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What’s In The Garden…

Just like your home and garage, your water garden also benefits from spring cleaning. The cold weather is finally retreating, but Old Man Winter undoubtedly left debris and sediment in your pond. Don’t let those remnants inhibit the health of your backyard ecosystem.

The aquatics experts at Rohsler’s are already engaged in pond openings throughout our area. When Tom T and his crew visit their clients’ homes they carefully remove any fish from the pond. They then place the fish in separate tubs of pond water where they can swim freely. In the meantime, Tom and company drain and wash the ponds, check the pumps and skimmers, trim the plants, replace defunct light bulbs, and reset the gravel and rocks. Afterward, they acclimate the fish back into the pond and add products such as Aquascape Beneficial Bacteria and Aquascape Pond Detoxifier that can benefit the pond’s ecosystem. Both of these products are Rohsler’s Picks this week and are available in various sizes depending on the pond’s size.

Spring is also the time to feed the aquatic plants and bring the pond water back to a proper pH level. When caring for a pond, Tom prefers to use natural bacteria, rather than ultraviolet lights and algaecides. He can recommend various plants, such as Water Liles, Cattails, Iris, and assorted tropical water plants, that will add to the health and beauty of the pond.

The four basic types of aquatic plants include water lilies, marginals, floating plants, and submerged plants/oxygenators.

Remember that some aquatic plants need to be protected from the cold. Non-hardy species can be installed in built-in planting pockets, which allow you to place a potted plant in the pocket, and remove that plant with ease when cold weather returns.

Plant selection is crucial, since the proper choices help control algae growth while they provide shade, food, and protection for fish.

Rohsler’s keeps a large assortment of Koi (both domestic and imported) and many types of Comets (which resemble Goldfish) on hand as well as water plants.

The nursery recently expanded its aquatics department to include more display space. Be sure to visit, and learn more about the pondless water features on display that include fountains and waterscapes. If you enjoy the relaxing sound and elegant ambiance of the new water feature, ask Tom about building one in your own yard or having Rohsler’s create and install one for you. Low on space? Consider a Patio Pond – a scaled-down water garden container that is just right for patios and decks.

Now: Back to the dirt! Have you turned over the soil in your vegetable garden? If not, it’s time to get started. There are several great organic soil amendments available at Rohsler’s to incorporate into the garden at this time.

Espoma Plant-tone is an organic blend that is an all-natural, all-purpose plant food. Plant-tone is made from top-quality organic materials that break down gradually and can be incorporated into the soil when turning over the garden. It can also be used throughout the growing season where it would be applied as a surface application.

Espoma Garden-tone is another fantastic fertilizer to use in the vegetable garden and it was originally developed for professional farmers/growers.

Both of these Espoma products contain Bio-tone (R ), Espoma’s proprietary blend of beneficial microbes. Plant-tone and Garden-tone are long-lasting products that will not leach away or burn your plants.

Both Plant-tone and Garden-tone 18 lb and 36 lb bags are both on special this week and are Rohsler’s Picks.

Coast of Maine’s Bumper Crop Soil Builder is an excellent organic soil amendment. Bumper Crop will enhance the structure of the soil and provide nutrients at the same time. Made from the finest, all-natural, organic composted ingredients, Bumper Crop is great for vegetables, flowers, and roses. Some gardeners also use this product to condition new and existing lawns especially when seeding.

Bumper Crop is made from a host of beneficial ingredients, including Mycorrhizae, aged bark, worm castings, kelp meal, and dehydrated manure.

Using Bumper Crop will help:

• Improve the quality of your soil
• Loosen clay & other compacted earth
• Make cultivation easier
• Boost moisture absorption and retention
• Improve aeration

This versatile, OMRI-listed product can also serve as mulch for rose and vegetable plants. Used in this manner, Bumper Crop guards against erosion and protects plants during periods of extreme temperatures.

This week Rohsler’s will be offering Bumper Crop in both 1- and 2-cubic-foot bags at special pricing.

This year, let your friends at Rohsler’s help you grow your best garden ever!