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| Mark's Turf Tips
Successful Lawn Seeding
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| | Soil testing is easy! Click picture for UCONN's Soil Sample Analysis Form |
A successful new lawn seeding depends largely on proper site preparation - and that goes well beyond what most people feel is adequate. First, understand that there are two, some would say three, properties of soil that need to be understood: physical, chemical, and biological.
The physical properties of a soil largely refer to the soil texture which plays a large roll in moisture retention and aeration and thus the soil's ability to supply moisture and oxygen to the roots. Tied in with this is soil compaction, or lack there of, allowing the roots to move easily into the soil.
The chemical properties refer to the soil's pH and fertility. Hands down, the most important thing you can know about a soil is the pH. The pH is a measure of the concentration of the hydrogen ion or acidity. This is what controls chemical reactions in the soil and determines the availability of fertilizer to the plant. Again, fertilizer can be available in the soil, but if the pH is either too acidic or too alkaline, the plant can't get the fertilizer. GET A SOIL TEST DONE!
In recent years more and more recognition has been given to the biological properties of the soil... Read More
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Don't forget about the climbers!
 Goldflame Honeysuckle Gold Flame Honeysuckle ( Lonicera x hectrotti) is a fast growing twining vine that's a nice addition to a cottage garden. It will quickly cover an arbor, trellis, fence or stone wall; it can even be planted as a ground cover, in a container or as a shrub. The blue-green foliage is a nice back drop to the bright pink flower buds that open to orange tubular flowers. They're slightly fragrant and have a delicious, sweet nectar that hummingbirds and butterflies love. Honeysuckle is very easy to grow - plant in full sun to partial shade. It's deer resistant, can tolerate dry soil once established and is a non-invasive Honeysuckle (unlike its cousins Lonicera maackii -Amur Honeysuckle and L. tatarica -Tatarian Honeysuckle, to name just two). Water well the first year to develop a good root system and it will reward you every spring with a mass of bright flowers and a chance to watch some awesome winged creatures!
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News from Watertown
It's Time to Plant!
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| | l-r: These guys have bareroot planting down to a science - each with their own job; Jonathan in the company of bareroot River Birch; the new field at Lynn Farm planted with Crabapples, Fruit Trees and Flowering Cherries |
Now that the window for digging has closed, Duane and his crew of 7 are busy replanting the fields with bareroot trees. The fields are first soil tested, then amended with fertilizer and lime (if needed), then ripped and roto-tilled, and then finally planted. The bareroot stock is trimmed and treated with a moisture retention product before planting. Some of the trees planted this year will be ready for sale in 2-3 years.
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| | The crabapples blooming here were planted 3 years ago in a field that looked exactly like the new field at Lynn seen above! |
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NOW! Incoming this week: More Roses, Southern Magnolia and Limber Pine!
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| | Buds a plenty on the Rhododendron - the best time to get them n the ground! |
| Deciduous Trees & Shrubs | | | Acer rubrum 'Red Sunset' | Red/Swamp Maple | | Betula nigra | River Birch | | Hydrangea macophylla 'Endless Summer' | Bigleaf Hydrangea | | Rosa Knockout Family, New Dawn | Roses |
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| Southern Magnolia - An unusual evergreen that
adds winter interest and summer flowers! Plant in a protected site - Zone 6b |
| Broadleaf and Specialty Evergreens | | | Buxus 'Green Velvet', 'Newport Blue' pyramids, Winter Gem' | Boxwood | | Cryptomeria japonica 'Yoshino' | Japanese Cedar | | Ilex crenata 'Microphylla', 'Steeds' | Upright Japanese Holly | | Ilex x meservae 'Blue Princess' | Hybrid Holly | | Juniperus formosana 10/12' | Upright Juniper | | Magnolia grandiflora 'D.D. Blanchard' | Southern Magnolia |
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Pyramidal Techney Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) make a great screen
with nice wide coverage at the bottom
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| Evergreen Screening | | | Picea abies | Norway Spruce | | Picea orientalis | Oriental Spruce | | Pinus flexilis 'Vanderwolf Pyramid' | Limber Pine | | Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald Green', 'Nigra', 'Techney' 7/8', 8/10' | American Arborvitae | | Tsuga canadensis | Canadian Hemlock |
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| | | The pollinators are buzzing on the Hybrid Hollies! Look forward to plenty of red berries this fall! | |
Have a Great Weekend!
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Weekly Plant I.D.
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Last Weeks ID
Parrotia persica
Persian Ironwood
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This weeks ID
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Persian Ironwood is an unusual, under-used tree with many plusses. It has an oval habit with tight branching (great for nesting birds!) and will grow 20-30' High x 15-20' Wide. The bark begins to exfoliate and turn shades of gray and green when mature. It has gorgeous glossy, dark green foliage turning yellow, orange, red and purple in fall. It tolerates heat, wind, cold, deer and insects. Does best in full sun to light partial shade in well-drained soil.
They have graced the gardens at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens for decades - so if it's good enough for the royals its perfect for your front yard specimen.
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