Dear Valued Lanoha Customer,

October did bring the metro area perfect weather conditions for great fall color. We received some much needed moisture, the days were warm and sunny, and even in late October the night temperatures have brought light frost---but no freezing temperatures that lasted longer than a few hours. With this fall's spectacular color pallet fresh in your memory, there is ample time to plant a tree from Lanoha's stock of hardy northern seed source trees. We control the tree inventories from our vast growing fields of over 1,000 acres and have carefully selected varieties we find very successful for planting in our area. You can rest assured that we have done the legwork in research and cutting edge technology in producing the best trees available in the Midwest! These trees are dug from our own fields, and we deliberately over size all the root balls on the trees which allows us to offer a tree that will have minimal transplant shock and establish rapidly. Trees planted in November and December are extremely successful. The soils remain warm long after the air temps drop in the late fall season. Soils remain warm even after night temperatures drop to the teens and days warm only into the 20's or 30's. We always mulch installed trees so the roots are well insulated for the winter.

Your trees will be ready to begin growing the second spring arrives. Successful planting occurs regularly until the frost is so deep in the ground that the crews can no long dig a hole for planting. If you are considering an instant impact 96" root ball spade planted tree, it is not uncommon to plant almost all winter! Remember all of Lanoha's B&B and spade planted trees carry a full 2-year warranty. 

The awesome silhouette of a tree in winter can add just as much impact to the landscape as a tree in full leaf. No reason to delay, select a tree now and let our professional staff install it before the holidays. What an excellent family and house Christmas gift!

If you were to fertilize the lawn only one time a year, that one time would be now, after the final mowing this season. An application of a specially formulated winterizer fertilizer will deliver amazing results next spring. This late feeding will be stored by the grass roots and will naturally green the lawn in the spring without the need to push it from dormancy with high nitrogen fertilizer. The accelerated push with fast release nitrogen fertilizers in early spring is one of the major contributors to fungus diseases that damage lawns late in the summer.

Ferti.lome's Winterizer is environmentally friendly, containing no phosphates that can make their way into the ground water supply. Nebraska soils, even clay soils, are usually naturally high in phosphate.  The slow release nitrogen in this blend will keep the grass blades green well into the winter months, and the roots will continue multiplying into late December. The valuable potash, the last number on a fertilizer analysis, will give the stems of the grass plants stamina to remain upright under the weight of snow or foot traffic.  Potash is the vitamin pill for turf that will ensure good winter survival and a lawn that will amaze you in the spring!!

This economically priced fertilizer is unique in another outstanding way. It is enriched with zinc, boron, manganese, copper, and iron. These trace elements are expensive additives and are not usually found in the "big name" winter fertilizers. If you have never used a Ferti.lome fertilizer, this is the perfect product with which to become familiar with in this "independent dealer" garden center line.

If you have never experienced vole damage to a bed of prized hostas or daylilies after a blanket of snow covered the area for some time, you are probably very lucky! This "meadow mouse" is active day and night throughout the year. Traveling in shallow tunnels they feed on roots of young shrubs, destroy random narrow strips of turf, devour bulbs, and damage the roots of perennial flowers. This tiny rodent can cause considerable damage to shrubs and small trees by "girdling" the trunks or stems with their extremely sharp teeth. They seek winter protection in piles of leaves that may blow in around shrubs, under piles of snow, and even find their way into downspouts.  They are especially attracted to bird feeding stations. They multiply so rapidly that a single vole family can do considerable damage to a landscape in very little time. The most humane control is to use Bonide's Molemax Mole and Vole Repellent. The granulated product should be sprinkled over areas of the lawn where snow tends to drift after heavy snow.  The all natural repellent will keep the voles from that part of the turf where they would find protection under the snow. It could also be sprinkled over perennial plantings.  We offer a live trap from Havahart that allows relocation release. Voles can also be trapped using Tom Cat snap mouse traps baited with peanut butter and oatmeal flakes.  Mouse poisons should be used only where animals and small children are not present. 

