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Yard Care

GARDEN CENTER IS NOW OPEN!

April 25, 2020 by Wendy Pettit

utah garden center open to public

Dear Valued Customers:

We have opened our gates to the public!  Store hours on Saturday are 10-6 pm.  Beginning Monday the 27th, store hours will be 9-6 pm.

Please know that we take Covid-19 seriously and aim to protect YOU AND OUR EMPLOYEES.  Therefore, we are doing the following:

  1. Sanitizing common surfaces continually throughout the day.  This includes shopping carts. 
  2. Installing plexiglass barriers at checkout stands.
  3. Requesting our employees AND customers to adhere to the CDC recommendation to wear a mask or a fabric covering while in our store.  A bandana can work just fine.
  4. Requesting our employees AND customers to adhere to the CDC recommendation to maintain a 6-foot social distance as much as possible. We have 6 feet markers throughout the store. One way to figure is that one of our shopping carts is approximately 3 feet, imagine 2 carts.      ***PLEASE*** when picking out your favorite plant, be aware of your spacing.  We all need to be patient during this crazy time!  If you need to pass someone in the aisle, walk past and do not stop to talk.  Using common sense and being courteous will help everyone have a good experience.
  5. Use CREDIT CARDS if possible.
  6. No Public Restroom and drinking fountain.
  7. Customers may still order via email with parking lot pick up the same day or next business day.  Due to the heavy volume, no more phone orders or in-the-parking-lot orders can be accepted. All our employees are busy inside servicing the in-store customers.

Salt Lake Store: [email protected]

West Valley:  [email protected]

No Garden Consulting at this time.

We appreciate your cooperation to protect our employees and our other customers. It means a lot to us.

We remind you of the other CDC recommendations:

  1. If you are sick, PLEASE STAY HOME, get better, and then come to visit us!  We want to see you healthy!  Should you choose, you can email your order and have someone pick it up for you.
  2. If you need to sneeze (we know it is ALLERGY season), sneeze into your elbow with your mask on!
  3. Wash your hands regularly with soap & water.  A liberal rubbing with hand sanitizer is the next best thing. 
  4. Remember to not touch your face if you haven’t washed your hands. 

Covid-19 doesn’t have wings to fly on its own.  It is transferred by contaminated hands or with droplets when we talk, sneeze or cough.  Hence washing hands, wearing a mask when social distancing isn’t always possible, coughing/sneezing into an elbow, and keeping the 6-foot social distance are important, and very doable!  We can do this!

THANK YOU for your cooperation and patience during this challenging time.  We are grateful that we offer an essential service to the community and wish for your best success in growing your own food, beautifying the community, remaining healthy physically and mentally, and tending your gardens and yards this season.

Happy shopping and happy planting,

Western Garden Centers

Feast your eyes on this sampling of temptations!

wall of peonies waiting to open

A wall of peonies loaded with buds waiting to open

Healthy tomato plants

Ingrid Bergman Hybrid Tea Rose

Giant succulent plants

Sun-Believable Brown Eyed Susan

Iceberg Floribunda Rose

Marigolds of all varieties

Ruffled Red Echeveria

Begonias

Gorgeous petunias

Good As Gold Hybrid Tea Rose

Anna’s Promise Grandiflora Rose

Rosie the Riveter Floribunda Rose

Celestial Night Floribunda Rose

Filed Under: Covid-19 updates, Flowers, Fruit, Gardening, Herbs, Lawn Care, Perennials, Products, Tomatoes, Tools, Trees, Utah Gardening, Vegetables, Yard Care Tagged With: covid-19, garden center open, safe shopping, shop the nursery, social distancing, Utah gardening, wear mask

Western Gardens HARD GOODS

April 11, 2020 by Wendy Pettit

Many are asking for better photos of what we have in HARDGOODS – chemicals, organics, tools, etc.  Here are some of our most requested items and video walk-throughs of our aisles at the Salt Lake Store.  Our West Valley store has the same!  Give us a call with your order!  We will even load it in your vehicle for you!  Thanks for supporting Utah small business!

FUNGICIDES & HERBICIDES

Video – FUNGICIDES – CLICK HERE

Video – HERBICIDES – CLICK HERE (coming soon)

F-Stop fungicide in Utah major lawn diseases

F-Stop is a great one that solves most lawn diseases.

Wide variety of fungicides in liquid, powder, concentrate, and more.

Wide variety of fungicides in liquid, powder, concentrate, and more. Follow label instructions

 

INSECTICIDES, PEST CONTROLS, & ORGANICS

Video – INSECTICIDES, PEST CONTROLS, ORGANICS – CLICK HERE

Video – How to use the TREE & SHRUB SYSTEMIC INSECT DRENCH – CLICK HERE

Systemic Insect drench to apply early utah spring for non-fruit bearing trees

Apply early to mid April in Utah. Drench non-fruit bearing trees and shrubs. Follow directions on label. It works!

Neem Oil organic pest control

Organic insect controller

Diatomaceous Earth Organic pest control

Organic pest control for those critters with soft bodies and joints

Weed Free Zone - kills broadleaf weeds in lawn

Proven to work in early spring (cool weather). Kills weeds in lawn – spurge, clover, and more. Do NOT spray on any broad leaf plant you want to stay alive. Made only for weeds in lawn application. Follow label instructions!

