is that a robot?
Sometimes I get to see really cool things. Last week was one of those times. I just got back from Monrovia Nursery Company’s Oregon growing location. It’s nestled in the heart of the Willamette Valley south of Portland, a beautiful area made up of hazelnut orchards, blueberry farms, grass seed fields, and lots of other nursery plant growers.
And there may or may not be a lot of vineyards there, too. We may have found our way into one of those!
We were at Monrovia this year, just like we often are in August, to see the nursery and check out crops; however, this year had an extra twist: Monrovia Nursery Company was celebrating 100 years in business.
Pretty impressive!
Besides just getting a chance to see the place and check out the crops that would be shipping this fall and on into next spring, we also got to check out all kinds of new plants, some already in production, but a lot that were still in the trial phase.
There are a lot of new cool plants coming our way in the years to come!
We got to watch a grafting demonstration. Grafting is how a lot of trees are propagated. Their team made it look easy, but when one of our group volunteered to give it a try, the skill and expertise required to do it properly...and efficiently...was apparent. It’s a lot harder than it looks. I’m just glad I didn’t raise my hand!
But the most impressive things were their new propagation “toys”.
I’m sure, at the price tag these robotic machines come with, calling them toys would ruffle some feathers. Regardless, they were cool.
One machine automated the process of sticking new cuttings into their growing trays. Over and over, all day long, two robotic arms carefully picked up and placed new cuttings. Empty trays went in one side and full trays rolled out the other...over and over and over again, all day long.
But the most impressive things were their new propagation “toys”.
The other machine sat nearby. It went to work on those trays of cuttings about 6-8 weeks later, after new roots had formed. Trays of newly rooted cuttings would roll in one side of the machine, then an armada of robotic arms would carefully pull them out, grade them, reorganize them, and then spit them out the other side.
Cameron Rees, General Manager
The trays coming out the other side were now graded as cuttings ready to be planted up, cuttings needing another week or two of growing time or cuttings needing a little bit longer than that. And those determined to be inferior were fed into a tub slated for the compost pile.
We sat and watched that one run for quite a while! It was a fun trip, and as always it got me excited for the fall season. It’s hot now, but we all know fall’s coming. We’re building inventories back up, and little by little we’re transitioning into the new season.
Hopefully the weather will catch up soon!
—Cameron Rees
fall kick-off weekend! sept. 12-13
Join us to bring in the fall! We have mums, fall decor, wonderful natives & of course pumpkins & gourds! Loads of beautiful, seasonally inspired colors for your lawn, garden, porch, or centerpiece. We'll also have food, drinks, and a come-and-go terrarium class! See the image for more details.
“THYMELY'' ADVICE: It’s time for the orange bag.
As the summer comes to an end and cooler nights begin to fall upon us, your lawn may be needing a little pick-me-up. Timing is everything with fertilizer, and that weather change lets you know it’s time...time for the Orange Bag!
Kansas residents more often than not have a cool-season grass growing in their yard. Cool-season grasses will start to enter their fall growth cycle after the stress of summer passes.
September is the best time to fertilize these types of lawns. In fact, if you could only fertilize once, September would be the very best time to do so!
A strong root system is the foundation of a nice lawn. Lawns need nitrogen to help thicken and encourage development of a healthy root system. The food is converted into new roots, crowns, and shoots. It helps thicken up those thin areas and can also help in the prevention of weeds, as a dense, healthy lawn helps choke them back.
We recommend Fertilome Lawn Food + Iron. It contains two types of nitrogen made to help green up that lawn and encourage long-term, stable growth, and it comes in a bright orange bag.
And that’s why we call it The Orange Bag!
The second most important time to fertilize is November. Winter can be damaging to lawns if not properly protected and set up for the winter. Fertilome Winterizer is another quick-release, high-nitrogen fertilizer that helps build vigorous root systems during winter. It also helps enhance winter stem strength and disease resistance. This fertilizer should be applied around late October. Just remember Halloween.
These two times are by far the most important times to make sure that your lawn is fed and protected. Stop in today and let one of our friendly staff walk you through what you need and how to apply.
—Melissa Anderson
MORE NEWS, eVENTS & aNNOUNCEMENTS
FALL KICK-OFF PARTY WEEKEND - SEPT. 12-13
Join us to bring in the fall! We have mums, fall decor, wonderful natives & of course pumpkins & gourds! Loads of beautiful, seasonally inspired colors for your lawn, garden, porch, or centerpiece. We'll also have food, drinks, and a come-and-go terrarium class! See the image for more details in our newsletter above, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
