Jared's Nursery, Gift and Garden Center

Need to get my hands in the soil

2012-01-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

It is almost too early to start many garden seeds, unless you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse to play in. Me, I just have a section of sunny south windows and a section of bright south windows. So, this morning, my cats begged me to plant catgrass for them. I scattered about 20 seeds into 2 six inch pots, watered then in well, and zipped them into the Queen size sheet containers. Yes, a sheet container. Perfect mini greenhouse to set in the bay window. Also, in the window, I have some "pass me down" geraniums cuttings which I took 6 weeks ago. They are now blooming ...a breath of spring.

Where did these bulbs come from?

2012-01-17T13:56:00.000-08:00

I found them in the basement, staying cool, and not looking too bad for a living thing. These bulbs, tulips and daffodils, should have been planted outside in October. If you are in this same boat, find some pots, put in about a inch of potting soil, set the bulbs in tight, cover with more potting soil, water well. Then, I put mine in the unheated basement where temps will range from 45-55 degrees. Maybe your garage has similar temperatures. After 4-6 weeks (we are faking a winter on them), the roots should be coming out of the bottom of the pot and the new shoots should be coming out the top. Bring a few into a bright room to green up and flower. After they flower, cut off the flowers and treat as houseplants until the leaves die off. Then, out to the garden with them.

Can You Believe It?

2012-01-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

With all the recent snow, it is always a surprise to see the first green. Unfortunately the first green was a clump of Myrtle Spurge. Yuk! This List A Noxious Weed (http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Agriculture-Main/CDAG/1174084048733) was actually sold in Colorado as an ornamental for the garden up until 8 years ago. But it liked our climate too well and has become invasive. It can also do harm to people who are sensitive to the white latex. So, it is a good idea to wear rubber gloves and maybe even a mask when removing this plant from the garden as soon as you see it.

Funny Fox

2012-01-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

Last night on my way home, my headlights caught a fox valiantly trying to drag its next meal off the side of the road. I should not have been surprised since these lovely critters work all winter, hunting for food for the new kits which will soon be inhabiting the den. They are also good friends to us gardeners because they try to keep those pesky voles and rabbits under control. If these pests(not the fox ;-)) have bothered you in the past...leaving tunnels in your grass, eating junipers and other landscaping... and you do not have a resident fox, try either Fertilome Mole and Gopher Bait to kill the voles, or use MoleMax granulars that will help repel the pests.

Seed Saver Exchange Seeds Have Arrived!!!

2012-01-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

With the warm weather in Late October/Early November, I finally got my container vegetable garden cleaned up and put away for the winter. Today, the Seed Saver Exchange Seeds arrived. Seeds to dream about growing for the coming season. These wonderful seeds out of Decorah, Iowa are not Genetically Modified Organisms(GMO). They are heirlooms, passed down through families and friends for many, many years. And the great thing is that if you happen to miss a few bean or pea pods or you let the lettuce bolt(go to seed) you can save those seeds for next year. Very Cool! I did this with the Tom Thumb Peas in 2010. These bush peas were grown in a big pot. A few of the pods were missed so became dried up peas. AND next year's seed(2011) made this year's peas.

Hot Hot Hot

2011-07-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

It can be very hot for all of us and our plants. As much as we love the afternoon rains that seem to be coming by, we need to remember that our lawns and trees still need moisture. I cannot tell you how many times customers will come in and wonder why their grass is dying out? Simple solutions are abundant, first check your sprinkler system. The easiest way to determine if your yard is getting enough water is to take a tuna fish can or a empty cat food can and mark 1/2 inch inside it. Then place it in the middle of your sprinkler zone. Each watering should fill up the can to the 1/2 inch line.

If your watering is adequate then the next thing is to check for cutworms, grubs or fungus. The easiest way to check for the insect issues is to cut a (i.e. /\) triangle out of the lawn with one side left out at the transition zone (where the brown and green meet). Pull up the grass at look at the root zone, if you see grubs or cutworms that is easily taken care of. If you see nothing but our wonderful clay ground, bring in the sample of grass with the soil attached. Then we can help identify the fungus you may have.

If your trees and shrubs have leaves falling off from the middle of the plant and they are green, odds are it is a watering issue (not enough). Please remember that lawn water might go 1-2 inches in the ground but tree and shrub roots can be 8" down. By deep root watering or using a soaker hose you can help stop some of the foliage drop. Basically, the tree has too many leaves to support and not enough water, this soaking about 1-2 times per month will help. If the leaves are burning, don't worry typically new foliage will start growing in 2 weeks with an increase in your water schedule. Of course you can always bring in a sample (but please don't leave it in your car for a day) fresh samples are always best.

Tis the Christmas season

2010-11-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

It's getting to be that time of year again. Holiday cheer, the giving spirit and of course the unbeatable smell of fresh cut trees and greenery. As we wait for our first true snow in the Denver Metro Area, what better way to feel good than walk in your home and smell a forest. Of course getting a fresh cut tree you need to treat it right and it is simple. Keep water it watered, and cool, try and keep any breezes off of it and they don't like getting sunburned in a west or south window. If you buy the right tree and treat it well the joy you can get from a fresh cut Christmas tree is priceless.
Some quick things to think about, an Oregon Douglas Fir lasts inside about 10-14 days inside, a Noble fir and Fraser Fir will get you to New Years. The Nordman Fir will last until Martin Luther King Jr Day, and the Concolor Fir will last until Valentine's day as long as you treat them with care.

Rain is the factor of life

2010-06-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

Isn't it a great time to see the rain? No, well think about it this way. You don't need to water your lawn, vegetable garden or plants outside. If you like working in the mud now is the time! Of course you can get a little cold. But working in compost and weeding are extremly easy when it is raining. Have you tried pulling weeds when it's 90 degrees outside? Working in compost when the ground is so hard you can break your shovel?

