patio plants

You’ve just planted your new Grass Plugs! Now your yard looks like a patchwork grid of grassy tufts amid a sea of soil. At the moment, it looks less than stellar … but only at first. Soon those grassy tufts will begin to establish and expand out into those bare areas and become a lush green lawn! Now it is up to you to ensure those fresh new plugs are well cared for so they can establish and begin filling in. But don’t let this new responsibility make you wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into! It will take you just a few easy steps, performed regularly while your new lawn establishes and it is oh-so-easy!  How to Establish New Grass Plugs After Care Get in the Grass Plug Care Groove How to Establish Your Grass Plugs! Over the next few months, you’ll need to baby and regularly care for your new grass plugs as they get those roots established. This includes watering, fertilizer, and weeding all are important to help the grass plugs grow. The following steps are very important in a successful Grass Plug after-care routine! 1. Sun and Erosion Protection If you are planting on a hillside or have a slope you’ve planted your plugs into, take steps to slow water runoff and prevent erosion. Right after installation, install a lightweight erosion control mat or layer of straw that is biodegradable over the surface.  This not only controls erosion, and slows water runoff, but it also maintains a more regulated moisture level and prevents the sun from baking the plugs and also helps keep weeds under control. It will not interfere with the growth of the plugs. 2. Regular Water You’ve no doubt watered your yard very well before planting, during and after planting. Then provide deep watering every day, even if you’ve had rain. Deep waterings encourage deep root growth and therefore healthier grass plugs! Watering amounts will depend on your natural rainfall and temperatures, as well as your soil type. Keep the area very moist for the first two weeks, then gradually reduce watering, keeping the ground consistently moist. Continue watering this way for the next 2-3 weeks or more in very hot dry weather. After week four, soak the area once or twice per week until the plugs have completely covered the area. This additional keeps the plugs actively growing and spreading as quickly as possible. Afterward, you can reduce the frequency to every other day for the remainder of the growing season (until the ground freezes). This is easier if you have installed irrigation systems, but be sure to always check the soil's moisture levels a few inches below the surface after each watering. That way you’ll know for sure it has soaked in deeply, or if it is only staying on the surface. 3. Soil Compaction Be careful while walking around your new lawn so as not to compact the soil. Use narrow boards or stepping stones to disperse your weight. Avoid walking and standing directly on the soil, especially when it is wet. Whenever possible, only treat and spray from the perimeter of your area and avoid walking through it. 4. Weed Control Once you can walk safely, maintain a weed-free site, removing any intruders carefully removing weeds by hand without disturbing the grass plugs and their developing roots. Immediately after planting, apply Pre-Emergent Weed Control according to the label directions. These are readily found at local garden centers. Repeat at a half rate at the 8-week mark.  During the summer months, hand-pull broadleaf weeds can be controlled after they emerge, or sprayed with a Broadleaf Weed herbicide. Be sure to select one without 2-4D or a granular weed and feed.  In areas with poor soil and mild winter climates (where you won’t expect a winter freeze), a third fertilizer application without pre-emergent may be applied mid-summer and a fourth application can be applied in early fall. 5. Fertilizer After installation, if you didn’t add fertilizer at the time of planting, saturate each plug with a mild, general-purpose fertilizer or a sod/seed starter fertilizer. After their first month in the ground, fertilize your new lawn again with an all-purpose fertilizer geared for lawns or a sod or seed starter fertilizer style fertilizer.  Spray liquid fertilizer (diluted according to package directions) on the ground around the new plugs, and the plugs themselves. Then fertilize again that summer and again in fall. For Bermuda grass, Zoysia and Buffalograss (not Bluegrass) one last fertilizing should be done as soon as the plants turn brown in the autumn when the plants stop growing for the year. That way, the fertilizer will be there for the plants when they start to grow in spring. 6. Keep Them Stress-Free Add supplemental water as needed to keep these new young plants stress-free and growing well, and allow them to become fully established during their first growing season! Once the plants are growing well, reduce watering frequency, but when you do water, water thoroughly and deep to keep the roots growing down to find more water - as it makes the plant much more drought tolerant in the future! Established Grass Plug Care The First Mow After a month of regular care, weeding and fertilizing, it's time to give your establishing plugs their first haircut! Gently mow with equipment that’s as light as possible, so as not to compact the soil or compress the plugs into the ground.  Mowing is important during the establishment period to encourage the grass plug to spread out and to control weeds. Mow the area at 2-3 inches tall on a weekly basis, depending on the variety of grass and your climate.  In preparation for winter in Zones 6 and below, mow to a height of 2 to 2 ½ inches in late summer and early fall, and mow at an inch or so in early spring to remove much of last year's old grass blades as possible before the new growth begins for a nice clean start. After Care After 3-4 months, depending on your growing zone, you should see your plugs have expanded to fill in most of the soil between each other (also depending on how far apart you initially planted them). The farthest possible spacing may need longer to completely fill in.  By the next growing season, you’ll enjoy a lush new lawn that should only need a minimum of spot treatments and holes that need to be filled! Got some gaps around the edges that won’t take? Try some pretty alternatives to fill in those areas for now! Continued Fertilizer Continue feeding your new plugs beginning after they begin to grow again during their first spring. Now you can use a standard, all-purpose lawn fertilizer for your established grass! Final Tips You should be able to gently walk around your new lawn without too much worry about compaction, but be sure not to set anything large and heavy on it at all. Read more on soil compaction in our Garden Blog! Establish a Routine To Establish Your Grass Plugs! Once you've gotten into the swing of your new lawn care routine, you will soon reap the rewards of a lush green new lawn! Let Nature Hills Nursery help you get the lawn you can be proud of and show off to the neighborhood! Everything you need to get started, plus the help and support you need to assist you throughout the whole process! Happy Planting!