Trees and shrubs can reduce winter heating bills by as much as 25-40% according to studies done in Colorado and South Dakota. A few well-placed evergreens near entryways can decrease the amount of cold air that finds its way indoors every time a door is opened.  Evergreens planted near the exterior walls of your home can create a zone of relatively still air between the plants and the walls.  This dead air space will reduce heat transfer, functioning much like the dead air space in the insulation in your walls. Savings will be seen immediately in addition to appreciated home value.  

A "GREEN" gardening aid, (Wilt Stop), derived from the natural resin of pine trees has the unique ability to form a protective, soft, clean, and flexible film on leaves, needles, and bark of treated plants.

Winter kill, sunscald, and winter burn are references to damage that occurs when moisture loss from strong winter winds coupled with intense sun rays in the winter months desiccate plants. In the spring the leaves on boxwood, euonymus, holly, Japanese maples, rose of Sharon, and azaleas/rhododendron may display sun bleached leaf tissue with flower and leaf buds unable to open in the spring. Evergreens such as arborvitae, yews, junipers, white and Vanderwolf pines, and Alberta and bird's nest spruce that experience this moisture loss have needles that brown and drop. Once the old needle drops on any evergreen, it does not re-grow.  This may cause severe disfiguration or death to the evergreen.

Please note that blue spruce, Montgomery spruce, and similar species that have blue or glauca needles should not be treated with Wilt Stop. It won't injure the plants, but it will temporarily remove the blue coloring from the needles. That can be very shocking!

Winter snow is a great insulator for deciduous as well as evergreen plantings. The past winter was windy and dry. The lack of snow cover compounded the cold and sunny conditions. Many plants were completely desiccated and did not respond to spring rains or fertilizer. They had to be replaced. No matter how well watered a plant is in the late fall, once the ground freezes in December, it is unable to pull "replacement" water from the roots that are in frozen ground up into the plant's stems and foliage to restore what has been lost to the wind and sun.

As beneficial as Wilt Stop is, spraying too early in the fall season may actually result in plant damage. The targeted date is late November to mid-December for the first application. This is considered a "safe" date to assume that the plant has directed excess moisture from the leaves, needles, and stems into the storage areas of the plant's root system. Because of the fluctuating winters we seem to have, a total of three applications spaced about a month apart are recommended for maximum protection. You will need to watch the weather to find the day that is right for spraying to take place. Two very important conditions must exist: (1) The day must be sunny as it takes the ultra violet sunrays to activate the protective sprays. If you were to spray on a cloudy day, the material would not perform. (2) The temperature must be 35 degrees or warmer allowing the spray to dry before the temperature drops below freezing. This may seem tricky, but there are usually adequate days meeting these requirements. Wilt Stop comes in RTU bottles for small plantings and in a concentrate (quarts and gallons) that is mixed one part Wilt Stop to five parts water.

Lanoha's selection of cut Christmas trees will be on full display the weekend before Thanksgiving. Many of our regular tree customers celebrate Christmas with family at Thanksgiving so we make every effort possible to accommodate that schedule. 

Fraser, Noble, Douglas, and Nordman fir and a limited number of white pine will be available in a wide range of sizes. A "unique to Lanoha" stand straight tree stand is offered to make your set up time a snap. If you are not familiar with this concept, it has always been offered here at Lanoha Nurseries. At the time of purchase, we always make a fresh cut to the bottom of the trunk so the tree will absorb water and remain fresh. The tree's trunk is placed in a special stand where the trunk is aligned perfectly straight and then a tapered drill bit opens the trunk to accommodate the Stand Straight Stand. The trunk will fit snuggly into place over the tapered spike in the bottom of the large water bowl stand. A simple tap of the hammer and set up is complete! A tree with a four-inch diameter trunk should absorb a minimum of a gallon of water daily to retain its freshness.   We recommend using either a tree preservative such as Prolong or Superthrive in the water pan. Wilt Stop can be sprayed on the tree for a "fresh" clean look that will also help prevent moisture loss through the needles. Large tree removal bags make clean up after the holidays less stressful.