ANIMAL REPELLENTS

Video – ANIMAL REPELLENTS – CLICK HERE

 

FERTILIZER PRODUCTS

Video – Fertilizers – Specialized, Organics, Tree Stakes and more –  CLICK HERE 

Video – Fertilizer Favorite – Gardener’s Special –  CLICK HERE

Video – Fertilizer WGC General use & SOIL AMENDMENTS – CLICK HERE

Video – LAWN CARE – Our 4-STEP PROGRAM FERTILIZER – CLICK HERE

Video – LAWN CARE – ORGANIC Fertilizers – CLICK HERE

Gardeners special fertilizer with micro-nutrients

Our manager’s favorite all-purpose fertilizer with micro-nutrients.

BIRD SUPPLIES

Video – BIRD SUPPLIES – CLICK HERE

 

CONTAINERS – Pots and more (inside store – not including Ceramic Pots outside)

Video – CLAY POTS (small/medium), SEED TRAYS, LABELS – CLICK HERE

Video – PLASTIC POTS, CASTORS for moving heavy pots – CLICK HERE

Video – HANGING baskets, WINDOW boxes, Liners, etc. – CLICK HERE

 

LAWN CARE / GRASS SEED & STARTING A NEW LAWN

Video – GRASS SEED / STARTING A NEW LAWN OR OVERSEEDING – CLICK HERE

Video – Our Popular 4-STEP PROGRAM for Lawns all season long – CLICK HERE

Video – ORGANIC Fertilizer for LAWN CARE – CLICK HERE

pdf –  INSTRUCTIONS  – How to Plant a New Lawn from Seed

Array of sun and shade grass seed. April is a perfect time to plant lawn from seed.

Array of sun and/or shade loving grass seed. April is a perfect time to plant lawn from seed.

More shade and sun loving grass seed options

More shade and sun loving grass seed options

bare spot repair for lawns and grass

Need to just fix a bare spot in your lawn? Here is an easy product to work with!

TOOLS – including GLOVES etc.

Video – TOOLS – CLICK HERE (COMING SOON)

Photos of Favorite Tools – CLICK HERE

2 in 1 bench/kneeler.

Another best seller! 2 in 1 bench/kneeler.

Best Wolf Garden hand pruners

Wolf Garden is a hand pruner that we highly recommend. We gave our mother her very own pair to hide so that others didn’t walk off with hers!

PLANT SUPPORTS

Video – PLANT SUPPORTS – CLICK HERE

POTTING SOILS & ORGANICS, RAISED BEDS, PEAT MOSS – LARGE SIZES

Video – POTTING SOILS, RAISED BEDS, PEAT MOSS – CLICK HERE

Bumper Crop ORGANIC potting soil

This is a fantastic organic product for planting up your new pots.

raised bed organic soil for growbox

Did you build a new growbox or raised bed? This is the soil you want.

SPECIALIZED POTTING SOILS

Video – SPECIALIZED POTTING SOILS – CLICK HERE

Potting soil specialized

A wide variety of specialized soils for specialized plants in pots.

 

SOIL AMENDMENTS

Video – SOIL AMENDMENTS – CLICK HERE

Video about our BEST – BUMPER CROP SOIL BUILDER – #1 Product for Utah soils  – CLICK HERE

Bumper Crop ORGANIC SOIL BUILDER FOR UTAH GARDEN SOILS

This is our most favorite and most popular product we sell. Find great success with Bumper Crop Soil Builder.

 

KIDS in the Garden

Video – FAIRY GARDENS – figurines, houses, stones, moss, and more.

We also have an array of children’s tools and toys to help them be part of your garden.

Garden kid starter kit for utah children

Get your kids involved with their own garden tools. Here is a perfect starter kit. Their little hands can actually help a lot.

children tools for garden work

Variety of children tools to teach them the miracle of a garden.

children yard fun with kites

Activities for in the yard or garden

 

For more instore products – CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO HOME PAGE

Filed Under: Container Gardening, Gardening, How To, Insects, Kids in the Garden, Lawn Care, Products, Seeds, Tips & How To's, Utah Gardening, Yard Care Tagged With: animal repellent, bird supply, fertilizers, fungicides, garden containers, garden pest, garden products, garden tools, grass seed, grow box, herbicides, insecticides, kid friendly, kid garden tools, Lawn Care, organic, peat moss, pest control, raised beds, soil amendments

How to Compost Your Kitchen Scraps

April 25, 2018 by Marjorie Carter

by Marjorie Carter

Alchemists are famous for their efforts to turn lead in to gold.  It was thought that a “base metal” could be purified or perfected so that it transformed in to something more valuable.

While their efforts were always in vain, it is possible to transform much of your daily waste from food preparation in to something more valuable than it’s original form.  Put in some grass clippings, add in your apple cores, roll together with your potato peelings, onion skins, watermelon rinds, and shredded paper bags.  Let it heat and stir once in a while.  Voila! You end up with black gold (aka compost)!

MY COMPOST EXPERIENCE

The house we bought a few years ago has a large yard (meaning space for a garden) and a few fruit trees.  This is exactly what we were looking for and we have enjoyed trying to keep up with maintaining it.  Our first fall in the house, we were generating a lot of waste as we processed apples, pears, and tomatoes that we’d grown.  We also were looking at all the green waste from pulling up the tomato plants and raking the leaves.  It dawned on us that we could be doing something much more useful and conscientious with all that biodegradable material.  We had spent some money earlier in the year to buy compost from the landfill to amend our soil to make it better for gardening.  Why not make some of our own compost to add to our garden?