We all want the healthiest plants, trees, and shrubs! And that health comes from the ground beneath your feet! Fluffy, organically rich, well-drained soil is the basis from which all plant health starts! Improving your soil is also the best defense against soil compaction! Optimal soil holds and conducts water efficiently, stores and releases nutrients better, and provides the air and gasses necessary for healthy plants. While soil compaction can have drastically negative effects on all that and more!  What is Soil Compaction? How Does It Occur? Prevention Reversing Soil Compaction Soil Chemistry 101 What To Do If Your Soil Is Beyond Hope Loosen Up! What is Soil Compaction? Soil compaction occurs when soil particles are packed together, reducing the air space between them. Heavily compacted soils can lead to stunted, stressed plants because water, nutrients, and roots cannot travel through these hard-caked areas. Compacted soil loses porosity, becomes anaerobic, cannot absorb rainwater, and sheds water too quickly - furthering the effects of erosion. When it comes to your trees, shrubs and perennials, hardened soil results in diminishing health and their slow, eventual death. Roots cannot grow deep enough and instead grow along the surface of the ground. Resulting in drying out faster, having poor anchoring in wind, and reduced access to stored moisture and nutrients deeper in the earth. The type of soil, the shape of the grains, the composition of the soil, and the amount of clay present - all contribute to how quickly and easily soil can become compacted. This anaerobic, compressed environment kills off not just roots, but also any microbial and soil-borne microorganisms, earthworms, and anything else that lives in your soil! How Does It Occur? One of the worst things you can do to soil is compact it! Anywhere foot traffic, cars, concrete or asphalt, or heavy objects have been sitting - can develop compressed dirt that needs your help before you can successfully plant anything in it! This heavy traffic and pressure squeeze the soil particles together, resulting in compaction. Driving over or parking on an area frequently Heavy item storage Foot traffic Over tilling Erosion Rolling your lawn Rolling your lawn is never recommended as it squashed down the soil particles and traps water and roots at the very surface of the soil. Leaving them high and dry in times of drought and getting baked in the sun. Preventing Soil Compaction Preventing soil compaction in your yard is easy if you keep the following tips in mind: Don't work with soil when it is too wet - they are particularly susceptible to compaction. Overworking with a tiller actually compacts the soil creating hard-pan Use stepping stones or paths to spread the weight out when walking through an area Keep foot traffic where it belongs Add mulch and organic material to your soil Mulch your trees and shrubs with a 3-4-inch layer of organic mulch year-round Stop erosion - plant shrubs, plants & grass Install a Rain Garden or barrier to detain the water until it can soak in Water your yard regularly (especially during drought)  Use Nature Hills Root Booster to encourage deep root growth and lifelong root health Never roll your lawn! Create designated equipment storage - on pallets or wide stones that spread the weight Use a cover crop to protect and further loosen exposed soil Adding arborists' mulch chips to the soil surface not only increases the health of your soil but also creates a natural habitat for earth-tilling organisms and as it breaks down, it further adds organic matter to your soil.  Spread a 3-4 inch layer of mulch around paths and around plants to help hold more moisture. Mulching your ground further holds more moisture, slowing rainwater and allowing it to absorb into the ground!  How To Reverse Soil Compaction If your ground has become hard-pan, use a shovel, spade, or even a pickaxe to break up the top three to six inches of soil. Gently turn in organic matter, compost, small amounts of sand, and plenty of mulch into the soil to increase moisture holding capabilities and the soil porosity. Regular deep watering encourages new root growth and rehydrates all the soil layers. Add earthworms to your newly mixed soil to boost the soil organism community and cover the area with either a cover crop, mulch, or shallow rooted plants, grasses, and other 'pioneer plants' that thrive in these conditions. This helps prevent erosion and being baked by the sun. Some great cover crops and pioneer plant species are: Grasses - Try Buffalograss Moss Bachelor's Button Clover, Radishes, Peas, Oats and Wheat cover crops Daikon Radish drastically aerates and breaks up ground (plus you can eat them! Yum!) Native Wildflowers! The common and amazingly diverse, edible, medicinal, and pollinator-friendly Dandelion Groundcover and Living Mulch perennials Sweet Woodruff  Perennials like Mullein aka Verbascum, Turtlehead, Coreopsis, Black Eyed Susan, Creeping Sedum/Stone Crop, Goldenrod, Bee balm, Penstemon and Joe Pye weed.  Add some FoxFarm Bush Doctor Microbe Brew, earthworms, and Nature Hills Root Booster to help create a lifelong habitat for beneficial organisms under the ground! Soil Chemistry 101 Soil Cations are a little-known factor in the health of your soil! While beginner gardeners really don't need to know about this chemistry aspect, it does help to know its existence. Elements have an electrical charge called ions - positively-charged ions are cations and negatively-charged ions are anions. The major soil cations are calcium, magnesium, potassium, ammonium, hydrogen, and sodium, and typical soil anions include chlorine, nitrates, sulfates, and phosphate. Simply put, your soil's cation exchange capacity (CEC) is the amount of positively charged nutrients that can be held by the soil. Soil with high CEC levels holds more water and nutrients, leading to healthier topsoil.  