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‘Key for Trees’ Vouchers
Fraleighs Landscape Nursery is glad to partner with W4 Country and Key Bank to provide trees to community members who have suffered damage from the recent Dexter tornado. Our staff is planning to work individually with voucher recipients to get the plants they need to start to recover their landscapes. The vouchers are valid toward the purchase of any in-stock plant material (potted and ball & burlap trees, shrubs, and perennials) OR special order plant material to suit the recipient’s needs. The vouchers are valid through October of this year, so we’ll have both spring and fall planting seasons to satisfy individual requirements. For those with vouchers, we will be discounting all plant material according to type and variety to maximize the value of the voucher. If voucher recipients have any further questions or would like to investigate what trees or plants would work best for them, please contact our Nursery Manager at 426 5067 x14, or stop by the nursery to speak with our staff. Fraleighs is very proud of our community and looks forward to participating in this and other efforts to help return our neighborhoods to beauty.
UPDATE 5/15/2012:
We received a nice selection of Michigan-grown Shade Trees appropriate for the K4T program into stock today. Stop by soon to get the ‘pick of the litter’ Oak, Maple, or Sweet Gum. Please note that we are extending the same discounting available to the K4T Voucher-holders to other folks that suffered damage from the March 15th Dexter Tornado. Please call 462 5067 x14 for details.
Its *New & Improved* HollyTone Time!
Remember, Fraleighs recommends an application of HollyTone fertilizer twice annually to maintain and enhance your gardens and landscapes. April Fool’s Day and Halloween are the approximate dates we set to help folks to remember to feed their plants. HollyTone is a great organic low-analysis (4-3-4) acidifying fertilizer well suited to our alkaline soil types. The HollyTone formulation also contains beneficial organisms — helper microbes — that complement and enhance healthy root systems. Perennials, shrubs, ornamental grasses, evergreens, and trees can all benefit from a twice-annual application. Stop by today — our staff would be glad to help you calculate how much you need, explain the simple application process, or arrange for our crews to make the application for you.
New this spring, Espoma has tweaked the formulation of HollyTone. The product is now an even better soil acidifier with 5% instead of 2% Sulfur. That’s great for most of us contending with high soil pH. Most ornamental plants prefer a neutral-to-moderately-acidic soil, and HollyTone is now an even better way to mildly acidify gardens. Likewise, their new production method is providing a more ‘crumbly’ texture to their fertilizer, and this means less dust and hence a little less of HollyTone’s characteristic organic ‘aroma’. Best of all, these improvements have been made with no changes in pricing or volume! That’s a relief to those of us still searching for an actual half-gallon of ice cream in the frozen aisle…
Click here to learn more about the product.
New USDA Hardiness Zone
In the first official revision since 1990, the US Department of Agriculture has updated its Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Most of Washtenaw County is now classified Zone 6a, with average annual low tempertures between negative five and negative ten degrees Farenheit. What does that mean for Washtenaw County gardeners? Not necessarily a whole lot, as cold hardiness is only one of many factors that affect how any given plant flourishes or perishes. Soil type, sun and wind exposure, and appropriate moisture levels are just a few factors that are coequal to cold hardiness in determining the fate of plants in our landscapes. What the new zonation does mean is justification to explore new plant possibilities previously thought to be a fuzz too tender for our winters. Fraleighs will be trialing a few such candidate plants in the coming years. If you have any suggestions you’d like to try, let us know. We’ll be glad to give you our opinion for the odds on a specific plant, and source them if we can.
Links to the new Zone Map:
Boxwood Blight
Recently, a devastating exotic fungal disease has been identified in boxwood in eight states and Canada. To date, its presence has not to be confirmed in Michigan.
The experts are working to ascertain the extent of the disease’s spread and develop management strategies. We at Fraleighs are concerned with this disease, especially since boxwood has become a staple deer-resistant evergreen element in the last decade. We will continue to monitor developments and will post any preventative measures that are presented.
In the mean time, following recommended procedures, we are limiting our incoming boxwood stock to plants grown by a trusted supplier here within Washtenaw County. She has had all of her plants growing on site for many months now, and the liners she grows her stock from are all produced by Michigan propagators.
Likewise, we are expanding our plant palette to allow for more deer-safe evergreen alternatives. We have dabbled in other options in the past, and while none of the alternatives have been as flexible as boxwood, several now merit a place in our designs. Come see us this spring to meet some goodies such as Cephalotaxus and Ilex glabra ‘Nordic’.
Links for more info on the boxwood crud:
8600 Jackson Road, Dexter, MI 48130, 734-426-5067 |
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