Page 11 - MNLGA Free State Spring 2024_WEB SPREADS

Today our spring shipment of clematis came in and while
they were being potted up, I cleaned up, pinched and
trellised, as needed. While doing this I thought of two
things that others will need to do in the future. So, I said
to Lori, my daughter-in-law, that Robert and she need
to know how and when to keep them from becoming a
tangled stringy mess. That led me to wonder about the
time spent on clematis and if they are worth the money
returned. I’ve found that buying finished clematis is not an
answer; they are never done properly. However, I’ve found
Donahue’s Greenhouses liners to always be top quality.

The other thing that came to mind while doing the
clematis was how to balance doing a project or repair
yourself vs. farming it out. It’s always money vs. time,
or in other words, a rock vs. a hard place. The trick is to
know what you’re capable of doing in-house or if you can
afford to pay another to do it. I think this is a problem that
affects smaller operations more than larger ones. Larger
ones are more likely to be able to afford repairs and can
keep crews busy with repairs and building projects. I know
some peninsula nurseries that have their own welding,
electrical and repair crews. But when this decision-point

Little Loblolly pines Salt Bush potted Jan 2024 (continued on next page)
THIS BUSINESS OF OURS (Continued) One plant in great demand is Salt Bush Baccharis
The weather, as you know, has been wet this year and halimifolia and the natives are highest in demand.
with milder temperatures, so we pulled our plastic earlier This spring we have ready and We have made cuttings with varying rates of success.
this year. It’s possible we were a bit too early as we have future stock waiting in the wings. However, last summer’s stock did great and those potted
light freeze damage on some young hydrangeas. They in 1-gallon containers in early February already had a full
will grow out of it soon enough as they are way too small I do have to laugh at one of our root ball a week ago.
to sell anyhow. future plants, those Loblolly Pines For quite a while I’ve had a problem with my azalea liners.

We solved the narrow space problem between a power When I realized the negative effects of potting these in
outlet, the mixer and conveyer by buying a narrower seedlings, we planted in 3-gallon the winter (into 1-gallon containers in a warm greenhouse
tractor to pull the potting wagons through the space. containers. They look very small with slow-release fertilizer dumping in the heat) it was
Not a perfect solution, but when do we ever get a perfect too late. Losses ranged up to 50% and the others were
solution? The conveyer has proven to be versatile as we in them, but Larry was low on stunted. Overwatering a couple of times helped leach
are using it as a tree container filler and to fill the tractor 1-gallon containers at the time. out the excess, but that’s like closing the gate after the
bucket for transport to the potting machine. We do this horse has run off into the sunset. Additionally, different
by setting a 7-gallon container, or bigger, with a tracking mixes have both helped and hurt. I found that potting
wagon backed up under it. The person on the left side before the previous one is finished. This method reduces later would solve the problem, but this also limited the
sets up a container with the bare root tree in it. The one lift of a container filled at ground level with shovels time for other work. Plus, potting later would cause me to
person on the right side controls the flow of soil mix from onto the wagon. lose a flush of growth each year and I’ve learned that size
the mixer into the container. Both will help pack the soil This spring we have ready and future stock waiting in is money. This year we went back to a bark peat mixture
around the roots. A third person will also help pack the soil the wings. I do have to laugh at one of our future plants, with no fertilizer, as lower rates didn’t solve the problem.
and hold the tree straight. After that is done, they will slide those Loblolly Pines seedlings, we planted in 3-gallon The yield this year looks fine now that growth is well on
the plant to the front of the wagon. The person on the left containers. They look very small in them, but Larry was its way, and soon I’ll start a liquid feed once a week with
side usually has time to set up the next container and tree low on 1-gallon containers at the time. a top dressing of the slow-release fertilizer when they are
moved out for the summer in May. Using mixer and convyer to fill containers
10 SPRING 2024• Free State News Membership Matters • SPRING 2024 11