All of the cut trees are displayed in a covered environment out of the elements. The trees are hung so you can spin them to see all sides---no selecting from a frozen stack of trees.  This year spend some family time around our large fire pit and outdoor fireplace to make your holiday tree selection a family outing. Custom flocking is available as well as delivery of your Christmas tree.

NEW THIS YEAR-AFTER THE HOLIDAYS, BRING US YOUR  LIVE CHRISTMAS TREE WITH ALL DECORATIONS  AND LIGHTS REMOVED AND WE WILL RECYCLE YOUR TREE ALONG WITH OTHER GARDEN WASTE .    PLEASE  REMOVE  ANY PLASTIC COVERING WHEN DROPPING OFF YOUR TREE AT THE RECYCLE SITE AT THE GARDEN CENTER. IT'S FREE!!!!!! 

   Join us Friday, November 8th from 5:00 - 8:00 PM for holiday fun!

Lanoha Nurseries Christmas Open House is this Friday, November 8th from 5-8 P.M. Bring the entire family to enjoy seasonal refreshments and festive activities. Whether your taste is traditional to eclectic, spark your creativity this season by joining us for an evening of sparkle and splendor.      

Browse through an incredible forest of life-like trees, garlands, and wreaths. Some of the themes you will enjoy are:

(1) Nostalgia of Christmas's Past where snowmen, santas, warm plaids, and snowy décor bring special memories of childhood.

(2) Shimmering Decadence with sparkling silver, platinum,, and pewter against crystals and glitter ornaments in a rainbow of colors bring modern sophistication of the 21st century into your living room.

(3) Woodland Wonder where earth tones blend with natural greens, pine cones, bird nests, acorns, deer, squirrels, bird houses and a wide range of your favorite feathered birds and owls.

(4) Candy Fantasy which incorporates fun pastel colors, peppermint sticks and swirls and sugary candy ornaments sure to be a family favorite

(5) Traditional Red / Green themes will be embellished with glitter ornaments, picks, leaves, and garlands that will bring a "Look" that will appeal to "Traditional Purists" of all ages!

While you are shopping be sure to enjoy the free refreshments.

  The inventory of "Life-Like" trees will overwhelm you. Realistic spruce, fir, and pine from 4 ½' space savers to spectacular 12' giants will be decorated in themes and colors to coordinate with your color schemes and style of furnishings.

It is not severe cold temperatures alone that damage tea, floribunda, and climbing roses, but rather periodic late winter warm spells followed by rapidly dropping temperatures.  Successful rose protection buffers plants, protecting them from sudden temperature fluctuations. Roses must be allowed to harden off and reach dormancy before any winter protection is applied. Covering plants too early, often before dormancy has been completed, is a major factor in winter rose mortality. In Omaha, mid to late November is generally a time to apply winter protection. Another guide to use is the occurrence of 4-5 nights in the low 20's that cause the rose leaves to hang "limp" next to the canes. This should indicate that the rose is ready for winterization.   

Avoid severe pruning. Tea roses, floribunda, and shrub roses should not be cut below 18".  Additional pruning may be done in early spring when small red buds form on the live canes. Remove all foliage that had a disease problem, and apply a final fungicide spray on a sunny day when temps are above freezing.

The use of a plastic cylindrical column that encircles the rose plant is the recommended method of winterization.  This "rose collar" should be filled with either mulch, well-amended topsoil, or a combination of the two.  Water well so the insulating materials freeze and do not blow away in the winter winds. The 8" high cylinder will protect the graft union on tea and floribunda roses and insulate the lower stems on the shrub roses.  This protective insulation should remain until spring when the tiny new buds begin forming on the rose canes. These handy collars are reusable and inexpensive!

Cracks and splits in tree trunks are fairly common and may occur for various reasons.  Splits can occur on the trunk of the tree as well as on branches. Trees most susceptible to this type of injury are those which are thin-barked, newly planted (under 5 years in the ground), planted in open isolated winter sun exposed sites, installed in heavy or wet clay soils, suffered some minor trunk injury from weed whips or lawn mowers, been severely pruned of lower branches, been fertilized in late spring producing excessive new late summer growth, suffered root damage due to improper watering (running lawn sprinkler too often, or were drought-stressed the previous season.  It is pretty common for trees that suffer frost cracks to have been exposed to a number of these conditions!

