canopy.

Farm News 

We will start digging trees from our own growing fields within the next 2-3 weeks - behind by only about a week - not bad considering the amount of snow received! Keep an eye out for them - northern grown right here in Connecticut, generously sized, hand pruned and carefully dug by Duane and his crew! Remember, in the catalog they're marked with a PC! 

Spyker Spreader

Hardgoods and Fertilizer

With the "warm" temperatures and melting snow this past week mother nature has reminded us that spring is not all that far away. This past Wednesday we received our first shipment of Lebanon fertilizer and control products for spring applications.  

We have also decided to provide a new line of quality "SPYKER" brand spreaders to help you with your fertilizer and seed applications, as we expect there to be a lot of lawn repairs this spring!  Stop in and take a look! 

Grass Seed:   

NEW  Water Star Ultra -  A mixture that, once established, requires 30% less water than traditional  seed. A good seed to consider for properties that do not have irrigation.  

NEW 70/30 - A quality, full sun seed mix of 70% Kentucky Bluegrass and 30% Perennial Rye for customers that demand that classic turf look that only Kentucky Bluegrass can give.

All your favorite Planters' Choice seed mixtures have arrived for your spring turf repair/installation needs as well as quality Penn Mulch and Lebanon Fertilizer for the best results you could ask for. We're also happy to offer the Dense Shade Mix in 50 lbs bags as well as 25 lbs again this year.  

Have a Great Weekend!

Check out the CT Flower and Garden Show!