These can have a significant impact on soil's ability to hold onto essential nutrients and provides a buffer against acidification and an imbalance can be affected by compaction. Higher soil cations indicate high amounts of clay, poor drainage, and a lack of organic material in heavily-trafficked areas. You can collect a soil sample for your County Extension Office to test for you. Compaction and tilling your ground also disrupt what's known as the Capillary Action of the soil, which is the movement of water through the air pockets in the soil by the forces of adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension. Without its usual super highways to move through, water and rain become trapped at the surface and can't percolate into the subsoils. Not to mention all the earthworms you are chopping up in the process! Combined with knowing your soil's CEC levels, it will help fine-tune any problem areas that aren't fixing themselves with proper care and maintenance. What To Do If Your Soil Is Too Far Gone?  Create raised beds and never walk or use heavy equipment on those raised beds. After planting, install a 4-inch layer of arborist wood chips and maintain that depth for excellent results. Or you can create a patio or seating area in the compacted site and set out some chairs and an umbrella. There are many great ways to container gardens and Patio Gardening in pots and planters instead of in the ground!  Loosen Up! Keep that soil nice and fluffy, well hydrated, and let those roots grow deep! You'll have a more bountiful and happy landscape by taking the necessary precautions to avoid compacting your garden, or fixing that problem area with just a few steps! Let Nature Hills Nursery help you create a garden environment that will provide you with years of beauty! Happy Planting!

Spring is the time when you step out into your winter-ravaged lawn and say "What the heck happened here?!" It's also the time to plant grass plugs and reclaim your yard, transforming it into the beautiful green specimen you know it should be! Here at Naturehills.com we often get asked about grass planting this time of year. People say that they like the idea of grass plugs over the expense of sod or the uncertainty of seeding, but are afraid that planting grass plugs is too hard. Nature Hills Nursery is here to tell you a resounding "NO!" Whether you are improving a small patch, the entire front lawn, or starting with no lawn at all - grass plugs are super easy to work with, plant, and get growing fast! Getting Started With Grass Plugs Grass Plug Spacing: Preparing the Ground! What To Do Once Your Plugs Arrive Planting Grass Plug Types of Grass Plugs at Nature Hills Fertilizing and Weed Prevention What to Avoid Get Growing! Getting Started With Your Grass Plugs We start shipping grass plugs from spring all the way through early fall depending on your growing zone. Depending on how large an area you are planting, the first step is to know the area of your yard! Measuring can be tricky to get exact measurements so break your property into sections that are easier and add them all together. Typical Grass Plug Spacing: The closer you plant the plugs, the quicker the lawn will fill out! 12-inches apart -1 tray of 18 plugs will cover 32 square feet 15-inches apart -1 tray of 18 plugs will cover 40 square feet 18-inches apart -1 tray of 18 plugs will cover 56 square feet Preparing the Ground! New Lawns Looking out at that expanse of bare soil, it can seem like a green lawn is ages away! But this bare canvas is perfect for a new lawn! Start by clearing your canvas of all surface debris, stones, remaining vegetation, stumps and other litter. Then properly grade your yard, because sod or grass plugs will not hide bumps or slopes and low spots in your yard. Now is also a great time to ensure all areas have proper drainage! Renovating Lawns - Herbicide Method  If you have a weed patch that hasn’t had any real lawn before, you need to level the playing field. Spraying with herbicide is the fastest and least labor-intensive method. When using any chemical - it’s vitally important to always follow the label instructions! Spray the area you are adding the grass plugs to with glyphosate, non-selective herbicide such as Round-Up. After around 10 days, check on your site to be sure all vegetation is dead. Repeat the treatment if the vegetation is not all dead and wait an additional 10 days. Renovating Lawns - Non-Herbicide Method Prepare the soil by one of the following methods. Remove the weed/sod layer using a sod cutter (these can be rented) and get a clean bare canvas to work from, giving you a level surface with good drainage. Or, till all existing vegetation under in the entire area to a depth of 3 to 4 inches, mixing it with the soil. Water the area, let it dry, and then till it again. Depending on the amount of vegetation, you may have to repeat this several times. Water one last time to firm the soil, let it dry and rake it smooth. Make sure all areas will drain properly. What To Do Once Your Plugs Arrive Unpack the plugs as soon as possible from the box they were shipped to you in or remove them from your vehicle as soon as you get home. Place the trays in a single layer in an area protected from the wind. Water the plugs immediately and keep them moist until you are ready to plant them.  Grass plugs are perishable and don’t necessarily need to be planted immediately, but can be kept in a shady area outdoors and kept watered - do not let these trays dry out at all!  Planting Grass Plug Planting - As Easy As Can Be! Once you’ve prepped the area and have added any soil amendments and irrigation - it's time to plant your grass plugs! Step 1 - Thoroughly water the area you intend to plant, whether a whole lawn or a small bare patch. This softens the soil and helps it settle. Do this the night before you plan on planting.  