Dear Valued Lanoha Customer,

     This summer has been one for the record books. Sandwiched between record cool nights have been mini heat waves and the normal high humidity that summer in Nebraska can bring. The almost monsoonal rains of late August have left the ground with ample deep moisture  

that is perfect for September's fall planting. Granted this summer's weather has been a  

bit confusing, but homeowners are ready for a great fall planting season.

     There is an old proverb that goes: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is NOW!" Make that second best time this fall. The balmy, sunny days, cool evenings, and gentle rainfall of September ushers in nature's time to plant. The pallet of fall's color spectacular begins to unfold this month. Lanoha's B&B inventory of locally grown trees is outstanding. Unlike many other nurseries in the area, where you choice is limited to stock on hand, at Lanoha Nurseries you will choose from hundreds of freshly dug northern hardy seed source trees grown here in Nebraska soils and climate.

     [  All of our B&B (balled and burlap) trees come with a full two-year guarantee!  ]

     You will be able to select from a huge inventory of maples, locust, lindens, flowering crabs, oaks, and dozens more of your favorites.

     When installed in the fall, a plant does not have the stresses of summer heat and humidity to overcome. Once you have found how successful fall planting can be, you will "always" find a reason to plant something during nature's planting time...Autumn!

 

Mums in multiple sizes. Ready to impress.   

     Metro lawns are indeed ready for fall renovation. The unusual summer weather caused more than normal amounts of Brown Patch Fungus and Summer Patch to appear in both bluegrass and fescue lawns. This damage is more prevalent where the soils are compacted and thatch over ½" thick exists. In last month's newsletter, I wrote about thatch and how to effectively deal with the "break down" of it with the fantastic turf product called Soil Activator. If the dead spots now appearing in the lawn were in part a result of heavy compacted clay soil and/or a build- up of dead turf (thatch), now would be the perfect time to begin applying Soil Activator. The first step in any turf repair would be to mow the grass to 2" and double or triple aerate before applying the Soil Activator. Soil Activator is completely compatible with any turf seed and any lawn fertilizer.

    [  We encourage that seeding be accomplished by September 20-30 to ensure
       the seed has ample time to fully germinate and get mowed 1-2 times before  

       the growing season ends  ] 

     Pick up our step-by-step FREE guide on seeding. Bulk or bagged grass seed is available. We carry a very large inventory of 50 lb. bags of all our blends and mixes at significant savings. We will custom blend to your specific needs. Many weed problems in lawns begin when "less than quality seed" is introduced into quality turf. Our entire inventory of grass seed is the highest germinating and cleanest (free  

of weed and crop seeds) available.  

         Best of the Blues and Super Turf are two of our most popular seed varieties  

If 40% or more of an area is bare ground use Lanoha's Starter Fertilizer immediately after seeding. If you are seeding into fairly dense turf, use your favorite slow release standard lawn food--a slow release fertilizer will not burn the new germinating grass seed. If a broadleaf or grassy weed control was used late this summer, delay seeding for 3 weeks from the last spray date as the herbicide will affect the germination of the seed. All areas seeded this September should have Ferti-lome's Winterizer Fertilizer applied in late October to ensure winter survival of the new grass plants. It is embellished with iron, boron, sulfur, zinc, and other valuable trace elements missing in lower quality products.

           is the most important feeding of the entire season  ] 

For years straw has been used to help maintain soil moisture during seed germination. And for years, straw has blown away, washed out, and introduced weed seed to the site. Those days are over with the introduction of Straw Net, a pelletized straw mulch. It is made from the stems of straw that are cut into small pieces, dyed green, and embellished with a special binding agent that keeps the straw fibers together and creates a moisture trapping layer of straw fiber. This layer provides a barrier from the wind and sun evaporating moisture from the seed bed while allowing water to infiltrate for ideal seed germination. It can improve your results dramatically! Maintaining moisture at the surface where the seed resides during germination is the key to successful seed establishment. When it first became available, I thought, "Maybe Straw Net would help, but I will keep my old method using a bale of straw." I would get weeds from the straw and spotty germination.  

I had to reseed several times. Then I tried Straw Net in a really "tough" site, and the results were amazing. I have never seeded without it for the last 5 years!