We started by making a big pile in the back corner of the yard but realized quickly that, while this would eventually work, it was sort of unsightly and not as effective as it could be.  We then turned to a store bought composter with two plastic barrels mounted on a frame to allow the user to easily spin the barrels once in a while to mix up the contents.  We quite like this composter but quickly realized that this set up was better suited to someone with a smaller amount of material to compost. We needed something bigger to accommodate the amount of material we were generating with all the green waste from our canning and from our yard.

My husband knew someone who was moving and getting rid of a couple of 50 gallon water barrels.  We decided to pick them up to try using them to capture rain water for watering our garden (that’s a conversation for another blog post!) and then it occurred to us that these would make good composting bins.  My husband removed the top from one of them so we could easily put material in to the barrel and then drilled holes down the sides all around (easy and quick job with a power drill).  Suddenly we had much more space to fill. We’ve since added a second 50 gallon bucket in to the composting bin family.

So far we’ve had a couple of ‘batches’ of compost and it is surprisingly satisfying to see the rich black earth that was once a bunch of scraps and leavings.

 

STEPS FOR COMPOSTING

There are a few tricks to composting but, overall, it’s quite a simple task.

STEP 1:  The first thing is to pick a spot for your composting. Pick a spot that gets plenty of sun since heat is an important factor in getting all that green waste to break down.

STEP 2:  Next you need to pick a container. There are lots of commercially available options out there, you can build your own enclosure, or repurpose something the way we did.

STEP 3:  Once you’ve got things set up, you can start adding the organic material.

MATERIALS TO COMPOST

GREEN WASTE: Green waste includes grass clippings and the fruit and vegetable waste you would normally put in the trash.  Try keeping a metal bowl on the counter to hold your orange peels, wilted spinach leaves, banana peels, coffee grounds, etc.  Empty it daily to keep from attracting fruit flies.  They also sell little counter top buckets with lids for holding your compost.  I own one but I find that I tend to ignore it, even once it’s filled (out of sight out of mind!), and then end up with a smelly mess that is harder to get out of the container.  A bowl keeps things visible so I don’t forget to dump it out regularly.

BROWN WASTE:  Brown material can include dried leaves from your trees, cardboard egg cartons, paper bags, sawdust, and tree bark or cuttings.  As with the green waste, breaking this material in to smaller pieces will speed up the process – shred the paper bag or egg carton, use a wood chipper to chop up large branches, and so on.

AIR: There are steps to composting that include making sure the pile gets air, turning it, and making sure it stays moist.  These will help speed the process.  If you have the space for your compost to sit and do its thing for months, rather than weeks, then these steps can be more intermittent.  I have been a slow composter from the start (mostly due to laziness! Turning is something I just don’t remember to do very often). If you want your compost churned out at a faster pace, then you’ll need to be more mindful of these steps.

HEAT: Heat is important to composting, too, but don’t let that stop you from putting organic material from your scrap bowl in to the composter (rather than sending it to the landfill) during the winter. The decomposition process still occurs during the winter but at a slower pace and will pick back up once it starts to warm up.

It is important to remember that you need a mix of green and brown waste to make good compost. The green waste will provide nitrogen for the final product and the brown waste will provide carbon.  Both components are essential. Too much nitrogen in the compost will make it a smelly mess.  Too much carbon and the compost will take a very long time to decompose in to that black soil you’re hoping for.

TIPS ABOUT YOUR COMPOST

A few tips about the things you throw in to the compost pile/bin –
– large pieces of watermelon rind will take longer to break down than small ones so try chopping them up in to pieces no bigger than 1 inch by 1 inch.
– Egg shells can be added to your compost bin BUT they won’t break down as quickly as the green waste.  If you add egg shells, crush them as small as you can before tossing them in the compost bin
– Don’t put cherry pits or nut shells into the composter.
– Don’t put in bones or meat or dairy or oily materials
– Don’t add weeds with seeds (unless you are diligent with temperatures reaching 160 degrees)
– Don’t add diseased plant material (again, temperature issue, and the last thing you want to do is spread disease throughout your garden)


According to the experts at Utah State University, during the growing season, 30% or more of landfill waste is organic yard refuse (https://extension.usu.edu/htm/publications/publication=4955). Home composting eases landfill problems and helps “reuse, reduce, and recycle” this organic material into a valuable soil amendment.

For me, the thing that is most satisfying about composting is this last point.  My efforts may be small in the grand scheme of the trash scene, but I’m doing my part to keep as much waste out of the landfill as I can.  It also just so happens that doing this is actually beneficial to me.  When I dig into my garden, I know that some of that earth was once on my kitchen countertop as scraps and are now contributing to my delectable tomatoes.

Pin me – composting kitchen scraps!

Basic steps to composting kitchen scraps into rich soil

Filed Under: Gardening, How To, Tips & How To's, Uncategorized, Utah Gardening, Yard Care Tagged With: compost, compost kitchen scraps, composting, kitchen scraps

Turf Training – Train your Lawn

March 29, 2018 by Western Gardens

Welcome Friends! Glad you dropped in to learn about saving water and money by Turf Training.

Save Water and Money by training your lawn to grow deep roots

You can train your dog and train your lawn too!