Step 2 - Dig holes for the plugs in a checkerboard pattern for the best coverage, following your chosen spacing. The holes should be only as deep as the plug roots. To speed this up use an auger made for planting bulbs and plugs. You can also use a dandelion digger, or simply a long screwdriver to dig the holes! This is attached to a hand drill and will save you time and a serious backache. Step 3 - In each hole put a light sprinkling of lawn fertilizer, and Boost Grass Plug Root Dip to give the grass a head start. Or simply broadcast fertilizer over the top of the planting when the grass blades are dry after the plugs have rooted in. Step 4 - Plant the plug in the hole and tap the soil around it so that is snug and secure. Be careful that you plant the plug no deeper than the plant is growing in the trays. Step 5 - Water the area making sure each of the plugs remains moist as well as the soil they were planted into. Water evenly over the area with two light waterings each day when sunny is very important so the plugs and the soil around them stay moist. Step 6 - After 4-6 weeks you can mow the lawn as normal. Types of Grass Plugs Nature Hills Nursery starts shipping grass plugs spring all the way through early fall. Grass plugs are a cinch to plant and very easy to care for and are a great alternative to seeds and sod. Picking your plugs may be the toughest part! Bluegrass  Bella™ Bluegrass is good for Growing Zones 4-8, Bella Bluegrass is a very dark green color and it retains that color all season long. These grass have strong rhizomes and will keep your lawn looking solid and flawless. This variety is great for those that want less mowing, and less watering than other Bluegrass varieties, plus it stays green for a long growing season! St. Augustine Grass Ideal for hot growing zones and since its introduction thousands of homeowners can attest to the easy maintenance and aesthetic appearance of this landscaping turf offers! Palmetto® St. Augustine - Good in growing zones 7-11 CitraBlue™ St. Augustine - Growing Zones 8-11 Bermudagrass Other than being gorgeous green grass for any kind of yard, this grass is extremely tough. This grass is also deer resistant and drought resistant! Talk about a low-maintenance lawn.  Dog Tuff ™ - Dog urine resistant and traffic-resistant! Latitude 36™ - Lush visual quality and very well adapted to the Southern States Zoysia Grass Zenith® Zoysia grass provides the benefits of using less water than bluegrass or fescue and in general, requires less maintenance. Zenith® Zoysia is also an improved variety with excellent color and exhibits good cold tolerance in growing zones 5-11. If you're not sure what to plant, Zoysia is a pretty safe bet as it grows over most of the continental US from the Deep South to the frigid north. Buffalo Grass Buffalo grass is a tough native grass, suitable for the western states. Its dense canopy of fine leaf blades creates a very soft carpet that is perfect for lawn activities. It has a dark blue-green color and naturally only grows 3 to 5 inches high. It's lush and soft while at the same time durable and hardy. UC Verde Buffalo Grass Plugs Legacy Buffalo Grass Plugs Prestige Buffalo Grass Plugs Blue Grama Grass Plugs A vigorous grower, Blue Grama is a beautiful native grass that originated on the Western Plains and is a very vigorous selection of the Blue Grama. Use this grass in areas of high foot traffic and in areas such as highway medians. It will also do well as an accent plant in arid gardens. Fescue Grass Plugs Greenspan Spreading Fescue is a lush, heat-resistant and disease-resistant grass. Featuring deep roots for weed resistance, unwanted invaders simply can't compete with its thick root system. This grass is able to tolerate full sun up until 80% shade! Best in hot growing zones where these turfgrasses remain green year-round in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 9. Fertilizing and Weed Prevention  Typically, lawns enjoy plenty of fertility and plentiful rainfall at this time of the year. Fall is the very best time to spray dandelions and other broadleaved weeds so in the spring they are gone and will not flower and set more seeds. (If you missed a few weeds, you can spot-treat them in the spring before they bloom). Use weed and feed or spot treat with your favorite approach, while the weeds are actively growing. It also eliminates weeds for next spring too! Winterizing Lawn fertilizer is very welcome in the fall and will help to beef up your turf and give those roots a boost before winter. Whether you use chemical or organic fertilizers, if you only use fertilizer one time per year...this is that time! What to Avoid Please do not compact your soil! Each spring, we see people having their lawn rolled. One of the biggest problems of growing most plants is soil compaction. Lawn rolling uses a heavy weight to roll over your grass area to eliminate bumps or imperfections. Instead, if you have imperfections in your lawn, you are better off raking topsoil into the lower areas and filling them in, instead of rolling and compacting your soil.  Dull mower blades lead to chewed-up or torn, ragged grass ends. A sharpened mower blade gives your lawn a cleaner look but also keeps your lawn healthier! Green Acres! A greener lawn to make your neighbors envious is within reach with quality Grass Plugs from NatureHills.com! Check with your County Extension Office for varieties that do best in your area and tolerate your climate and weather conditions specific to your growing zone!  Soon you’ll enjoy a lawn that’s picture-perfect! Planting grass plugs is easy with the help of Nature Hills Nursery! Happy Planting!