Our 2014 collection of award winning bearded iris will be available in just a few days at the Garden Center. This hardy, long-lived perennial requires a minimum of maintenance to deliver years of spring, and in some varieties, a fall blooming period. The flowers have six petals, three upright petals (called standards) and three hanging petals (called falls). A fuzzy line or beard runs down the middle of each fall. Iris have thick, fleshy, underground stems (called rhizomes) that store food produced by the sword-shaped, semi-evergreen leaves. The rhizomes grow best when planted so that 1/3  

of the rhizome is above the soil line. Each year underground offsets develop from the original rhizome. Success with iris depends on keeping the rhizomes firm and healthy. In general, this is done by providing the rhizome good drainage while the feeder roots below remain moist---but not wet! A full  

sun exposure is preferred. Good soil drainage is essential to prevent rhizomes from rotting. A tight clay soil will keep the rhizome too wet. Ample amounts  

of perlite and organic compost should be worked into the planting site to  

the depth of at least 10-12". Avoid using manure when planting iris.

     The severe winter damage that all roses experienced this past winter  

has resulted in concerned homeowners wanting to do whatever they can  

to prevent a repeat of that devastation. In the August newsletter we encouraged everyone to give all their roses a final fertilization with a balanced granulated food in mid to late August.

    If you forgot, feed them now in early September! This was suggested so the plants would remain robust and sturdy going into October and November when we begin to have night temperatures in the 20's. During the next 4-6 weeks, continue with your regular fungicide/insecticide spray programs ensuring that the rose is as healthy and robust as possible.    

     [  Don't winterize roses before there have been at least 3-5 (back-to-back) 

        nights in the low 20's  ] 

    If we winterize too early, we can actually damage the rose. Usually we are ready to winterize roses around the middle of November. This is Nebraska---sometimes we cross our fingers and hope the weather will be cooperative so we can wait that long. The leaves should be somewhat limp and hanging down next to the canes before we ever attempt to winterize. I like to get as many leaves removed from the canes and picked up from around the plant as possible before I begin my winter insulation. I cut tea, floribunda, and shrub roses down to 2' in November. This makes it easier to get the mulch and insulating materials in between the canes to form a nice "cone" shape. I try to get alternating layers of shredded mulch and soil built up through the canes to the height of at least 12". I try to "top" the insulating materials with a 2" layer of soil to prevent the wind from whipping the mulch away and leaving exposed canes to the winter blast. Some people like to use leaves, but if there is a lot of snow and moisture over the winter, the leaves may pack down and keep the canes too wet over those long winter months. I have experienced unsatisfactory results using leaves unless they have been shredded or composted.

     In mixed landscape beds, I prefer to use Rose Collars to contain the  

winter insulation. These are reusable plastic interlocking strips that keep  

the mulch/soil in place. They are 8" tall and open to about 12" across.  

This is especially necessary if you are growing your roses in river rock.    

     Some gardeners like to wrap the canes with burlap. The Garden Center offers burlap by the yard is you choose to use it. Years ago foam cones were used to winterize roses-unfortunately homeowners killed many roses with foam cones. The canes got too warm resulting in mold and fungus developing on the canes and killing the plant. These cones are still sold in discount stores, but not by experienced nurserymen!

     Please stop by and pick up your FREE Rose Winterization Guide at the Garden Center. It may be a few months away before we actually winterize our roses, but the above suggested tips will send them into the dormant season in the best possible condition.  

     [  It is NOT TOO LATE to plant hardy shrub roses in September.   

        They are able to establish good roots before the winter cold arrives!  ]

You CAN protect your Ash trees  

     The most frequent questions concerning one of the state's most endeared shade tree---the ash-is this: Where are the Emerald Ash Borers, and are they near Omaha?  

     [  As of the last reports the Emerald Ash Borer was in Iowa east of Des Moines  ] 

There was an unconfirmed reports that they were found in a tree south of Shenandoah, Iowa, but I have not heard that it was confirmed by the state. All it will take is careless shipping of contaminated plant material or fire wood-and it could be here in Omaha. If it were only the insects moving, it would take years for them  

to reach the metro area as they move on average about ½ mile in a year. While  

the local news media often infers that ALL the ash trees are going to die, Lanoha Nurseries offers advice and products that applied properly to healthy tree not yet affected should provide good preventative control.

There are trees this very season that are heavily infested with a borer that has been killing ash trees in the state for the past 50 years. This borer is not the much dreaded Emerald Ash Bore, but it is the Red-Headed Ash Borer. The adult looks very much like a brightly colored yellow and black wasp. It lays its egg in the deeply furrowed bark on older ash, and the borer holes can go undetected for years until the damage initiates outward symptoms. The symptoms could include a lighter leaf canopy 

each year until many branches have no leaves or much smaller than normal leaves set only on the very end of branches. The tree may develop premature fall golden color and be completely defoliated by the late summer.  