You cannot teach a lawn to fetch the paper or to roll over. Even though some say that it can play dead, in the winter!  Now that your lawn is coming out of the dreary winter, it’s time for turf training. You can train your lawn to grow deep lawn roots, so that you can cut your water bill during the summer and your lawn can be happy during those hottest Utah summer weeks. Turf Training is more painful for the owner than the lawn itself, but by July, it is possible to be watering your lawn once every two weeks or less, depending on your soil type.  I know it works; I’ve lived it.  This plan is for established lawns; new turf requires other care.  Follow these steps and you too can have a well trained happy green lawn.

  1.  This month (April & into May), do not water your lawn!  Mother Nature is taking care of watering lawns for you.  DEEP INFREQUENT watering creates deep roots and thriving healthier plants.
  2. Aerate your lawn.  Perfect time is just before one of our spring rains.
  3.  Apply the proper spring fertilizer.  Follow the directions explicitly.  Again, the ideal time is just before a good rain to wash it into the turf.
  4. If you haven’t already, apply pre-emergent.
  5. Keep your finger OFF the automatic sprinkler system. Do NOT water your lawn.  You are in turf training mode.  I know it is painful because the sun is shining and spring is here, but don’t do it.  Your lawn is stretching its roots deep.  Let them go!
  6. In May, repeat #5 unless one of the following occurs…
    • Mother Nature hasn’t watered for 3 weeks. Time to water.
    • When you walk across your lawn, your footsteps don’t bounce back up.  Time to water.
    • When you look across your lawn, you notice a dull bluish green tone in spots.  Time to water.
  7. DEEP WATER – Put a good inch of water or so on your lawn.  Placing a tuna can on your grass will let you know when you’ve watered sufficiently.  All this water will soak down deep and you will train your lawn, by withholding watering cycle, to stretch deep for the water.  The roots will grow deeper and in the hot summer months of July & August, your lawn won’t get as stressed out.  Its roots will be cooler down deep.
  8. Repeat steps #6, #7 and #8.

As you can imagine, it will take time to train your lawn to grow deep roots.  That is why it is important to begin first thing in the spring.  For established Kentucky Blue grass, you may need to follow this method for two seasons, but it can be done. 

This method to train your lawn is not meant for flower beds, newly seeded lawns, newly placed sod, trees or shrubs.  Learn from our experts those proper watering techniques.

Watering Lawn Methods graphic by Texas Smartscape

http://www.txsmartscape.com/design_tools/water_conservation.asp

Watering your lawn in spring? Train your lawn to save water and money.

Article submitted by Wendy P

Filed Under: Lawn Care, Outdoors, Tips & How To's, Yard Care Tagged With: deep lawn roots, drought tolerant grass, spring lawn care, summer lawn, turf, turf training, turf watering, watering lawn, watering lawns, Western Gardens

Gardening To-Do List for November 2017

November 1, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

November Gardening To-Do List

Welcome gardening friends, thanks for stopping by!

If you’re excited to work in your yard or garden, but not sure what to do in the chilly November weather, then you’ve come to the right place!  We’ve put together this Gardening to-do list for November.

You may not need to do everything on this list.  For example, if you don’t have upright bushes to tie or snow tools to inspect, skip over those items on the list.  Just pick what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

November Gardening To-Do List pruning

Photo by Russ Hendricks

November Gardening To-Do List 

➺Tie Upright Bushes like junipers and arborvitae with burlap strips to keep the
snow load from spreading their branches during winter.  You can use twine if loosely tied around the branches

➺Cut Back And Mulch perennials as they go dormant.  Time to finish putting those late fall bloomers to bed.  Later in the month, ROSE BUSHES may like being mulched for winter.  It is like a winter blanket for the rose roots.  Mound DRY leaves around the base of the rose.  Make it about 8 inches deep.  The leaves act as a blanket for the roots of the rose.  By spring, the leaves will be mostly broken down.

➺DEEP SOAK  trees, shrubs & flower beds.  Moisture will actually help them when the soil is frozen this winter.

➺Fertilize lawn if necessary, according to your schedule

➺Store Away Tools that are still out.  You won’t want to find them in the spring all rusted from being covered with snow!

➺Cover Beds With A Frost Blanket or Dried Leaves for an added layer of protection for your perennials.  (optional – depending on what you have planted and need extra protection.)  This is not real common here along the Wasatch Front.  Usually we just don’t plant material that is not cold hardy for our winters.

➺Large Pots/Containers Left Outside can be covered with a large black plastic bag.  This prevents those thaw and freeze periods to potentially crack your pot.  Be sure to remove all plant material; you can leave in the dirt.  A rock on top is helpful to not blow away the bag in wind storms.  In the spring, pull off the bag, freshen up the soil and plant again!

➺Snow Shovel and/or snow blower  should be checked and in good repair…..before you need them.  Don’t get caught in that first snow storm that some years come earlier than we anticipate!

➺Check Ice & Snow Removal Products and replenish if necessary, before it snows.  We offer a good ice melt that is friendly to nature and protects concrete.  Not harmful to lawns shrubs and trees.     No dangerous chemicals.

Be sure to check back for December’s to-do list!

Gardening To-Do List for November before the snow flies!

Filed Under: Gardening, To-Do List, Utah Gardening, Yard Care

Fall Pruning Your Utah Garden – Basics

October 5, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Time to do your fall pruning in your Utah garden along the Wasatch Front.  Pruning your garden for winter is fairly simple. Follow two main basic pruning rules and then follow guidelines for various plants listed.

Follow these simple guidelines for fall pruning your garden and yard.

GENERAL Pruning Rules to Remember:

Rule #1 – Don’t prune plants until they are finished blooming.