The last days of summer for many parts of the country, August can be a mix of hot summer-like days and cool nights. Cicadas and grasshoppers buzz, butterflies and bees are in full swing, and many of your flowers have taken a break from blooming in the heat, as the air itself seems to just hang heavy from the humidity! Gardeners in cooler climates might even start seeing foliage change and need a sweatshirt at night. After all, your first frost date is the beginning of September!  For gardeners in warmer climates, the dog days of summer seem to be showing little in the way of relief from the heat.  But across the country, one thing remains constant - August means peak harvest season is in full swing! August Harvest Season August Fruit Trees By Type FAQ's Weather & Climate Variations Summer Treats The August Harvest Season The first August fruits are starting to ripen on branches covered in war-torn, sun-baked foliage that’s tired and ready for fall. Those leaves have been ardently protecting their bounty from the brunt of summer thunderstorms, sun, heat and insect damage - so they may not look the best by now. The temperatures are hot all day and summer may be winding down on the calendar, but you’d never know it when you walk outside and immediately start sweating!  August is high time for a large bounty of fresh summer produce! Perhaps you are just finishing drying or ‘putting up’ cans of your July bounty and getting ready for more August preserves and goodies from the garden! This is prime tomato and pepper weather with long hot days and, depending on your climate.   Here’s a breakdown of the fruit trees that generally ripen in time for your summer get-togethers, barbecues, and block parties!  August Fruit Trees By Type Apples Lots of Apples are ripening now and August is the start of Apple season for many parts of the country. August-ripening Apples are great for fresh eating, desserts, preserves, baking and sauces!  Gala Apples and Buckeye Gala   Cameo Empire - Try a Teeple Red Royal Empire! Ginger Gold Honeycrisp Pink Pearl State Fair Summerred No room? Try a North Pole Columnar Apple or the Tangy Green Urban and Tasty Red Urban! Apricots & Apriums While typically a June and July harvest, Apricots have a few August-ripening cultivars available in this group of fruit trees! Again, your growing zone and climate will have a lot to determine when ripeness is achieved. Autumn Glow - Season starts in August! Puget Gold Wenatchee Aprium (Plum/Apricot Hybrid) Flavor Delight Aprium - end of their season  Cherries & Pluerry Cherries are usually a June crop and usually, most trees are done fruiting by the hot summer months. However, there are a few exceptions to that rule! Especially in cooler zones with late growing season starts, there are a few lingering trees that are still ready for harvest. Sweet Cherries Romeo and Juliet Cherries - In cold growing zones Sour/Tart Cherries Nanking Jewel Tropical 'Cherry' Barbados Pluerry Sweet Treat - the long hang time means fruit in August!  Candy Heart Avocado Warmer climates will see the first Avocados begin to ripen in August! Donnie Fantastic Joey Lila Little Cado Citrus Most Citrus fruits are harvested in winter, but the exact month depends on the type of Citrus and the climate it is grown in. Limes (Citrus aurantifolia) and Lemons (Citrus limon) ripen all year. Improved Dwarf Meyer Lemon Eureka Lemon Many Limes - like Kaffir Lime and Bearss Lime Valencia and Midknight Valencia Fig Trees Unique and succulent fruit! Chicago Hardy  Panache Tiger Guava Trees These tropical trees have a long extended harvest throughout the summer months! Ruby Supreme - Finishing its harvest time in August Tropic Pink - Gearing up its harvest season in August Mango Trees Ripening throughout the summer months, August is often the middle of the season for Mangos in warmer climates.  Kiett - Ripen July through September Tebow - Begin to ripen Pear Trees Most Pear varieties are harvested in fall, but August is the start of the earlier Pear-ripening season! The early season tree-ripened summer Pears are winding down but may still be on the tree. Many Pears including Chojuro, Fan-Stil, Southern Bartlett and Hosui start ripening in the later parts of this month. 