Happy Halloween!!

Japanese Maples at our Sloat Blvd store!

Japanese Maples just arrived at our Sloat Blvd store. Take a look!

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10 days until Halloween...

Are you ready?

Fall Garden Prep CHECKLIST

Fall Garden Prep CHECKLIST

· Clean up dead leaves, deadhead flowering plants- diseased leaves should go in the garbage, the rest can go in the compost pile
· Mulch with compost or Forest Mulch to amend the soil and keep down weeds
· Pull weeds before they have a chance to drop seeds
· Divide perennials
· Move perennials and shrubs between now and January-prune back lightly first
· Continue to bait for snails with Sluggo
· Strip roses Dec-Jan, prune in Jan-Feb
· Fertilize cymbidiums with 6-25-25 food
· Fertilize azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons with 0-10-10 food
· Fertilize blue hydrangeas with aluminum sulfate now for bluer blooms
· Fertilize winter color with all purpose plant food (primrose, cyclamen)
· Continue to fertilize citrus with citrus food
· Reseed lawns, fertilize lawns/use pre-emergent
· De-thatch lawns if necessary
· Hard pruning happens in January/February/March, it depends on the weather
· Clean and store tools- rub down with alcohol after each use, use white lithium grease to grease them, store shovels and saws in a bucket of sand with a little oil (5 parts sand-1 part oil)
· Select bulbs now- refrigerate tulips, crocus and hyacinth for 6-8 weeks, plant anytime from late October to December 31
· Turn the irrigation back on if the rain stops and the temperatures drop in January (or any winter month)

Decorate to celebrate

Let's decorate to celebrate fall! We have pumpkins,

gourds and mums to set the stage on your doorstep.

Your Fall Decorating Headquarters!

We have all sizes of carving pumpkins, mini-pumpkins, corn stalks,
gourds and other fall decorating supplies in our stores this month. Stop by!

Using California Natives in the Garden

California Natives are on special at all Sloat Garden Centers this month!

With habitats as distinct as marsh and desert, plus all the smaller shadings of soil types, exposures and altitude, there must be major differences in the uses of native plants in the garden. Added to these are a huge range of actual plant types...large trees, like certain oaks, maples and bays, that will grow to dominate any landscape, providing understory habitats for many other, smaller planats, as they do in the wild. A number of foliage shrubs, like the wax myrtles (Myrica) and coffeeberries (Rhamnus) are useful individually or in groups of any size, including shrubby borders and screens. Many dazzling flowering shrubs - the wild lilacs (Ceanothus) are perhaps the most loved and appreciated - make bold and decorative displays anywhere. Around the shrubs and under the trees can go a vast array of beautiful herbaceous perennials and subshrubs. The smaller buckwheats (Eriogonum), heucheras and iris are some of the showiest and most familiar, but there are many more. California has grasses and bulbs galore for making meadows. For woodsy settings there are many exquisite native ferns and flowering plants like wood sorrel (Oxalis oregana) and wild ginger (Asarum). And there are plants for rock gardens and rock walls, pools and streams, and virtually any other setting the gardener might conceive.

There are features of the California landscape that present a certain visual "flavor" and seasonal progression, quite distinct from that of the subtropics and moist forests that provide so many of our garden plants. Many dryland plants have small leaves for water conservation, giving them finer textures than more familiar exotics. Colors are often muted, and include many shades of grey, related to protective coats of hairs (another water-conserving feature). Flowering plants tend to make their displays from late winter - when they offer cheery relief from the bare-bark shades of many exotics - to late spring, when the soil dries and hardens. Summer and fall tend to be times of rest, though there are plenty of exceptions, especially among streamside plants.

Pumpkins have arrived!

All sizes of Pumpkins are available at Sloat Garden Center locations this weekend and throughout October... as well as colorful blooming pansies, flowering mums, ornamental cabbage & kale and other fall decorating favorites. Stop in and check out our selection!

Order your fruit trees now for 2011!

In addition to our regular fruit tree collection, we are excited about our ultra dwarf line.These trees allow gardeners with even the smallest spaces to grow fruit trees.Ultra dwarf trees are self pollinating (meaning, you don’t need two to achieve fruiting), they don't require cold winters, and they produce an abundant harvest of full-sized fruit. It is not unheard of to harvest 30+ apples, 40+ apricots, 30+ pears, 90+ cherries, or 50+ plums from one small potted fruit tree!

Ultra dwarf patio fruit trees will quickly become the real jewels of any garden. If you’re interested in any of the trees listed at left, contact the Sloat Garden Center nearest you to preorder yours. Trees will arrive in January 2011. Elberta Peach and Goldmine Nectarine varieties are also available, but we do not recommend growing them in the milder winter areas. Ask your local Sloat Garden Center for further details.

PLEASE NOTE:We will take orders for Ultra dwarf trees through October 15th, 2010. Please contact your favorite Sloat Garden Center location for details.

Available:
Delicious Apple
Royal BlenheimApricot
Compact Stella Cherry
Self Fertile Bing Cherry
Bartlett Pear
D’Anjou Pear
20th Century Pear
Santa Rosa Plum

Camellia Rhododendron Season is Here

Camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas have basically the same soil and water requirements; they need acid soil with lots of organic matter in it (E.B. Stone Azalea, Camellia & Gardenia mix) and a constant moisture supply. So they need soil that is fast-draining but moisture-retentive! They need more air in their root zone than any other plant. They have a massive root system consisting of tiny shallow feeder roots. These roots are extremely efficient at extracting nutrients from their immediate area. In fact, roots will be much smaller in a benign climate because a smaller amount of nutrients is required to maintain plant health. Rhodies in an exposed/harsh climate will have a much larger root system.

Because of their dense shallow root system it is never a good idea to plant right under these plants. The ideal planting location is in filtered shade under tall trees or on the east or north side of the house or fence, out of the wind. Plant in well-amended soil with the root ball slightly above the soil level and mulch with redwood or fir bark (Peat moss is not a good addition because it sheds water as it dries out). Instead of planting in clay soil, create a raised bed to ensure good air circulation.

Plenty of regular water in the fall is the key to promote bloom next spring. Roots may dry out in our typical California summer and the plant may become susceptible to thrips. Regular summer water and misting the leaves may help prevent infestation. Some foliage droop is normal in dry weather, especially on a warm afternoon, but if leaves are still showing droop the next morning, the plant definitely needs water. A new rhodie will get its water from the original root ball. If this ball is allowed to dry out it may be difficult to wet again and may need a slow deep soak. Wind and soil salts can burn the edges of the leaves. Windburn shows up most often on new foliage, salt burn on old foliage. In very cold weather sun and wind can severely damage plants, we recommend protecting plants with Wilt-Pruf or Harvest Guard Row Cover.

Fertilize half-strength the first year. Always water first if using a water-soluble fertilizer, an organic food is a much slower gentler feed. After the plant is established feed with a 0-10-10 and FST from October-December and switch to Maxsea Acid or E.B. Stone Acid for March through September. After blossoms are finished remove the trusses (rounded clusters of blossoms). Pruning in early spring will sacrifice some flower buds but spring is the best time for extensive pruning. Most rhodies want to become small multi-trunked trees and if you wish to avoid excessive pruning it’s best to choose a smaller cultivar. If your rhodie is too big refer to Cass Turnbull’s Guide to Pruning pp. 162-172, a great gift for yourself!