Rule #2 – Prune dead or broken branches at any time of the season.

FALL Pruning Guidelines:

Fall Pruning of Flowering Shrubs

To keep with Rule #1, remember not to prune fall blooming shrubs until they are done blooming.  Examples of fall blooming shrubs include Rose of Sharon, Hydrangeas, etc. Spring blooming shrubs (forsythia, spirea, lilac, etc) should be pruned in the spring or summer after they are done blooming. Often, these shrubs bloom on new growth, so prune them early in the season to get some good growth for the next year’s blooms.

Before you get started pruning your flowering shrub, keep in mind to retain and enhance the shrub’s naturally graceful habit. Take care not to cut the shrub into a boxy or unnatural shape (unless you want to sacrifice flowers and make a hedge). Remove dead and crossing branches.  Cut ¼ of the oldest canes to the ground. This gives the plant renewed strength, letting light and air circulation into the center of the plant and provides growing space for new flowering stems.

fall pruning your evergreen shrubs

Fall Pruning of Upright Evergreen Shrubs

Lightly prune to shape.  Shrubs like Arborvitae may need wrapping or tying with twine to keep the snow from breaking off the branches.

Fall Pruning of Rose Bushes

Pruning depth depends on the type of rose.  If a hybrid tea or a floribunda type, prune down to 24” above ground.  Otherwise, prune to shape the bush. Prune out dead and broken branches. May mulch around the base of the bush in case of unexpected sub-zero winter temperatures.  In the spring, if there has been winter damage, you will be able to prune off the winter-kill.  Click here for a good article on how to prune your roses.  

fall pruning your vines in your utah garden

Fall Pruning of Vines

Pruning depends all upon the type of vine.  Some clematis need pruning, other clematis do not.  Follow the directions on the plant tag from a reputable local garden center, or ask the experts at the local nursery.

fall pruning your berry plants

Fall Pruning of Berry Plants

Again, pruning requirements drastically vary depending on type of berry and cultivar.   Ever-bearing plants require different pruning techniques than main crop berries.  And even then there are different needs.  You don’t want to trim back too far in the fall if you need to leave that newer growth for next year’s berries.  Again, consult the expert gardeners at your reputable garden center.  Be sure to know what variety of berry you have.

fall pruning your utah fruit trees

Fall Pruning of Fruit Trees

Do not prune fruit trees until winter when they are dormant, i.e. leaves have fallen and temperatures are in 30’s & 40’s.  In northern Utah, we recommend pruning during January and February.  Follow proper tree pruning techniques in the winter.  Winter Pruning video.  Remember that at any time, you can prune away dead or broken branches.

fall mowing your lawn for winter

Fall Mowing “Pruning” of Lawn/Turf

Mowing your lawn is actually a type of “pruning”.  Your last mowing of the season should be shorter than during the summer months when you want the shade of the blades to help retain moisture in the soil and more green for healthier roots.  When you are ready to put your lawnmower away, set your lawn mower to 1½” setting and give your lawn a good pruning!  WARNING:  Don’t be overly ambitious and “scalp” the lawn.  A nice short cut is desired, but you don’t want to injure the base of the plant.  

Additional Fall Lawn Note:  Now is a time to spread your fall fertilizer.  If you have had issues with fungus, now is the time to apply a fungicide treatment.  Also, weed control is still viable when daily high temperatures are higher than 55-60 degrees. Weeds love the forgotten fall lawn.

fall pruning your utah perennials

Fall Pruning of Perennials

Be sure to remember Rules #1 and #2 above.  Not pruning until the plant finishes blooming also applies to dividing and transplanting in the fall.  Don’t transplant until the plant is done blooming.  This means that your fall bloomers like Autumn Joy Sedum, chrysanthemums, etc., need to finish blooming before you divide and transplant or prune.  Be patient! You have plenty of other pruning and garden work to do.  These are the last ones to prune before the beds are done for the winter.  

Two Additional General Fall Pruning Rules for Most Perennials: 

  1. Prune when the plants begin to die back, leaving their greenery to continue feeding the roots as long as possible. 
  2. Cut them down to 3-4 inches above the soil. This is because most perennials die down to the ground in the winter.  Leaving 3 inches will mark the plants during winter.  Also in the spring the 3-4 inches is low enough you won’t need to go back and prune as the plant emerges.  

EXCEPTIONS to Pruning Perennial Rules:  Woody perennials like lavender need only light pruning to shape and evergreen perennials like candytuft should also only be lightly pruned.  If you question what to prune or how much, follow the guidance from your master gardener at the independent garden center like Western Gardens.  We would love to help you have a successful garden.

How to prune ground cover in the fall

Fall Pruning of Ground Covers –

Simply trim lightly.

How to prune your ornamental grasses in the fall

Fall Pruning of Ornamental Grasses

If you enjoy the silhouette of your grasses, leave them to admire throughout late fall.  Later trim to 6-8 inches above ground.

Fall Pruning Questions:

If you have any questions about fall pruning for winter, please feel free to stop by our Western Garden Centers and visit with one of our expert gardeners. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.

Fall Reminder:

While you are pruning and cleaning up, breathe deep the fresh autumn crisp air and admire the changes taking place in your garden.

What fall pruning do you enjoy doing in your yard?

