Archive for the ‘Seasonal’ Category

     New ones to watch for: Sweet Pea “Villa Roma Scarlet” and Zinnia “Double Zahara Fire”. Both are Fleuroselect’s choices for 2010 Gold Medal winners. This is the first sweet pea to ever gain this recognition and we all (or should) know there is nothing like a spring blooming sweet pea. The Zinnia is a shorter growing variety but it is DISEASE RESISTANT…. Dang. Powdery mildew is always such a problem when growing this non stop summer flowering annuals.

     Redmond Greenhouse will do all it can to obtain these GREAT plants for local gardens.

Tracking the footsteps of this spring is certainly a winding trail. I don’t remember such a mild approach in the past thirty years I have live in the High Desert. I do know that an incredible number of gardeners are overflowing into the plot as they sow seeds of lettuce, onions, peas, and more. Starts of cabbage and broccoli are also finding their way into local garden soils. My oh my must we remind ourselves it is still March and our last approx frost date is the end of June!!!! Oh well me must do what we do…….. be enthusiastic and over the top optimistic….. Smile and Believe!

            If you are planting asparagus make sure to take a look at some of the hybrid varieties of “all male” and gourmet selections such as “Gourmet Purple”. Work into the soil at least 12” of organic compost in combination with our organic blended “ Cold Climate” fertilizer. Possible light harvest next spring if all goes well! As you plant your strawberries MAKE SURE TO PLANT THEM IN RAISED BEDS! This practice will allow for good drainage and higher yields. Mix and match your selections for longer season harvests. Add our product “Azomite” for an additional boost of goodness. Keep all runners off the new plants and mulch with additional compost.

            Over in the pond and water-feature area you may want to add a shot of Microbe Lifts “Spring” starter package. Follow up with some PL and possible “Sludge Buster” for getting rid of that bottom pond YUK. If you need a GOOD algaecide try the Microbe Lift version. Gets rid of green water and NASTY STRING AGLEA!

            Happy Early Spring….. Ready to go Veggie Starts and a ton of GREAT seed….. Doug

     As you sow your seeds outside remember to cover them ever so slightly with a special “Seed Starting” soil, washed river sand, or a fine milled garden compost. This practice will make a HUGE difference in your germination rate..

     If you are starting seeds inside your home try using a heat mat, plastic humidily dome, and special seed starting soil versus regular potting soil. As soon as they germinate move them to bright light and cool temperatures. Brush your hand over the seedlings daily to help strengthen the main stem. A GOOD grow light will make all the difference in the world…….. At Redmond Greenhouse you will find the new energy efficient LED lights….. Happy Early Spring Gardening….. Doug

     What a wonderful pick for the herb of the year. The many uses of this herb is as extensive as your culinary imagination…. Easy to grow in a sunny location this fantastic plant should find its way into you life and into your garden. Best grown in a garden bed it offers a wonderful backdrop due to its height. In the salad or in the dressing this lacy herb will add great zippiness to your crunch salad. The mainstay in many pickle recipes as well as countless other dishes the herb “Dill” is a dandy. Redmond greenhouse will make sure we have ample seed and garden starts to satisfy local gardeners………… happy March…… Doug

     As November fades from the yearly calendar many of you will begin thinking about the traditional centerpiece of the Christmas season, The tree. As in past years Redmond Greenhouse will be presenting to you a host of “living” trees for your selection. From small tabletops to larger specimans we hope you will find the perfect tree for your home. There has been an increase in interest in living trees  as folks look for ways to make better spending choices. I know of folks who use the same tree year after year. They simply use the tree for the season and then return it to the patio for the remainder of the season.

     The choices you will have will include the most popular Colorado Spruce along with a few assorted Pines. As more kids get involved with gardening we have made sure to increase our inventory of smaller one gallon trees plus a special selection of “garden-start” trees all dressed up in a traditional Terra Cotta pot complete with bows and  keepsake ornaments….. Happy Holidays!!!!

     We also like to suggest using living evergreens such as Holly, Mugho Pines, and Pieris for indoor greens and decor. Simply wrap the nursery pot with decorative florist cello or rustic burlap to conceal the pop….. zippo………. you are looking great and going with “growing green”. For your table you might just plant up a low decorative planter bowl with succulents, ivy, and Christmas cactus, add a couple of long taper candles and again you are “going green” with your table centerpiece.            As you can see the possibilities are endless…. This is what I call “Getting out of the rut”…… Happy end of November….. Doug

     Just in case you are all wrapped up in other important things…. Don’t forget to get your garlic planted. We thought we were out, but then we were able to get another shipment in. Fall is the time to plant these wonderful little garden gems and our selection is pretty darn good. Many of you have found out how easy it is to grow and how GREAT the results can be not to mention the money that you can save. I was in a local market the other day and the shallots were at just under six bucks a pound…. ye ha dang!!!!! Someone just might want to start a small cottage business in raising and selling quality organic shallots.