By this time, saving the tree can be difficult---NOT IMPOSSIBLE! The tree's inability  

to get nutrients and moisture from the roots up through the trunk due to the borer damage could also make any preventative insecticide produce erratic results.  

There is a product that is available if active borers are found in the trunk, 

but results vary due to the damage already done by the active borer inside the trunk of the tree. That product is called Ace Caps and it is inserted directly into the trunk as an emergency treatment. It is not recommended for preventative control-only when there is significant visible damage to the tree. This will work well on the Red Headed Ash Borer that already is here. In the future, when Emerald Ash Borers enter the area, these inserted plugs may save  

your ash tree if borers have already entered the trunk, but it is still being tested in Michigan and Wisconsin. 

      [ If your tree appears to be healthy with a nice dense canopy of leaves,   

        mid-September is the target date for a soil drench of Ferti-lome's Tree   

        and Shrub Systemic Insect Drench  ]    

  The drench is applied onto the ground near the tree and is soaked up by the roots 

It is homeowner friendly, requires no special tools, and if applied correctly excellent control will be seen preventing Red Headed Ash Borers and in the future the Emerald Ash Borer. There is a step-by-step instruction guide available at the garden center. When you come in, please have the circumference (distance all the way around the trunk) of the trunk of the tree measured 4' from the ground.  

      [  If the trunk measures less than 38" at the 4 ft. height, a single application  

         will deliver a year-long control  ] 

This could be applied either in mid to late September or early to mid-April. If the circumference is 38" or larger, applications need to be made both in September and again the following April. The is available in both quart and gallon sizes. 

DROP OFF

Homeowners & Lawn Service Companies
welcomed during regular business hours

Lanoha Nurseries has prided itself for decades as a leader in the ''greening'' of the metro area. We believe offering the free drop off to be more environmentally acceptable than to have this 

material end up in the bottom of a landfill.

Items that will be accepted at the Garden Center are:
Shrub clippings, sawdust, straw, hay, grass clippings, pumpkins, corn stalks, wood chips, leaves, brush, sod, dirt, garden waste  

and Christmas trees.

We ask that the small branches be between 4-6' long-no logs, please. No railroad ties or treated lumber. No waste left in plastic bags. No rubber or plastic bags or containers. If you bring your yard waste in plastic bags, we ask that you empty them into the container and take the plastic bags with you. Filled paper bags can be dropped off without emptying.

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  1. The cooler days of September are excellent for controlling broadleaf weeds such as ground ivy, clover, field bindweed, and wild violets. Ferti.lome's Weed Free Zone is our most reliable herbicide for these difficult to kill weeds. It becomes rain proof in 3 hours and shows kill within 24-48 hours. It is available in ready to use form or in a concentrate.
  2. Our fall bulbs have arrived from Holland. The early bird gets the best choices, but you'll want to wait until the cooler temperatures of late September/to mid-October to plant.
  3. Our home grown hardy mums are ready for fall planting. We have available flowering kale and cabbage, pansies, ornamental millet as well as twigs and other fall accents to make a beautiful fall container. We also have available "ready- made" drop in containers for the autumn season.
  4. Early to mid-September is an excellent time to divide daylilies, Siberian iris, peonies, prairie cone flowers, sedum, and hosta. If you are needing additional plants, our perennial inventory of specimen gallon containers is awesome.
  5. September is an excellent time to apply Ferti-lome's Horticultural Oil Spray to control over-wintering eggs of scale and many other insects that may be on shrubs, trees, and evergreens. Temperatures should be below 90 degrees on the day you spray. It is 100% organic and a great clean up spray for most shrubs, trees, and evergreens. Refer to the label for restrictions.
  6. If turf is attacked by grubs, an application of Dylox granulated insecticide will give quick results. The spring was cool, and grubs are a little late in hatching, but they are ready to begin damaging lawns soon. Be ready!
  7. Continue using granulated soil systemic insecticide in patio containers that you intend to bring indoors for the winter. Control these "hitch hikers" with an application every 4 weeks.
  8. If the inside needles of white pine or Vanderwolf Pine suddenly turn yellow and drop, it is probably the normal fall shedding of needles. These pines retain needles for only 1-2 years. It is why they appear "whispy or airy".