 

The beginner basics of fall pruning your utah garden for winter.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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Filed Under: Gardening, How To, Lawn Care, Tips & How To's, Utah Gardening, Yard Care Tagged With: berries, berry plants, evergreen shrubs, fall pruning, flowering shrubs, fruit trees, ground cover, ornamental grasses, Perennials, perennials pruning, pruning, pruning roses, rose bushes, roses, shrubs

October Garden List 2017

October 3, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Welcome gardening friends, thanks for stopping by!

Excited to work in your yard or garden, but not sure what should be done in the cooler fall weather?  Here is our October garden list of tasks to do that will help you be successful in your Utah garden.  You may not need to do everything on this list.  For example, if you don’t have summer blooming bulbs to dig up or stone fruit trees to spray, skip over those items on the list.  Simply pick those that apply to your yard and get started; winter is around the corner!

October Garden List 2017

October garden to-do list for your Utah garden

OR

Learn 7 basic task areas for winterizing your Utah garden in October - zone 5

➺Planting –

Planting in the fall is an excellent time. It gives your plants a great start in the spring on their own timetable.

  1. Trees & shrubs  – come see Western Gardens for quality plant material during their seasonal fall sale.
  2. Pansies add fall and spring color. Sometimes you will even have color throughout winter, depending on the weather.
  3. Spring Blooming Bulbs – Purchase quality bulbs from your local nursery.  Remember a gardener’s rule of “The bigger the bulb, the bigger the bloom!”    Plant them to the proper depth with a complete fertilizer.
  4. Inside bulbs – purchase and plant bulbs like Paper Whites for color inside the home.
  5. Perennials – plant healthy new perennials found at Western Garden Centers!
The october garden list includes dividing and transplanting perennials, trees and shrubs.

Photo credit: Tante Tati at Pixabay

➺What To Dig Up –

  1. Dig Tender Bulbs (Summer Blooming Bulbs) – After the first hard frost, carefully dig up cannas, dahlias, gladiolus, etc.  They will not survive Utah’s winter temperatures.  Store them in a cool dry place.  You’ll be able to plant them again in the spring!
  2. Perennials – Fall is excellent time to divide and transplant perennials after they have finished blooming. Good time to build friendships by sharing with neighbors too!
  3. Unfavorable Plants – Dig up and discard any plants you discovered you just don’t like.  Clean up the yard so you can start anew next spring!
In october you can also cut your lawn shorter, and even reseed spots of grass.

Photo Credit: WensLens

➺Lawn Care – 

  1. Mow lawn to 1 1/2 inch height.  This won’t “scalp” the roots, but will help prevent diseases caused by snow build up over the winter.
  2. Aerate lawn – only well established lawns.  You don’t need to aerate the first couple of years with a new lawn.
  3. Fertilize lawn according to the expert schedule.  Western Gardens again can help you be successful.
  4. Spray lawn for weeds until daytime high temperatures drop below 55 degrees.  Most plants really slow down their growth in the fall, but weeds seem to just continue to thrive!  Weed-Free-Zone is a great product you can find at your independent garden center like Western Gardens.
  5. New Seeded Lawn – The first week of October can still be a good time to spread new lawn seed.  You should have enough time to keep the seeds moist in the cooler temperatures.  The seedlings will pop before the winter sets in.  See our experts to help you know how to have success.  You can do it!
The winterize your garden in October list includes cleaning up the leaves and debris from flower and vegetable beds.

Photo credit: Jazzment at Pixabay

➺Clean up –

  1. Dead plant material and debris – Remove from vegetable and flower beds after the first killing frost.
  2. Weeding – Make another effort to control Field Bindweed (aka Wild Morning Glory).  Clean out all you can now, so it will be easier to see new starts in the spring.
  3. Blow out flower beds or rake up leaves.  Leaves make a great compost.  Pile them in a corner of your yard and in time, you will have the best soil.  However, destroy Walnut tree leaves and Aspen leaves.  They are toxic or often diseased.
  4. Clean out rain gutters.  The rain is coming!
Winterize your garden during October

Photo credit: Hans at Pixabay

➺Winterizing – 

  1. Garden Tools – Inventory and inspect for damage.  Oil shovels, pruners, etc and make any necessary repairs or replacement.  Consider the gift giving season that is approaching.  Quality tools make wonderful useful gifts.
  2. Sprinkler System – Drain and winterize sprinkler system.
  3. Garden Hoses – Wind up garden hoses and store in an easily accessible place for spring.
  4. Lawn Mower – drain or add fuel stabilizer.  Change oil and store for the winter. TIP: Use the remaining gas in your mower to run the mower over the leaves you have raked up.  This mulches the leaves smaller so they can be composted quicker!  When the mower is out of gas, you are done!
  5. Patio Furniture – cover or bring into storage to protect from Utah’s harsh winter winds and snow.
Our October garden list tasks to do include trimming evergreens and other trees and shrubs.

Photo credit: Estella Guerrera at Pixabay

➺Trees & Shrub Care –

  1. Stone Fruit Trees – If you had problems during this past season, spray for Coryneum blight after leaves fall.
  2. Do NOT prune fruit trees until January or February.  You may prune out dead or broken limbs.
  3. Evergreens – Trim to shape.  Wrap those bushes that could break from winter snow.
Take time in October to evaluate your yard and note changes for spring.

Photo credit: K.Riemer at Pixabay

➺Assess Your Yard

Take a moment to sit, survey, and jot down changes to make next year.  Some items you can do now, i.e. transplanting.  Maybe you want to plant a specific maple in a specific location, or try a new perennial in the spring.  Quality plants can be found in your local independent nursery during fall sales, however, they are limited to their stock on hand.  Drop by Western Garden Centers and tell them what you are looking for.  If they are sold out, the nursery stock manager/orderer possibly can look for and bring into the store your specific tree or shrub for the spring.