     In other related garden news don’t forget to top-dress your empty garden beds with a generous application of “Cold Climate” organic fertilizer as well as at least three inches of compost. You still have time to plant a few “spring flowering” bulbs if you have not already done so. For those of you that have fruit trees DON”T forget to spray your fruit trees with dormant spray. In my opinion this is BEST preventative you can do to guard against overwintering insects and disease.

     Meanwhile back at the ranch I have been able to get away a few times to enjoy life up at our cabin on the north slope of the Steens Mt. Talk about ye haw dang…………… it has been SPECTACULAR!  On other unrelated items my back continues to mend and I am very optimistic about the surgery they did. I just hope I will respect my body just a little bit better and not tear things up.

     Well that is about all for now……….. I will try to be a little bit more attentive to posting info as we head into the late fall early winter season. Hope you had a good season…. Enjoy the weather each and every day……   Try making a homemade soup and a loaf of fresh bread….. Now we are realy living the good life….. Happy November… Doug

     Ahhhhhhhhhh the season of summer is here andI hope all is well in your garden. Not a bad spring in terms of past history….. A few frosts, a  couple of heavy downpours, along with a scattered pounding of harsh hail. Welcome to the “High Desert”. As I have always said if you can ride out the unexpected climatic conditions of thus unpredictable gardening are you “just might” have a pretty good garden of flowers, herbs, and veggies.     As we move into the month of July there are a few things you will wanat to keep an eye on. Spider mites are the number one invader of so many our flowers and shrubs. Do keep a watchful eye (with a hand held lens) for distressed looking foliage. Leaves will often become dusty looking as well as a little sprackled yellowing on the inner leaves. The product called “3 in 1 Insect, Disease, Mite Killer” is a top end and very effective. On the organic side a product called “Spinosad” seems to be doing a pretty good job. As always make sure you “WATER DEEPLY IN THE MORNING AND DON’T SPRAY UNTIL THE COOL OF THE EVENING”. I might also add that it is imperative to repeat the spray every seven days for three times to get the most out of your efforts!!!! Down in the Vegetable garden it will pay you to apply preventative sprays of “Serenade” (organic disease control) on such plants as your squash (Zuccini) and cucumbers. These plants inparticular are very vulnurable to powdery mildew. The particular disease goes by so many time undetected and will realy take a toll on your plants vitality…… Don’t forget to continue to sow seeds of crunchy salad greens as well as cilantro, radishes, and peas. The HOT weather will sometimes derail your efforts, but if you are successful the mid to late summer crunch will be all yours.

     Out in the orchard (for those of you that are lucky enought to have fruit trees) should make sure to thin your crop if you have not already done so…………….. Less fruit means a bigger and tastier late season harvest. In worse case senerios I have seen frut trees complety dump their fruit because of too much fruit combined with inadequate waterings……. Side dress with some of our organic fertilizer “Cold Climate” and maybe even a thin layer of good organic compost to help hold in moisture as well as reduce weed populations.

     For tomatoe growers who may have not properly addressed the need for calcium you may want to apply a liquid or granular side dressing of “Liquid Calcium” of granular “Azomite”. This practice might also be good for your cucumbers and squash…… Mulch with compost as well!!!

     If you have any Alberta Spruce trees, if you have not already done so it would be advisable to give them a liquid drench of Ferti-Lomes “Systemic Insect Drench” to help ward off any hot summertime Mite damage. Almost Guaranteed they will arrive and do their damage. Potted Alberta’s will usually show signs of browning, rusty dusty on the side facing the building. Sometime webbing will be seen but not always….

     Contrary to many this is a good time to sow seeds of wildflowers, lawns, and other desired crops. With the warm temperature, warm soil, warm nights, germination will simply astound you. I did my lawn in July several years ago in mid July. I had germination in 5 days and was mowing in 15 days!!!!! THE ONLY THING……..  If you do not water with diligence (at least three times a day) the seeding project may not go so well……….. Other tips I might offer to you would be to make sure you work a lot of good compost into the seeding area. Lightly cover the seed with a fine compost and use ONLY ORGANIC FERTILIZERS. You might also consider covering the freshly seeded area with our special “Seedling Cloth”. This scanty spun-bound white fabric is a true miracle in regards to helping new seedbeds. It will shade the seed, hold in moisture, and keep birds out. Just make sure to anchor it down or the High Desert breeze will move it down the block or possibly farther…….

