TREE RATS
Squirrels can be a pain.
Every year, as I’m pulling oak seedlings and walnut seedlings out of every garden nook and cranny...including the pots on my patio and the baskets hanging from the eaves... that thought comes to mind. Squirrels can be a real pain.
A couple of Sundays ago, I ran across one that took things to a whole new level.
I came into work early to try and get caught up on things. As I walked into the store, I was bombarded with a chorus of battery backups, all sounding their alarms. It was battery backup chaos!
I quickly set aside my plans of getting caught up on things and tackled the issue. I just as quickly realized I was getting nowhere. As soon as I’d reset one of the units, it would trip again, signaling a warning. I tried again and got the same results. So, I went on to the next unit. Same story. An attempt on a third unit brought the same results.
Nothing was responding. I needed help!
A quick call to our electrician and a brief description of the situation resulted in a possible answer... a partial power outage.
He explained what he thought might be going on and told me how to check. A quick examination of the transformer pole confirmed his hypothesis. I could plainly see a popped fuse hanging from one of the service lines, resulting in a partial power outage.
I pulled out my phone to call the power company to report the problem, and that’s when I noticed something lying on the ground... a dead squirrel... directly below the blown fuse.
Now it all made sense. Somebody had a bad night, and he was lying right in front of me.
A quick visit from the power company fixed the problem and got us back in business. The power company even hauled off the dead squirrel, as a courtesy. Now that’s customer service!
So, problem solved... or so I thought.
The power was back on, but the fallout from the power outage event was just beginning to surface. It started with register problems, but of course, those didn’t show up until customers began lining up with purchases in hand. This was on the weekend, and it was a beautiful spring day. That means it was busy, and trust me, on a busy spring day, register problems are not good.
Very quickly, we learned we had only one out of our five checkout stations fully operational. That’s when the line started forming, around the corner and out the back door. Not good!
Luckily, everyone was very patient and understanding. Thank you for that!
Our staff was patient and understanding, too. Situations like that are very stressful, but they handled things amazingly well and pushed through the problem while we were working in the background to get equipment back up and running.
Slowly, one checkout station became two, and two became three. With the added stations in operation, the line was quickly worked down. A short time later, the remaining stations were operating again, and we were back to normal... or so I thought.
Cameron Rees, General Manager
The next morning, I got a call. It was another computer issue. The day after that, we were addressing issues with controls on the new greenhouse. Then, a week later, as the temps started warming up, we discovered the AC to the staff lunch room was knocked out as well.
All because of a squirrel.
That puts the “inconvenience” of pulling volunteer oaks and walnuts out of my pots into perspective!
We’ve been enjoying great weather lately, and things are really responding nicely. The color out there right now is just amazing, isn’t?! If you’re not seeing that in your own yard, it’s time to change that! Come see us and check out all your options...
...and while you’re out here, watch out for rogue squirrels!
—Cameron
It’s almost time
It’s getting to be that time of year again... grub control time.
If you’ve been plagued with white grubs in the past, then control may be in your future. All it takes is an easy application of Fertilome’s Hi-Yield Grub Free Zone.
Time your application to go down anytime from June to early July. All applications should be followed up with irrigation or rainfall to move the active ingredient into the soil.
It’s that easy!
fertilize for color!
Now that hanging baskets, patio containers, and all the pots on the front porch are being planted up and looking pretty, it’s time to talk about keeping them that way.
The most important thing is water, lots and lots of water.
Plants in containers need to be kept moist... not soggy wet... but also not so dry that plants wilt. Do this by watering thoroughly, meaning watering until water runs out of the bottom of the
pot, and then let things dry out a bit before you water again. This might be daily, it might be several times a day, or it might be every few days. It all depends on how big the plants are, how much they are growing, what the weather is like, how big your containers are, and how good your potting mix is. There are a lot of variables. Just make sure you’re paying attention to things and staying on top of them.
[And here’s a simple tip to make watering a little easier... use bigger pots. Bigger pots hold more soil, and more soil can hold onto more water. More water retained means less watering. It’s that simple!]
Good watering will keep your plants alive, but eventually, fertility needs to be addressed. Potting mix is great for growing containerized plants, but it doesn’t have a lot of fertility. That needs to be added if you want to keep plants growing well and producing lots of flowers.
There are two ways to do this: water with water-soluble fertilizers or top-dress with slow-release products.
Water-Soluble, Solutions – These fertilizers are made to readily dissolve in water. Just mix according to label directions and water plants with the solution, making sure to water thoroughly (and remember, that means water is running out the bottom of the container). Use weekly.
Fertilome All-Purpose Water-Soluble Plant Food – Works great on all potted plants, including houseplants and succulents.
Fertilome Blooming and Rooting Soluble Plant Food – Great for flowering plants. We like to alternate this one with the Fertilome All-Purpose Water-Soluble Plant Food, fertilizing with each one on alternating weeks.
Slow-Release Options – These products release their fertility over time, allowing you to apply once and then get weeks or even months of results.
Fertilome Garden Cote – A balanced formula that can be used with all kinds of potted plants and hanging baskets. One feeding can last up to 6 months.
Fertilome Start & Grow Premium Plant Food – This is a higher nitrogen formulation. It’s frequently used at transplant time with all kinds of trees and shrubs, but it also works well on containerized plants. This is a 3 to 4-month formulation.
Hi-Yield Grower’s Special – This is also a higher nitrogen formulation. It works great on all kinds of container plants and is, in fact, what we use to fertilize all our trees, shrubs, and perennials through the growing season.
The obvious question is which one is best? The answer is simple... It’s the one you actually use!
It really doesn’t matter which product you use. They all work well. Just find that one that fits your schedule and your style of gardening, make a commitment, and use it! You’ll be glad you did!
coming up: holiday hours
We will be OPEN for business on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
more EVENTS, SALES & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Keep an eye on this section in the future for all the important info and extras you won’t want to miss!