When growing under a lot of stress many trees, including sycamore, ornamental crabapple, ash, beech, flowering pear, tulip trees, all fruit trees (apples, peaches, pears, and cherries), almost all varieties of maples (Norway, sugar, red sunset, and even autumn blaze) may develop frost cracks.

One of the most common reasons for cracks and split on the trunk is caused when the inner and outer wood in the tree's trunk expands and contracts at different rates when rapid temperature swings occur. This happens when winter temperatures plummet below zero after a sunny warm period when the tree's trunk was warmed by unseasonably warm winter days. The different expansion rates between the inner and outer wood can cause such a strain on the trunk that a crack develops.

Frost cracks often do not seriously hurt trees although they provide openings where certain disease organisms may enter, particularly if a tree may be growing in a stressed location. A frost crack can develop on any side of a tree's trunk, but the south or west are the most common.  Frost cracks are ideal hiding places for insects such as carpenter ants or wood borers. These insects do inflict serious damage to a tree.

Wrapping trunks on newer trees with light colored paper tree wrap "may help" prevent cracking. Some homeowners who have trees in new developments where protection is minimal will "top" the paper tree wrap with one of expandable plastic spiral protectors that are almost always white in color to help reflect the winter sun's heat.  ALWAYS REMOVE THE PROTECTIVE COVINGS ABOUT APRIL 15TH.  Pick up your FREE GUIDE on protecting trees from frost cracks and sun scald. Sun scald causes outer bark to peel back and can cause serious damage to the canopy of a tree. While the visual trunk damage may differ with frost cracks and sun scald, the preventative approach is the same for both conditions.

• Decorative pots and planters made from wood, cast iron, polyurethane, fiberglass, and non-porous plastic composites can be safely left outdoors over winter. Some pots are labeled as "frost -proof". Unless they are guaranteed to withstand sub-zero temperatures, it's best to assume the materials are "frost-proof" in mild climates of the south and west-not the conditions that usually exist in Nebraska. Most decorative glazed pottery should be protected from the winter elements by either moving them indoors over the winter or emptying the pots of soil and elevating the bottom with bricks or wood to keep the pot from coming in contact with snow and ice. Another recommendation is to wrap pots in tarps or bubble wrap for protection.        
• Poinsettias----hundreds of them in the form of a giant tree will greet you when you shop our Christmas Wonderland this holiday season. It is quite a sight to see and one that will make you want to buy more than just "A POINSETTIA!"  Cyclamen, Norfolk island pine and holiday cacti make excellent holiday gifts. A new shipment of fresh houseplants from Florida will be available to compliment your holiday decorating or to delight someone special with a beautiful house plant. Don't forget, we do custom potting and delivery is always available.
• Our inventory of Christmas ribbon is outstanding.  Place your orders soon for custom bows to brighten all your holiday decorations. 
• Home accents and garden décor from around the world are perfect under any tree.  Quality interior or exterior furniture, lamps, oil paintings, mirrors, gazing balls, hand blown Polish glassware, bird feeders and bird baths, and our huge inventory of decorative pottery are just a few of the perfect gift giving items that await your selection. 
• A 2-3" layer of quality wood mulch will help insulate roots of trees, shrubs, roses, and perennials. Be sure to not create "mulch volcanoes" around trees.  That is the term given to mulch that's piled up in a cone directly touching the tree's trunk.  This practice will damage the trunk and will ultimately result in the tree's death!!
• The perfect holiday gift is a LANOHA GIFT CARD.  A gift card from Lanoha Nurseries has no expiration date and can be purchased in the amount of your choice.
• This year our selection of outdoor holiday pot décor is outstanding. Twigs, pods, greens, and color will be available for your holiday entrance planters. We will design an original arrangement for you or help you with ideas so you can be your own custom designer!