     Well……………….. That about wraps it up. Sorry I have been a little slow with subject, but my back has been giving me fits of late and I find it very unpleasant to sit at the computer…………. I did have surgery and I am in the recovery mode…. My wonderful wife bought me a new computer desk, chair, and keyboard…………… ye ha………….. I will try to do better………… happy gardening…………. Doug

     As the growth of spring begins to reveal soft new and tender growth gardeners will want to be on the look-out for an outburst of aphids. This little critters can cause a lot of damage in a very short period of time. So many times folks will bring in plant samples with leaves all curled up by damage caused by these common pesky bugs. If you don’t keep a tight moniter on your plants you may well fall into a lot of damage.

     At Redmond Greenhouse we like to offer a variety of products to help with your battle. Organic remedies are at the top of the list. Cedar Spray is offering some very positive results as a repelent. Mite-X is also a great product we sell. On the synthetic side we have a product called 3 in 1 that will stop just about every bud DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS.

     We are in good shape if you are looking for lady bugs, praying mantis eggs, or benficial nemetodes. We are also in great stock with our composting worms if you are in need.

     Hope all is well in your garden………….. I have assembled my organic “Straw Garden” at the Redmond Greenhouse.  You may want to swing by and take a peek. Constructed of straw bales for the border, then filled with “Dougs Blend” which is a mixture of organic potting soil, compost, and vermiculite. Then I topped it off with a 25# bag of our “Cold Climate” organic fertilizer, 25# crab meal, 15# soil microbes/mychorizea, 30# Azomite, and last but not least a bag of Wonder Worms pure earthworm castings. Ye Ha and away the garden goes. I have now planted several of our heirloom tomatoes, sunflowers, cucs, and winter and summer squash.

     Let the season begin and may the plants begin to grow……….. Summer is on its way………………… Celebrate….  Happy Gardening     Doug

     Ahhhhhh you just have to love the wonderful sunny days we are having of late. Just about everyone is out sowing seed and setting out transplants of all tough ones. Cabbbage, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and all the other leafy green goodies. Onion sets are lining out in rows as well as garlic, shallots, and leeks. My oh my the gardeners of the area are smiling and the tillers are tilling away!!!!

     If you are looking to plant some berries you will want to check out your local garder centers as soon as you can. Starts of raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries should be in good supply. Redmond greenhouse also has starts of blackberries, rhubarb, and asparagus if you are in the planting mood. Make sure to dig a lot of compost into the area that you are going to plant in. Our “Cold Climate” organic fertilizer is also a GREAT bet in regards to nutrition. We will be getting in two more bunches of Walla Walla onions if you are interested… Plant now or forever be so sad!!!!! We also have some of the greatest onion and garlic sets I have ever seen.

      If you are looking for fruit trees our selection just got a bit better. Some great cherries, peaches and apricots if your orchard is a bit shy…. If you want to plant a flowering tree on your property you may want to shift into high gear. Our selection is the best ever and NOW IS THE TIME TO PLANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      If you plan to treat your trees with a systemic insecticide the time is N O W !!!! Our liquid drench will do the trick and last for up to a year.

      For pond people our Microbe-Lift product “Spring/Summer” start-up kit is in stock and ready to help you out

Enjoy the season and the warm weather it is giving us…………………… just remember that we are living in Central Oregon and the snow is still on Black Butte……………….. happy spring………………. Doug

     As I gazed out the kitchen window on this chilly frosty morning, I realized my daughter’s early planting of garden basil was nothing but a memory………. Off and on as I watched the mercury dip throughout the night I had also forgotten about her “very” early planting of this very frost sensative herb. Low and behold when the temp drops to upper teens basil hits the compost pile in a hurry. As of this writing I am not sure if her tomato plant survived or not. It is planted very close to the foundation of our house so it may survive.  We both shed a frosty tear and vowed to be more cautious in the future, but alas we are both devoted gardeners and when spring comes our trowels just seem to head for the door ….. with or without us. We do however keep ample tissues in our gardening tool box for such sad events…….  Hope your garden is doing okay………