Happy Saint Pea-Tricks Day!
What’s In The Garden
You read that right! In addition to being a celebration of Irish heritage, Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17) is also the traditional date to start growing Pea seeds outdoors. Certain vegetable prefer cooler temperatures and can tolerate frost, so gardeners can sow those seeds directly in the garden bed in early spring. All of the cole crops such as Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale and Brussels Sprouts can be sown in the garden 4-6 weeks prior to the last frost, which is considered May 15 in our region. Spinach and Lettuce are other popular choices.
Cold hardy transplants are also offered as an alternative to sowing seed and will get your garden growing even earlier. Rohsler’s has a nice selection of cold hardy veggies and herbs to choose from right now.
If planting seeds sounds like a lot of work, think of the effort as an investment in nutrient-rich summer produce. If you decide you want a little help, host a Planting Party, and remember to invite the children. Once their dexterity develops, kids are great at handling tiny seeds. This is also a great teaching opportunity. Children gain experience caring for plants, and discover the life cycle of those plants as they ultimately harvest, cook, and eat the vegetables they grew.
The Easter Bunny will be at the nursery on Palm Sunday (March 20) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. She will have candy for the children who stop by to visit her. Bunny is quite photogenic, and would love to have her picture taken with your family. If you miss her this week, Bunny will be back at Rohsler’s Good Friday and Easter Saturday from 10 to 4 both days, and on Easter from 10 to 2.
Palm Sunday and Easter signal the arrival of bulb plants in the greenhouse. These plants have been “forced” so they bloom in time for the holidays. Hyacinths, Tulips, and Daffodils in flower can all be enjoyed during the holidays and can be planted out in the garden after flowering for future years of enjoyment.
Rohsler’s has a varied selection of locally grown bulb plants and Rohsler’s Grown Hydrangeas in a dazzling array of colors for Palm Sunday, and beautiful cut flowers in the floral department. Order your Easter bouquets, arrangements, and centerpieces early. Easter is only a week and a half away.
Longing to spend more time outside? There’s already plenty to do in your yard!
Love your lawn with Scott’s Four Step. These four distinct products are applied at prescribed times throughout the growing season. The first step, which should be applied now, combines lawn food with a crabgrass preventative. Step 2, a weed and feed blend, should be applied around Memorial Day. By July 4, it’s time for the lawn food with iron. The final step is the fall lawn food, which helps get your turf ready for the following spring. Of course, you’ll want to check into Scott’s Instant in Store Rebate that is available now at Rohsler’s.
Rohsler’s also offers Espoma’s All Season Lawn Food 9-0-0, an organic alternative to traditional lawn fertilizers.
For a Naturally Green Lawn, try this affordable, chemical-free lawn program that is safe for kids and pets. All Espoma Organic Lawn Products are specifically formulated to optimize the health of the lawn, and provide 2.5 times more slow release nitrogen (SRN) than a conventional lawn program. All Season Lawn Food also contains Bio-tone Microbes that help make nutrients more available to your lawn. These microbes will help promote faster greening, deeper roots, and improved soil structure.
Espoma Organic Weed Preventer can be used to prevent weeds from coming up in your lawn. Corn gluten is used to prevent crabgrass and other weeds from germinating.
If you’re seeding your lawn, consider applying Greenview Seed Accelerator, also known as Penn Mulch. This product helps keep grass seeds moist and protected from the elements, leading to faster and better germination.
Your landscape’s spring makeover should also include a proper feeding.
Holly-Tone is a great fertilizer for evergreens and acid-loving plants and shrubs. Hollies, Rhododendrons, Pines, Arborvitae, Azaleas, Hydrangeas, Dogwoods, Blueberries, and many other plants and shrubs will enjoy the benefits of this product. Plant-Tone, an all-natural and organic plant food, contains thousands of living microbes and 15 essential nutrients. Because it is approved for organic gardening, you can use it on flowers, vegetables, trees, and shrubs.
If you have gardening questions and concerns, take them to Rohsler’s and you’ll never have to go it alone!