Doing these tasks on our October garden list will help make November all the more enjoyable.  And come spring, you will have a good head start on getting your gardens ready for spring.

 

Filed Under: Gardening, How To, To-Do List, Utah Gardening, Yard Care Tagged With: gardening to-do list, Monthly To-Do List, october garden list, winterize, winterize the garden

Harmful Garden Insects: Organic Management

July 18, 2017 by Marjorie Carter

 Welcome, Friends! Glad you’re here for some tips to organically manage those pesky harmful garden insects so you’ll have produce left to harvest!

Harmful garden insects can be managed organic methods

All yards and allotments will have harmful garden insects every year; it’s part of nature.  These insects need to eat in order to feed the beneficial insects.  Eliminating ALL the harmful insects from your garden would be time, labor, and resource intensive. You also run the risk of depleting the food source for beneficial insects and other animals that feed on the harmful critters.

Wise Goal – An important and wise goal is to control the harmful garden insects enough to reduce the damage to your garden to a manageable level.  Meaning that by harvest time, there is something left for you to eat.  Losing one or two tomatoes is manageable and probably hardly noticed, but an entire decimated crop means there’s a problem to address. 

aphids are harmful garden insects that can be easily controlled

Aphids – One year we had aphids on our herbs which was easily treated by spraying the affected plants with neem oil, a wonderful organic product found at Western Gardens.  This significantly reduced the number of bugs.  They were further kept at bay by some helpful ladybugs, also found at your garden shop. 

Neem Oil is safe organic product. Read label

We were careful to thoroughly wash our herbs before eating them to remove any remaining aphids. Washing anything you harvest before eating it is always a good idea anyway.

Harmful garden insects include the Leaf Miner

Leaf Miner – Last year, our challenge was leaf miner larvae on our Swiss chard.  In this case, we simply discarded any leaves that had been extensively chewed.  Otherwise, we snipped off the parts that didn’t look as appetizing, like anything that had a visible egg attached to it (usually on the underside of the leaves), washed everything, and then enjoyed our tasty green salad.

tracks of leaf miner on pepper plant leaves

This year, now that we know to look for the leaf miner eggs on the leaves, we were more attentive with our starts for our garden and inspected them daily, looking for them or other harmful garden insects.  We found eggs on our pepper plants and did our best to remove them when the plants were small.  We used a piece of duct tape wrapped around a finger to remove the eggs.

duct tape wrapped around one finger helps lift off insect eggs from plants

We found that using a gentle fingernail was still too rough for the tender young leaves, so gently touching the tiny eggs with the sticky duct tape easily lifted them off.  

Eggs of the leaf miner on pepper plants

Once the plants were more mature and could withstand a little insect activity, we were less vigilant at egg removal, but still mindful of looking for eggs once in a while.  Read more on homemade remedies for treating leaf miners by clicking here.

harmful garden insects also include squash bugs

Squash Bug – This year, we planted pumpkins for the first time.  We had heard of the dreaded squash bug and had been looking for them but hadn’t seen any damage to the plants.  Then, just last week (late June), one of our pumpkin plants was nearly devoured overnight by something.

Squash bug eggs are easy to spot and remove.

We assumed it was the infamous squash bug.  This assumption was reinforced when, upon closer inspection of the plant, we found a mating pair of squash bugs with a third one waiting on the side-line and eggs attached to the underside of the remaining leaves and the stem. We posted photos of the damage to a Facebook gardening group and learned of some other likely culprits.  That night my husband went out with a headlamp and a bottle of neem oil to investigate.

earwigs are harmful but also beneficial

Earwigs – Someone suggested the damage looked like the work of earwigs.  My husband found several earwigs eating on the plant and a swarm of them hiding in a nearby crevasse. Earwigs are a complicated insect in the garden.  They are not only harmful, but also beneficial.  They aid in breaking down organic matter (composting) and they also eat aphids and other harmful insects. However, when there are too many of them around a young susceptible plant, they can be very destructive.  We could also see evidence of earwigs damage on a few leaves of nearby tomato plants.  This minimal damage doesn’t pose a risk to a plant that has hundreds of leaves to perform.  In comparison, the pumpkin plant had only a dozen leaves to start with and most of those were very damaged. 

earwigs eating pumpkin plant leaves

My husband sprayed neem oil on the earwigs on the plant, in the swarm nearby, and even in their nest. It’s still uncertain whether the plant will survive though it already shows signs of new growth. We monitor it closely to prevent another insect attack that would probably kill it.

Another organic alternative that works to kill earwigs is diatomaceous earth, which also now offers a nice dispensing bottle which helps cut down on waste and mess.  Check it out at Western Gardens.

diatomaceous earth is a natural organic product to control crawling insects in the garden.

As for the squash bugs, not the main culprits to the pumpkin plant, they were probably snacking on it also.  We’re still removing eggs as we find them (using the duct tape trick mentioned above) and killing any adults.  Their numbers can quickly get out of hand. Again, diatomaceous earth works well to control squash bugs.

Beneficial vs Harmful Insects – Lady bugs, praying mantis, and birds are a few examples of creatures that feed on the harmful garden insects; hence, we like to see these around around the yard.  When considering how to handle any harmful garden insects, the first reaction should generally not be total annihilation.  Rather, try to reduce their numbers and also allow the beneficial insects and animals to do their part until the plant is mature enough to withstand the damage. 