20th Century - Starts to ripen in August in warm climates  Clapp's Favorite European Orient Red Bartlett Peach & NectarineTrees Most Peaches and Nectarines are August ripe treats! Depending on the hardiness zone they are being grown in, these are very well-known summertime treats! Peaches Belle of Georgia Contender Crimson Rocket Fay Elberta Garden Gold Rio Oso Gem Scarlet Halo Donut Peach Nectarines Flamekist Fanatasia Garden Delight Red Gold Pomegranate Typically a later fall crop, Pomegranate begins to ripen in warmer climates in August. Gissarskii Rozovyi Kazake Red Silk Plums, Plumcots & Interspecific Most Plum and related varieties begging to harvest in August and into fall depending upon the specific varieties and depending upon the climate you are growing in. Often ripening in July, Golden Nectar Plum, Geopride Plumcot and French Petite European Plums remain on the tree and continue to ripen into August as well! Plums Damson French Improved European  Honey Lightening Howard Miracle Italian Mount Royal Native American Cling Ozark Premier Japanese Satsuma Plumcots and Pluots Flavor Grenade Pluot Flavor King Pluot Flavor Queen Pluot Frequently Asked Questions About August Fruit Trees What Fruit Tree Produces Fruit Fastest? Most grafted trees produce fruit their first year in the ground, but you shouldn’t let them so they can focus on establishing roots first. All of Nature Hills' fruit trees and some shrubs are grafted onto a rootstock which ensures you’ll see your first harvest between 3-5 years of age. We then ship mature root systems that are already at least 3 years of age, so once your plant has been established in your native soil, you’ll not be waiting long for that first harvest! Can You Plant Fruit Trees in Late Summer or August? August is usually hazy, hot summer weather which can make trying to establish a young tree very challenging. But it can be done! For those in cooler climates zones 4 and below, now is prime planting and harvest weather. If you are in a very hot growing zone, it might be best to wait until autumn and things cool off since your area may yet have a couple of months of hot weather remaining.  In any case, with careful watering and frequent attention to the watering detail (sometimes twice a day), you can have a very successful August planting! So that means go ahead and plant! Weather & Climate Variations Harvest dates can vary depending upon where you are growing your plants. Plus the amount of sun available may have some impact on ripening too. You can always check with your local County Agricultural Extension office for information on the best trees for your area! Keep in mind, that weather patterns, a late or early spring, unpredictable summer temperatures, and your growing zone all greatly affect when fruit trees flower and when the fruit ripens! There is a tremendous amount of variation in ripening dates between zone 4 and zone 9 which can and will greatly affect the harvest times depending upon where you are growing the plants.    August Success Plantings Be sure to plant in a well-watered location with ample organic and enriched soil. Avoid fertilizer at first, water will be your tree's best friend these first few very hot and steamy months. Saturate the planting area before and after planting your tree then use the finger test to ensure the soil remains moist consistently, checking every couple of days. Sometimes checked daily if you are seeing temperatures over 90°F (32.°C). Very fast-draining soils, even a couple of times a day. Include Nature Hills Root Booster when planting and top the soil off with 3-4 inches of arborist bark chips covering the ground a couple of feet from the trunk. This helps hold in moisture and keep things on an even keel. It also insulates new roots from the summer heat and lowers evaporation. Summer is also the best time to prune your tree to shape and control the size, plus remove water sprout growth. Read more about pruning fruit trees here! Refreshing Summer Treats End-of-summer barbecues, the last pool parties before school starts, and healthy refreshing treats, all become so much more special with fresh fruit picked from your own backyard! Nothing is quite as wholesome as watching your family pick fresh produce from your own tree in your home edible garden! You’ll know exactly what went into, and onto, your plants! All of the above trees offer spring blooms, shade, and sometimes fall color and all increase your property value while supplementing your diet with fresh fruit, preserves, delicious baked goods and sauces for all your favorite recipes. The edible landscaping craze is sweeping the nation! Secure your fresh food access and sustainability, and increase your fresh food variety and availability, regardless of the amount of room you have available! It’s easy with quality fruit trees from Nature Hills! These double-duty trees and plants are not just healthy food for your pantry but also ornamental flowering landscape additions that provide shade and curb appeal as well!  Don’t forget to pick up a suitable pollinator for your fruit tree or shrub should they need a pollination buddy! And check out high-density planting to save even more space! Achieve successful home orchards and kick summer harvests into high gear by including these mid-late season trees in your orchard! As always, head over to NatureHills.com #ProPlantTips for care and Garden Blog any time to get started! Happy Planting!

