Last week we talked about the importance of watering your plants regularly through the heat of summer in the morning or evening, and mulching deeply to retain water. (Hint: even very drought tolerant plants will need enough water to get themselves established ahead of winter.)
You sent us some great questions in response, so we'll take the time to answer them this week. We'll also tell you about one more trick that can get your summer plants off to a great start.
Q. Is it okay to plant in summer?
A. This is a very common concern! Ernesto, our perennial grower, plants at his house throughout the growing season, incorporating whatever catches his eye into his compact city lot. In fact, he's a previous winner of Peoria's Golden Iris Award for his beautiful landscaping!
(The photo above was taken in his garden.)
When asked for summer gardening tips, he said, "All you have to do is water your plants. I spray them with a hose for five or ten minutes in the early morning every other day. You don't want to water them so much they drown. Know how much water the plants that you put there need."
Q. I don't have time to water my garden by hand. What can I do instead?
A. An alternative to hand watering every other day during hot weather is deep watering- letting the water run slowly over a long period once or twice a week, allowing the water to percolate down into the soil. This strategy is especially effective in wood mulched beds, and also great for vegetable gardens.
You can use a hose end sprinkler, run a hose to an impact sprinkler on a stake or a riser pipe, or snake a soaker hose through the bed and connect up to the end of it. Turn the water on in the morning or evening. (Just remember to turn it off again! A timer on your phone works well for this.)
Hint: If you're using a soaker hose, check to make sure that the water is going where you need it to go. Soaker hoses tend to apply water unevenly. If you aren't getting enough water in crucial spots, poke an extra hole or two in the hose.
Q. How do I water recently planted trees and shrubs that aren't near a source of water?
A. We don't have access to sprinklers or hoses when we plant new trees in the field at Hoerr Nursery, either. Instead, we put a 55 gallon plastic drum at the base of each tree. There's a 1/4" hole drilled in the bottom of the drum, and we fill them using one of the tree spade trucks as often as they need it.
It's easy to replicate this method on a smaller scale using a five gallon bucket with a lid. Drill 1 to 4 holes in the bottom of the bucket, plus a small hole in the lid. The lid keeps mosquitoes out, while the hole allows air to flow in as the water seeps from the bottom of the bucket.
Place the bucket at the base of the tree or shrub that you want to water, making sure that the bottom of the bucket is in contact with bare earth. Fill the bucket with water and put the lid on. Refill as needed. The water will seep into the soil slowly, giving the tree or shrub a constant supply of water.
If you're a vegetable gardener, you can try this same trick on a smaller scale using gallon milk jugs. It works great for keeping water hungry plants like cucumbers happy.
Last call for fertilizer
For most plants, it's best to wrap up fertilizer applications by the end of June. This gives your plants time to stop putting out new growth ahead of the dormant season, and focus instead on storing energy in their roots. Plants that benefit from a June application of fertilizer include roses, warm season vegetables, and young trees and shrubs.
If you'd like a recommendation for fertilizing a specific plant, feel free to ask!
Use Root Stimulator with all summer and fall plantings!
Root stimulator is the secret sauce for encouraging plants to put down roots quickly, making them more resilient to stress and better established ahead of winter. From the start of summer on, we recommend using it with everything you plant. Just remember that it has to be used as you're planting rather than after the new plant is in the ground.
Dilute it according to the directions for your plant, and dampen the rootball with the solution as you cover it, layer by layer. Water the new planting with plain water after you're finished.
Got a question we didn't answer here? We'd love to hear it! You can reply to this email, message us on Facebook or Instagram, stop in to the store to talk with one of our experts, or call us at (309) 691-4561. We're here to help you grow!
Time is running out to earn Hardy Bucks this year! The last day to get these bonus bucks back on your purchases is June 30th. Save them up, because the time to spend them is coming! From July 15th to August 15th, redeem your hardy bucks to get up to 50% off your purchases at both the Garden Center and Stone Market.
We're open one more Sunday in 2021, and then we'll be back to a six day a week schedule in July. Come visit from 11am-5pm June 20th and 27th, and say hello to our weekend crew!
Summer annuals are here!
Rita and the rest of Green Team have been busy growing a special crop of summer annuals so that you can replace those pooped-out pansies with warm season winners like Suncredible Sunflower, annual Black-Eyed Susan, Zinnia, Salvia, Lantana, Euphorbia, Coleus, Sweet Potato Vine, Dahlia, Pentunia/Supertunia, Bidens, Fountain Grass and Plectranthus. Available now, while supplies last!
On Sale While Supplies Last
Spring Annuals – 25% off
Spring Veggies – Buy 1, Get 1 Free
All remaining hybrid tea, floribunda, grandiflora, Meillands and David Austin roses – 50% off
Hand-blown art glass hummingbird feeders – $19.99
(Regular $24.99)
June Hours at Hoerr Nursery
Garden Center
8am-6pm Monday-Saturday
11am-5pm Sunday
Stone Market
7am-5pm Monday-Friday
7:30am-5pm Saturday
10:30am-5pm Sunday
Tune In to The Green Thumb Garden Show!
The Green Thumb Gardening Show is back on 1470 WMBD, at 7am on Saturday mornings! Tune in to hear Ethan Wise and Dan Diorio talk gardening for Central Illinois.
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