Are the seasons changing?

What a difference a year makes. I thought I would look back to my notes from last year. April started off warm and then turned cold and dreary. We were running behind 10 days or so from 2019 as to a warm up. Fast forward to 2021 and spring has sprung, summer weather has hit and hit hard. A few 80 degree days in April, insane! But, hey it got us all out and about after being cooped up inside due to covid.

Plants are way ahead of last year. I honestly can not remember a year when azaleas and lilacs were blooming by mid-April. Dogwoods, pears, crabs, choke cherries have exploded. Weeping cherries bloomed and are all but just about done blooming already? Did I fall asleep and someone move me to the south?

This weather is moving way too fast, too quickly. Add in less than normal rainfall, or as some say, a drought and it’s already been an interesting year. We are quite honestly experiencing weather on April 14th, we would not have had until May 16th, of 2020. 1 MONTH AHEAD of where we normally should be.

So what does this mean? Nurseries were caught off guard and had to work overtime just to get plants out of the ground. Many have been pushed back shipping items anywhere from 10 days to a month later due to everyone wanting everything now.

The lack of drivers for trucks is really taking a toll on prices as freight continues to skyrocket.

I had a feeling inflation would rear its ugly head but not so fast. Prices are so volatile! Today I sold an item for $19.99, by the time we sell out, re-order, receive the product, it has gone up if our suppliers have it. Some items have risen as much as 50% from early orders placed in September. One of the worst things one of my reps told me is I would be receiving a surcharge for a product I received in February for additional freight being charged to their company. Really, 2 months later? Just doesn’t seem right but these are strange times we live in.

All I can tell you is, products continue to be very scarce out there in ALL departments. We are fortunate we grow our annuals, hanging baskets, perennials and some nursery stock. So many of our friends who grow wholesale to supply other garden centers are sold out already. It’s mid April!! No one could have anticipated such a surge in lawn and garden products and where we used to be able to order from one of our suppliers weekly, stock is so tight and non existent, they are asking us to anticipate what we need in 4-6 weeks from now ....

All these companies are just that behind schedule fulfilling orders. It’s truly scary!! I continue to tell myself daily, sometimes hourly, I can ONLY do what I can do. That’s really tough for me as I am the type of guy who likes to be ahead on things. No matter if I work 80 or 100 hours a week, I just can not seem to get caught up with all the little things that make things run smoothly.

I, my family, my wonderful seasoned and new staff who have just come on board are doing the best we possibly can. Trucks continue to bring product in and we are getting it out as fast as we can. The nursery is getting full with more items arriving daily. I have said it before, and I will say it again. If you see it, like it, buy it. If you don’t you may regret it when it is not there.

Now we all know this but I feel I should remind everyone, cold days are going to be coming in the future. Frost can stunt, kill annuals, vegetables and hanging baskets. We all have the spring fever and want to plant now, it is my public duty to say, ok you can but beware and watch that weather forecast. If you here it is going to be cold at night, cover those tender plants with a sheet or burlap, or bring them in for the night. As a true plantsman, every plant life matters so just beware of future cold nights.

As for bushes, trees and shrubs, now is a great time to plant. The weather is good, make sure you plant your plants a couple inches higher than surrounding soils so they have good drainage. You must amend or mix your present soil with aged compost or soil conditioner (aged pine bark mulch). Do not remove all your native soil and use just topsoil or potting mix, The hole you dig and fill with “good soil or potting mix” literally will turn into a bathtub which will hold water and kill your plants from being too wet. The secret is to take your native soil, blend the soil conditioner and compost at a 1/3 ratio and use this mix to plant in and around the root ball.

As for spraying this week, the azalea lace bug has hatched their young and they will be attacking azaleas, Spray now with a systemic insecticide or use fertilome’s tree and shrub drench around the base for all season control. This pest causes little dots on the back of your azalea leaves and makes the leaf off color.

If you have viburnum, the viburnum leaf beetle is out. Spinosad will take care of this pest. They actually eat and defoliate your plant.

Birch and elm leaf miners are out. If you have a white birch tree weeping or upright, get that drench on now, we want to save it from the bronze birch borer which kills tons of birches each year. Again, it’s the white trunk ones it likes, not river birches.

Many crabgrass seedlings will start to emerge soon if warm weather continues. Get your fertilome brand for all season crabgrass and weed control on now before it’s too late!!

Get your vaccinations, wear your masks and hope this coronavirus starts to go away. The only way to beat this thing is if we continue to social distance from each other, wash your hands frequently and be kind to others. (Don’t really know if that will help, but it sounds good!!) Thanks for reading!!