It seems a bit odd but the rain is great for helping the yard, especially when it is struggling. Grass will turn green in 2 days, aphids somehow seem to disappear from trees and roses. Spider mites go the way the wind blows and all those grass clippings that your neighbors leave out finally get worked into the soil.

For all the dreariness that appears, variety in life and enjoyment seem to arrive, only wait a day or sometimes a few hours in Colorado. Besides who doesn't look forward to getting warm inside once you have worked your tail off in the rain during the day. So take the time enjoy the rain as 95 degree weather is around the corner.

Vegetable Gardening Getting Started Advice

2010-03-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

The vegetable gardening season is fast approaching and many of us have already begun the ground work. During the long fall season, many gardeners were creating new flower and vegetable bedus. If you are in a new home or are considering rejuvenating and old flower bed, there are a few things to consider before getting your hands dirty.
First, a vegetable garden needs as much sun as possible. Five to six hours each day is preferred by the sun loving tomatoes, corn, cucumbers and melons. Other vegetables, like the cool season lettuce, would be happy in a cooler spot on an east side. Therefore, observe the yard for a few days and make notes of where the sun strikes and for how long. This valuable information may be the difference between an Early Girl tomato ripening in 45 or 65 days.
Second, vegetables do best in soils with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. You can test them yourself or send them the CSU and have them tested for about $27.
Third, a gardener needs to amend the soil to break up the hard clay. Compost and till as necessary in order to break and allow. Ask for help from us for the amounts you might need.

Bringing Christmas Trees in the House

2009-12-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

For those that like to shop for Christmas trees when it is below freezing, please remember that trees even though they have been cut can go into shock. When this happens it takes about a week and then the needles will fall off the tree like blizzard in Kansas.
In order to stop this from happening you ought to transition the tree into a garage for 4-8 hours. This way you are not having a 60 to 70 degree change for the tree. The transition will allow the Christmas tree to last through the Christmas instead of two weeks.

Poinsettia Care

2009-11-29T15:08:00.000-08:00

Poinsettias are looking great this year. There are a couple of things to remember about taking care of these beautiful plants. Poinsettias need bright light and the ideal temperatures are in the 60's. The cooler temperature prolongs the color but understand that under 50 Degrees they will not last. When the surface of the soil is dry to the touch water thoroughly but do not leave it sitting in the water.

If you are looking for long term maintenance use a complete fertilizer with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium every two weeks.

www.jaredsgarden.com

Christmas Trees

2009-11-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

     As we look forward to the wonderful world of Christmas it time stop some of the myths around. One we constantly here is we are saving trees by using a fake one. In truth Christmas trees like the Noble fir can be considered a crop. They are planted for a 6 to 10 years out for harvesting, in addition many of the areas in Washington and Oregon the trees are planted in areas that cannot be used for much else due to the rocky terrain they are in. Did you ever ask yourself if the fake tree is to help "save a tree" then why are they packaged in cardboard and shipped from across seas? Did you know there are roughly 1/2 a billion trees in rotation on tree farms for Christmas. Did you know roughly 28% of home fires at Christmas time are due to fake trees catching on fire?      Another common myth is all Christmas trees can easily catch on fire. Well there is some truth to this, you need to look at the source of the tree, if it is a long needled tree such as an Oregon Douglas Fir, or even the Noble fir being a short needled tree if the tree is brittle of course it can catch fire by a spark. But if you buy a tree from an independent retailer who gets them direct shipped then you have a fresh tree and should not catch fire even if there is a spark in a light strand. A couple of fantastic trees that are fire retardant naturally are the Nordman fir and the Concolor fir, the Fraser fir does extremely well at staying fresh even in Colorado's low humidity. A couple of ways to help the longevity are
             1. Close all vents near your tree both floor and ceiling
             2. Place the tree in a north or east facing room and away from fireplaces
             3. If you have an extra humidifier place it in the room the tree and get an extra 4-5 days out of it.
             4. Get a fresh cut on the tree at least 2" up from the bottom
             5. If the temperature is near freezing then bring the tree into a garage until the branching drops. Rapid temperature changes are harmful.
     One other item which I guess is not a myth but our culture of thought, Christmas trees make such a mess. NO THEY DON'T. If you buy a fresh tree not from a grocery store or a box store then you don't have all the needles dropping if you follow the steps listed above. If you are worried about the needles dropping and having to vacuum them up ask yourself do you vacuum the floor anyway? Does the dog shedding make more of a mess or even the kids coming in out the dirt and snow and leaves from the yard.
     You can't beat the smell of a fresh tree it is relaxing and peaceful like the woods. Don't get spooked by the media or friends. You buy a tree from the right place and the trees will last and you will have a fantastic Christmas once again.

Wonderful Indian Summer of Colorado

2009-10-08T15:04:00.001-07:00

     Color is all around from the Purple Ash to the Autumn Blaze Maple in a brilliant red. You can't forget the brilliant yellow of the Spring Snow Crabapple or the Ginko Biloba or the fiery red of the dwarf burning bush. Colorado has always had a varying coloration in the fall and can change daily or weekly. The dogwoods are alive with reds and the butterfly bush are shutting down for the year.
      With the changing weather in Colorado many people tend to think in terms of pruning roses and trees and winterizing the lawns. Which is great but a little early in general, if your grass is still green and growing be patient and wait till Halloween for winterizing your lawn. For your tree pruning in March or Late February is fantastic but please stay away from the tree pruning paint.
      Bulbs are a great way to bring your yard to life early spring or late fall, such as crocus that will start blooming in February and Alliums that will bloom into June or July. Ornamental grasses will give you winter texture and fall plumes, but very little in early spring or until the heat arrives next year.