Good luck and happy hunting!

CLICK HERE to read about beneficial insects you want in your garden.

10 beneficial insects you want in your garden! If you spot these in your yard, you're in good shape!

Filed Under: Flowers, Gardening, How To, Insects, Tips & How To's, Utah Gardening, Vegetables, Veggie Gardening, Yard Care Tagged With: Gardening, harmful garden insects, harmful insects, How To, organic management, organic pest controls, Utah gardening, Western Gardens

June Gardening To-Do List

June 8, 2017 by Western Gardens

Welcome gardening friends!  So glad you stopped by!

Not sure what to do in your yard & garden this month? Check out our June to-do list on www.westerngardens.com

Do you love to work in your yard, but aren’t sure of all the things you should be doing?  Then you’re in luck!  We’ve put together a list of things to do in June!

Not sure what to do in your yard & garden this month? Check out our June gardening to-do list on www.westerngardens.com

You may not need to do everything on this list.  For example, if you don’t have a cherry tree, you won’t need to worry about treating for Cherry Fruit Flies.  Just pick what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

June Gardening To-Do List

➺Plant shrubs, trees and evergreens

➺Fertilize vegetables every 4 weeks with a slow-release fertilizer, and
fertilize roses

➺Watch For Insects show a sample in a clear plastic bag to a garden expert if you suspect a problem

➺Fertilize Lawns and apply iron sulfate if needed (to green up your grass)

➺Watch For Insects like grasshoppers, potato bettle, squash bug & spider mites.  If you suspect a problem, take a sample in a clear plastic bag to a garden expert.

➺Thin Out fruit trees for a better yield

➺Control Powdery Mildew on apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines,
grapes, peas, roses & euonymous

➺Treat For Cherry Fruit Fly when cherries begin to turn pink, unless already
using fruit tree spray

➺Control Peach Twig Borer once a month with spinosad

➺Watch For Slugs & Snails control with bait or other techniques

➺Adjust Sprinklers if needed, for increasing heat

➺Move And Replant Bulbs if the foliage has died down

➺Watch For Lawn Insects and treat as necessary

➺Prune & Fertilize flowering shrubs

➺Watch For Signs Of Lawn Disease take a sample to a garden expert if you
suspect a problem

➺Control tobacco budworm on geraniums & petunias

➺Control Weeds before they set & disperse seed

➺Plant Outside
Until June 15th: carrots & endive
Until July 1st: cauliflower, parsley, swiss chard, rutabaga
Until July 15th: beets & broccoli
Until Sept 1st: radishes

*This is not an exhaustive list.  If we’ve overlooked something important, feel free to leave a comment and we will add it to the list!

If you’re local to the Salt Lake area, come in to any of our locations with questions or samples!

Not sure what to do in your yard & garden this month? Check out our June to-do list on www.westerngardens.com

Filed Under: Gardening, Tips & How To's, To-Do List, Utah Gardening, Yard Care Tagged With: Gardening, How To, June gardening to do list, lawn, Lawn Care, tips, Utah, Utah gardening, utah gardens, Western Garden Centers, Western Gardens

Gardening Tool Box for Father’s Day

June 4, 2017 by Jenn Crookston

Father's Day gardening bucket giftWith Father’s Day just around the corner I’ve been thinking about useful gift ideas.  My kids always love to give their dad his favorite candies, handmade cards/notes, a new tie, etc…all of these gifts are always greatly appreciated and graciously accepted.  I thought it would be fun this year to put together a Gardening Tool Box and thanks to my local Western Gardens I was able to knock out most of my shopping in one place.  I did get the Husky Bucket Jockey online (here) and we already had the 5-gallon bucket but you can find them online too (here) but the rest of the tools and many many others were all found at Western Gardens.
garden tools at western garden centers in salt lake cityCheck out all of this they have in stock, and this isn’t even everything.  It was a great place to start our plan.  There is a gift in the bag from each of the kids.  It includes 2 different types of shovels, gloves, small rake, pruning shears, and weeder.
gardening tools shovels and gloves for tool boxWe loved the bucket jockey because it has pockets all on the outside and the inside to help keep everything organized.  He can use the inside pockets to separate and organize seeds (the kids and I are each excited to pick a few different varieties to include in the kit) and being inside will keep them protected from the elements.  Once the seeds are all planted the bucket can be used to easily gather weeds while out gardening or as a seat when needed.
sign play in the dirt gardening bucket tools for fathers day gift ideaTo top off the gift I created this Father’s Day tag perfect for the Gardening Tool Box.  I designed it in black and white and it can be colored by the gift giver.  It’s all all drawn and cut by the Cricut Explore which makes it an easy tag to make.
play in dirt printable sign for gardening tool box for father's day
You can find the cut file here.  I love the way it pulls the whole gift together.  You or your kids can color it to their own liking making the gift even more personal.
I swear It seems like some gardening tools need to be replaced annually at our house, they tend to walk off to who knows where and end up missing forever.  I’m really hoping that each tool having its own home will prevent that from happening this year.
gardening tool box for father's day
If’ you’ve got a dad in your life who has a green thumb (or wishes he did) this gift is the perfect choice for this Father’s Day.

Filed Under: Gardening, Outdoors, Tools, Yard Care Tagged With: fathers day gift, garden tools, gardening tool box, gift idea, play in dirt, tool bucket

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