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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:For experienced gardeners, you might not find our first article very informative. But we have readers of such varying backgrounds, we often like to have topics that are "the basics." And, even for experienced folks, you might pick out something of value. We so often talk about flowers and vegetables, that we forget about the more majestic items in our yard, its trees. Of course, we have much more, including an item on thatch, one on the invisible basket, and of course, the Reader Mailbag. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor 2) Trees - The Basics:So why do we grow trees in our yards and why do we even need them?
Which trees are the most grown? Deciduous. These are trees that lose their leaves each fall and bear new leaves in the spring. As you design your yard don't forget trees. They can be great to frame your house and make an inviting approach up the driveway. You can use them to shade a patio or deck. Or, they can be used as a screen or give your backyard some privacy. They can act as a nice backdrop to your garden. If you're like us, we like to feed birds and they invite great habitat and safety for our feathered friends. The trick it to determine which tree will do the things you want - and to select the tree that will survive in your neck of the woods. But don't just rely on Zone charts when choosing trees. Take a trip around your neighborhood and note which trees are thriving. If a tree is doing well in your neighborhood, it is likely to do well in your yard. Also, look at the tree's shape and size to see if it fits your needs. Another source of information is your local forester or gardening center. Before we forget, another consideration is the possible cleanup required regularly with some trees. A case in point is the silver maple which has brittle wood and you will often have twigs scattered about on windy days. Oops, here is another consideration. Don't be fooled by the size of a tree during its young years. Make sure you realize how large a tree will get. Too often people will plant trees too close together or too close to the house or driveway. They fail to look down the road, or realize the fix they might be placing themselves into. In fact, people have needed to remove trees because of space limitations. The number one reason we grow trees in our yard is for their shade. Thus, placement of the tree can be quite important. To assist the task, go out on a sunny day - pick up a long pole and stand in the yard. Take note of the shadow cast by pole. Does the shadow fall in the direction you want it during the time of day you want the shade? It certainly won't give you the full extent of the shade unless you have one very long pole - but use your imagination on where a mature tree will give shade. This is getting a bit long, and there is so much more we could talk about. Let us finish with a final word on shade. Not all shade is the same. There are some trees that give such dense shade it can be tough to grow grass under them. We've been in that situation, it can be quite frustrating. My gosh, we guess we'll have to come back another time to discuss trees. *** 15% savings until June 19, 2003 *** *** Exotic and Unusual Tree Seeds From Around the World *** Trees not only beautify your home, but they also add
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in the neighborhood by planting some unique seeds today. Enter the Store and Click on the Sale Link The discount will not show up in your shopping cart -- we will take care of it for you before finalization of your order. (No other discounts apply.) 3) Humor for Today:I love the outdoors, and because of my passion for hunting and fishing, my family eats a considerable amount of wild game. So much, in fact, that one evening as I set a platter of broiled venison steaks on the dinner table, my 6-year-old daughter looked up and said, "Boy, it sure would be nice if pizzas lived in the woods." 4) Thatch:Thatch - we've all heard the word, but what is it? Thatch is basically a dense layer of un-decomposed grass stems and leaves that are allowed to build up in our modern day lawns. Heavy watering and fertilization can cause thick turf and thus allow clippings to accumulate to a point of acting as a cover or barrier not allowing air, water and soil additives to reach the soil. With the said, though, thatch is normal and can actually be beneficial to your lawn as long as it does not get too thick. It can actually act as a mulch to retain moisture and to help keep the soil cool. It can also discourage weed germination. And the thatch's decay adds nutrients to the soil. In fact, there are folks who dethatch there lawns too often. It is when the layer gets over 3/4 inch thick that you start to have problems. Some indications of thatch being too thick can be dry and dead patches of grass and springiness when you walk across the lawn. 5) The Invisible Basket:
How do you do that? Think about including plants with a trailing or sprawling habit that will eventually cover the pot. Things to consider are Swedish ivy, vinca, sweet peas, nasturtiums, and petunias. Click Image for Our Waterfall
Gallery 6) Quote for Today:"Men are like fine wine. They all start out like grapes,
and it's our job to stomp on them and keep them in the dark until
they
mature into something which you'd like to have dinner with." 7) Reader Mailbag: Ponytail Palm"My ponytail palm is a house plant over 20 years old. The trunk
of the tree is only about five inches around and the leaves turn brown
approximately half-way down . The tree stands approximately five and
a half feet tall and in a good size pot. What is wrong with my tree?
It get lots of light. Can you help me?" The ponytail palm takes its name from its resemblance to hair cascading out like a ponytail. Others might know it as "bottle palm." The trunk has a bulb at the ground or the pot level. This palm can grow to a massive size and thus, if grown as a house plant, it will often become root-bound many times. This palm stores water in its bulb, and uses that water slowly. However, depending upon the container size, it may not have a lot of soil in the container and the roots might become too dry, and the lower leaves will turn brown or yellow and the plant may start to look a little ashy. One thing about the ponytail, it is a durable high-light plant. They will often take up a lot of room and the leaf edges are rather sharp. In the case of a ponytail with leaves turning brown, you may want to remove the discolored lower leaves -- but do not trim the brown off the green ends. Green leaves with brown at the end is natural and if you cut the brown, the plant will simply produce more brown ends and more sharp edges. Only completely remove the total "brown" leaves. With a 20-year-old ponytail palm, it may need to be re-potted to a larger container with new soil. As we mentioned, what you are experiencing might well be the case of the roots probably getting too dry and the lower leaves are turning brown. You might like to know that some potted ponytail palms are beautiful for 40 years. However, they generally do start to have problems at 25 years unless cared for by a professional. For anyone wanting to give ponytail palm a try, they are item P20 found on our Palm Trees page linked from our main catalog. http://rexseedco.com/home.htm Ponytails are very easy to start from seeds. 8) Age vs. Youth:An old farmer had owned a large farm for several years with a large pond in the back, fixed up nice with picnic tables, horseshoe courts, a basketball court, etc. The pond was properly shaped and fixed up for swimming when it was built. One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn't been there for a while, and look it over. As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny dipping in his pond. He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end of the pond. One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!" The old man replied, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim or make you get out of the pond naked. I only came to feed the alligator." Moral: Old age and treachery will triumph over youth and skill every time 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added, or are a valued customer of Rex's Seedco. PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times Click Here or send email to subscribegtt@goalsmint.com To unsubscribe Click Here or send email to unsubscribegtt@goalsmint.com Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
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[ Past Issues Index ] [ Rex's Seedco Home ] [ Our Seed Catalog ] [ About Us ]
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The most important thing about trees, they keep the earth's ecology
in balance. They transform carbon dioxide into the oxygen we breath.
They temper the harsh rays of the sun and the drying and/or damaging
winds that blow. They beautify our landscape.
Have you ever seen hanging baskets where the focal point ends up being
the basket itself? The flowers actually become secondary because you
eyes are automatically drawn to the container. We don't know about
you, but we like the gorgeous flowers to be the focal point.
