HARVARD GOES NATURAL

A tractor mounted spray tank applies compost tea to a turf area

A really intriguing article in the New York Times about Harvard University giving up on synthetics and chemicals and going fully green. Good on them. The results and the savings are amazing.

Fall Plant Sale

Unique and hard-to-find desert plants will be among those offered when the Springs Preserve hosts a special autumn plant sale Sept. 26 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The sale will feature limited quantities of about 3,000 native and drought-tolerant plant species, including such uncommon varieties as Wood's Rose and Las Vegas Buckwheat, as well as many regional species of Penstemon and the Fragrant Purple Sage. The plants will be sold in one-, five- and 15-gallon sizes. Springs Preserve garden staff experts will be on hand to answer customers’ questions about how to care for their new plants.

Admission to the plant sale is free; however, regular admission prices will apply for access to museums and galleries. Food and beverages will be available for sale at the event. For more information, please call (702) 822-7705.

We'll plant what you buy

Our Client Has a Famous Yard

This yard conversion of ours in Henderson has been profiled a few times in the media, and just recently in an article in the Wall Street Journal in an article on turf usage in the West.

FRUIT TREE CLASS

The nursery at the CSN is hosting a fruit tree workshop titled "Discover How Fruit Trees Make Wonderful Landscape Plants " October 10th, Noon - 1:30 pm
Learn what it takes to have lots of big grocery-store size fruit. Call the school at 651-5152 to reserve a seat. Class fee is $29.00. I'll be going so there will be a post to this blog available after the class with info and tips from the class.
Those who attend will receive 10% off a their fruit tree order from the nursery.


I am just discovering the technique of espalier pruning for fruit trees part one, part two. Might be the way to go if you have a small yard, or want to get more trees into your home orchard. VIDEO

FRUIT TREE SALE

The Nursery at the College of Southern Nevada is selling bare root fruit trees now until October 17th. Grow these selected and adapted varieties and support the College of Southern Nevada at the same time.

The Desert Garden Center is located at: 6221 W. Charleston Blvd . CSN has posted the list of varieties and prices HERE
Click on the 'Fruit Tree Order Form" link.

The nursery also sells many native and adapted plants, there is no sales tax and the profits are rolled back into the ag program of the school. Win, win, win.

MULCHING FRUIT TREES

I recently looked at some fruit trees in a yard that were under performing and doing all they could just to survive. The home owner was doing allot of things right, but there were a few key things missing in their care. The two essential things your fruit trees need is mulch and irrigation to the crown drip line. All of your water and nutrients should be in this circle because most of a tree's feeder and water absorbing roots are in the top 12" of the soil in the drip line circle. Mulch your trees 6-10" deep and irrigate in a spiral away from the trunk using drip hose. Lay your drip line on top of the mulch so the water carries the nutrients from the mulch into the soil. Water weekly in the summer and monthly in the dormant season. Throw a hand full of earth worms in the mulch for good measure. Add a few shovel fulls of organic fertilizer in the mulched area a few times during the growing season.

Watering and mulching should be in the drip line.



Spiral watering lines on top of the mulch.

Keep your mulch off of the trunk.

The Babies Are Growing UP

THE FARM TAKES SHAPE

This is the garden area before the clean up is done and the first bed is made. The lumber is 6"X6" salvaged wood. The entire area is shaded out too much by a big tree to the south of the garden spot. The tree will be thinned out some to get more sun to on the dirt.


Here we have prepared the 25' X 4' area. The tomato soil will come in next week and spread 8" deep.


A dozen fresh eggs from the chickens.

Starting Seedlings

Here we have our fall seedlings germinating in the starting trays under the grow lights. We're going to grow all of these little guys into 4" pot size before being slowly introduced to the sun in a few weeks and brought out to the garden. The lights are on a timer giving the little babies 17 hours of light a day.



































What we have here are:
Mesclun (lettuce mix), butter crunch lettuce mix, creole collard greens, tatsoi bok choy, swiss chard, bright lights swiss chard, nero toscana kale, chinese cabbage, endive (lettuce), bordeaux spinach, long island improved brussels sprout, broccoli, radish, sugar pod snow pea, sugar snap pea, red cored short carrot, cilantro, thai basil, mint.

The seeds ($1.59 - $2.29) and the seed starting soil ($3.89) were purchased at Plant World , the starting trays ($3.89) came from Star. The 48" 2 bulb light fixtures ($12.50) and the bulbs ($6.00 for two) are from Lowes.