Spiraea shrubs are tried and true garden workhorses that have been used for over 300 years! They are native to the Northern Hemisphere and there are over 70 species of Spiraea and some species have several dozen varieties.  These are super popular, smaller space-saving, flowering shrubs - which we have seen an explosion of new selections over the years because of their versatility!  All About Spirea Spiraea, also known as Meadowsweet, and often spelled Spirea commonly, are deciduous shrubs, very ornamental, and sports flower colors ranging from white, pink, and crimson. These tiny little flowers make up clusters of blooms that often look like the fizz atop a freshly poured soda! How delightful! There have been so many exciting hybrids and cultivars released as of late, leading to a dizzying array of great features, varied sizes, incredible variations in color, vibrant fall color, and multi-seasonal interest! Nature Hills sells two different types of Spirea - the smaller selections that rebloom, and the larger growers that bloom early and with abandon. Some of the older cultivars have been around since the early 1900s and are still being grown today! You can imagine that these reliable bloomers and even repeat bloomers are a fan favorite of pollinators! Often mounding shrubs that rarely get too tall, these are widely adaptable to a broad growing zone range but all share the same fine textured, lance-shaped foliage with adorable toothy edges! While bees, butterflies and even hummingbirds drop by for a visit, deer and rabbits aren’t too keen on these shrubs, which is why they’re usually so common in the home landscape. Some of the older varieties become too widely used, but there is a reason they are considered a classic! However, there is always a place for our newest varieties! So take a look at the new and improved cultivars that are being introduced that will knock your socks off and bump up curb appeal while still retaining their workhorse roots! The Basics of Spirea Care The two main types of Spirea are those that bloom on last year's wood (blooming only once in spring) so pruning after the flowers are done. The other type is those that bloom on new wood and most of these will rebloom and best if deadheaded. Spirea are hardy and easy to grow deciduous shrubs. Spireas prefer to be planted in well-drained soils with lots of organic matter, but Spireas can also do just fine in poor soils and city locations. Wet, boggy soils are not tolerated.  Most Spiraea needs to be planted in full sun to flower regularly and grow strong. Provide at least 6 hours of direct sun a day for best results, however, many Spirea even tolerate partial shade and bloom just as profusely!  Varieties of Spiraea From romantic old-fashioned garden standards to modern colorful container shrubs - Spiraea has certainly added to the family diversity in some major ways! From the largest grand Vanhouttei Spirea which can reach nearly 9 feet tall, to the tiny Mini Gold Spirea that stays sweet and petite! From early spring blooming to late fall blooming varieties and everything in between! Old-Fashioned Bloomers Larger growing, old-fashioned selections that sport white flowers in masses of blooms in May or early June (depending upon where they are grown). If you are anywhere in the upper Midwest, you will probably have seen these romantic arching and cascading stems of Vanhouttei Spirea and Bridal Wreath (aka Bridalwreath) Spirea! Due to their bloom time, many cemeteries have planted hedges of them that have remained for decades!  White clusters of flowers are neatly arranged all along the stems from the tips all the way down into the plant. It literally looks like there was a wild snowstorm and the plant was flocked with fresh, white snow.  Then there is a finer textured and smaller growing spring blooming Spirea called Grefsheim. Although Grefsheim is a different species, it rocks! Smaller leaves and gorgeous and very dainty flat-topped bands of white flowers appear all along the tops of every stem, completely covering the plant with blooms. The selections called Snowmound and Renaissance stay slightly smaller and are free flowering. Still forming blooms along the tops of the stems, but also in adorable rounded button clusters of snowy white! Snowmound has the bonus of developing brilliant orangy yellow fall color too! Japanese Spirea The other group of Spirea in the Spiraea japonica includes Froebelii Spirea and several similar fantastic varieties! The flowers are born on the tips of each stem in mostly flat-topped clusters and are typically only 3 inches wide. The plants are very forgiving and ask for a little sun, an occasional haircut, and some additional moisture during periods of drought.  This group of Spirea stays smaller ranging from 15' high and wide to 3-4' high and wide. There is a wide array of leaf colors with some emerging in beautiful oranges and reds to bright yellow and some green. Anthony Waterer features reddish-purple blossoms, blue-green foliages and burgundy fall color! The unique foliage of the Crisp Leaf Spirea 'Crispa' has elongated toothy edges and leaves that are almost curled, plus red spring growth and fizzy dark pink blossoms.  The flower colors range from white to pink to red and everything in-between. The beauty of this group of Spirea is once that first round of flowers begins to fade, trim off the spent flowers and stand back and wait for the next flush of bloom! The birds and bees will love the flowers and so will you as they are great cut flowers too.  These small and very manageable shrubs are very colorful from the minute they start to leaf out, all while they are in flower, and feature amazing summer foliage colors, the Dakota line of Spirea finishes the growing season off with a myriad of fall colors! These Spirea make great foundation plants because of their smaller size. They work well in mass plantings for big open areas or embankment plantings. They are great edging or front of the shrub border plants.  Dakota Goldcharm is a rebloomer with color-changing foliage and rosy blooms smothering a compact smaller shrub only 15-18 inches tall! Proven Winners® Color Choice® Double Play® Artisan® Spiraea may have a long name, but its list of unique features has earned its lengthy moniker! Plum blossoms and new spring growth, fantastic green foliage and brilliant fall color are all packed into a neat and tidy 24-30 inch mound!  Chartreuse cousin Double Play Big Bang has rosy blooms and fiery reddish spring and fall color, while Double Play Gold Spirea keeps its golden yellow foliage almost all growing season. Both stay barely knee-high with ease! Hydrangea Look-Alikes Fritsch Spirea features bigger almost Hydrangea mophead-like blooms in pure white atop a mound of broad leaves, unlike other Spirea, but retain that fantastic spring and fall leaf color as well as the fizzy tiny blossoms that make up each flower cluster! You'll enjoy the cold-hardiness and ease of care that Spiraea feature without the fuss! Try a Snow Storm™ Spirea for flowers that resemble the airy Baby’s Breath blooms atop deep green foliage!  Tor Spireas Tor Spirea, also known as Birchleaf Spirea, features rounder toothy leaves similar to their namesakes. Featuring fantastic spring and fall color, and many small blooms clusters floating over incredibly vivid bright green foliage! The Spiraea betulifolia varieties include the chartreuse Glow Girl® and Pink Sparkler! Seed-Free Modern Shrubs Sometimes Spirea does a little too well in some areas and they can get into trouble in the native landscape. In some areas, some of the above selections of Spiraea may produce seed and could be restricted or prohibited from being shipped to your area, which is why we developed Plant Sentry™.  Plant Sentry™ prevents the sale and shipment of any plant that any state has prohibited from being shipped - Nature Hills is doing our job to prevent the spread of invasives! That first round of breeding brings us a sterile Spirea that we call PowderPuff™ and Double Play Doozie®.  Some of these newest varieties are sterile and you should watch for those introductions to be ready for shipping to you soon! Best of all, it’s gorgeous and offers reblooming through the summer season. Soft pink flowers are born in clusters on the tips of each branch in profusion every June. Closer inspection of the flower clusters reveals a raspberry red eye in each of the florets intensifying the soft pink color with an almost lavender overall cast. Just beautiful! Pruning Spirea Bushes Since most Spiraea is a spring blooming shrub, the best time to prune established Spirea is after the flowers have faded.  Once a Year Blooming Spirea The once-a-year blooming Spiraea (Vanhouttei, Renaissance, Snowmound, Halward's Silver, Bridal Wreath, Grefsheim, etc) typically bloom in late spring. These bloom on last year's stems, so prune right away once the flowers fade. Spirea can be cut back to the ground if they get too large. Or simply remove the oldest and thickest stems to the ground. These types of renewal pruning allow for new young stems to grow, ready to flower again next year! Prune them either by reducing the size or they can be cut way back and allowed to regrow without interrupting next year's bloom. If a major pruning isn’t required, then a light shearing not only cleans up the plant after the blooms begin to turn brown and to keep the shrubs tidy. Pruning and shearing also encourage a second flush of flowers in reblooming varieties.   If you prune these spring-blooming-only Spireas in summer or fall, you will cut off all of next year's flowers! Reblooming Spirea The summer and fall reblooming selections of Spiraea should be cut back each spring before they start to grow to reduce last year's growth and even the plants up. Then after the first round of bloom, shear off the old flower heads, and you will be rewarded with rebloom! Some great reblooming varieties are the Double Play® series which have long-lasting reblooming shrubs of all colors and sizes available!  Where & How To Use Spirea In The Landscape  Need a spring wake-up call for your landscape? Try a few Goldmound Spirea Need to bump up fall color? Plant the mini Flaming Mound Spirea or Goldflame Spirea Love the color red? A sterile Double Play Doozie® Spirea has unique spring-fall blooms Spiraeas are commonly used in the landscape for tall and low, informal hedges, backdrops and shrub borders. The light and airy feel and texture they add to the garden are unmatched! Define your property lines and screen off private nooks and seating areas from prying eyes with these faster-growing shrubs! Use as facer shrubs to hide the leggy bare stems of larger plants and shrubs, or to brighten your existing foundation plantings. Employ smaller statured shrubs as edging and groundcover, and line garden paths and edges with tidy and easy-to-grow small shrubs for a colorful transition between lawn and garden! Regularly used as great foundation plants, their long season of bloom and vivid colors are sure to bump up curb appeal. Taller Spirea are great as backdrops to perennial gardens or the garden border. Try a mixed-shrub border of just Spirea by layering in shorter facer shrubs in front of the taller varieties for more interest! Have fun mixing and matching flower and leaf colors, textures and various sizes for a patchwork quilt of color all growing season!  These are low-maintenance and easy-care enough for large plantings, stop erosion on hillsides and slopes, and even tolerate the tricky conditions of the hell-strip along the roadside and sidewalk, street sides and driveways! The low-growing forms of Spirea are ideal for massing and groundcover, and for planting on inclines or steep areas that are dangerous to mow. Got a hillside that sheds water fast or is eroding? Plant a swath of Spirea that hold soil steadfastly and slows rainwater runoff. So Easy to Care For! These easy-going shrubs add that special something to the garden! Bright colors all growing season and dense, twiggy growth, there’s no real downside to these incredible ornamental bushes!  It’s the widespread use and high adaptability that may have been too widely used in new construction and commercial landscapes, but with newer cultivars and colors, you’ll easily be able to set your home's landscaping apart from all the others with these tried and true landscaping workhorses! Hurry and order your own bright garden powerhouses for your next project, or dress up your existing landscaping with space-saving and colorful ornamental flowering shrubs from NatureHills.com! We’re sure you’ll see what all the fuss is over! Happy Planting!