Houseplant of the Week - 2/25/20

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Mini Garden Plants

       Mini plants and mini gardens have become very popular. They have a cuteness factor that is hard to resist. Miniature plants can be used in a variety of ways. They work great in cute little containers, terrariums, and of course in miniature/fairy gardens.

       The joy of miniature gardening is combining crafting and gardening together to create a living masterpiece. There are so many options for creating mini gardens from fairy gardens to miniature landscape scenes. You can create a mini world containing plants and mini decor that reminds you of a favorite place or a place you'd like to be, or you can create a whimsical fantasy scene.

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       The crafting part is attaining an idea, and then putting it into a mini garden. The gardening part is choosing the plants that suit your idea and will grow well together in the location you have available. The same golden rule applies here as in landscape areas - choose the right plant for the right place. The associates at Hillermann Nursery & Florist are here to help you with design, selection and care tips.

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20% OFF
Mini Garden Plants

Good through 2/26/19. Not good with any other sale, coupon or discount or on previous purchases. Mention offer at the checkout counter.

Code: 004

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Bird of the Week - 2/25/20

Purple Martins

Graceful in flight, musical in its pre-dawn singing, this big swallow is one of our most popular birds. Purple Martins migrate to South America for the winter, but before leaving, they may gather to roost in groups of thousands in late summer.

Characteristics: Large, broad-chested swallows. They have stout, slightly hooked bills, short, forked tails, and long, tapered wings. Adult males are iridescent, dark blue-purple overall with brown-black wings and tail. Females and immature Martins are duller, with variable amounts of gray on the head and chest and a whitish lower belly. Purple Martins fly rapidly with a mix of flapping and gliding. They feed and roost in flocks, often mixed with other species of swallows. They often feed higher in the air than other swallows, which can make them tough to spot. Songs and calls include a liquid gurgling warble and a penetrating tee-tee-tee.

Diet: Insects. They feed on a wide variety of flying insects, including many wasps and winged ants, some bees, mosquitoes, flies, beetles, moths, butterflies and dragonflies. They also eat some spiders.

Nesting: Males return to nesting areas first in spring to establish nesting territories. Natural sites are in cavities, such as old woodpecker holes, in trees. They usually nests in colonies, especially in east, where almost all nest in multiple-roomed nest boxes put up for them. At least 4 housing cavities should be offered and 6 to 12 is a great start to attract a colony. Aluminum, thick plastic, wood, and natural gourds are all suitable materials for martin housing, provided that the exterior of the house is white in color to reflect heat and keep the housing cooler in hot temperatures. Martins prefer housing that is placed in open areas with clear flyways. Choose the center of the largest open spot available, at least 40-60 feet from trees and within 100 yards of human housing (they like houses to be near human activity with flyway space). In the southern half of their breeding range, martins may accept housing that is placed within 25 feet of trees, but open areas are always best. Housing should be lowered, sometimes on a daily basis while getting established, to remove competitor nests and to monitor the nests. Therefore, it’s helpful if the housing is on a pole that has a telescoping, pulley, or winch system to raise and lower the unit. Recommended height is 12-18’.

Note: Purple Martin numbers have declined seriously in parts of the west, and currently declining in the east. Reasons are not well known, but competition with other bird species for nest sites may be involved.

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Bird of the Week Special:

20% OFF
Purple Martin Houses 

Good through 3/3/20. Not good with any other sale, coupon or discount or
on previous purchases. Print coupon or mention offer at the checkout counter.

Code: 004

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It's Time to Prune Trees!

Email update from Missouri Department of Conservation…

With winter well underway, it is time to prune shade trees. Proper pruning promotes overall tree health, improves the appearance of trees, and protects people and property by removing hazardous branches. Cold winter temperatures create ideal conditions for pruning, as trees are dormant and sap is currently located in root systems. Pruning during the dormant season also helps trees callus over wounds more quickly by taking advantage of early spring growth.

While pruning is an important tree maintenance tool, improper pruning can create permanent damage or even shorten a tree’s lifespan. Review these pruning tips before making any cuts:

• Small cuts are less damaging than large cuts. Pruning young trees to develop a desirable form and structure can save the tree from large, complicated cuts in the future.

• Wait to prune young trees until they are established—generally 2-3 years after planting.

• Avoid removing more than 25% of the crown especially on mature trees.

• Make pruning cuts just past the branch collar, which is a zone of specialized cells around the base of a branch. These cells divide rapidly to form wound wood over pruning cuts. Cutting flush with the trunk damages and removes these specialized cells, impairing wound closure.

• Avoid using tree wound dressings and sprays unless you are pruning a red oak group species in mid-March through June (see our Oak Wilt Alert for more information).

• Hand pruners are ideal for small branches. Cuts larger than a half inch in diameter can be cut with lopping shears or pruning saws.

• Wear protective gear and use safe practices when cutting larger branches. Never use a chain saw to reach above your shoulders or when on a ladder.

Contact a certified arborist for large, difficult pruning tasks. You can find a list of certified arborists in your area at https://www.treesaregood.org.

Prior to making pruning cuts, review recommendations for proper pruning techniques and plan your cuts ahead of time. (A) Target pruning cuts for just past the branch collar. (B) For small branches, pruning cuts can be made with handheld pruning shears. (C) For larger branches, a pruning saw should be used to make a series of pruning cuts. 

Image courtesy of USDA Forest Service "How to Prune Trees", publication NA-FR-01-95.

Forest Health Program
Missouri Department of Conservation
To contact your local forester, see the local contact box at http://mdc.mo.gov

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Printable file of Basic Pruning Guidelines from Missouri Department of conservation:
https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/downloads/basicPruning.pdf

More Tree Care information from MDC:
https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/tree-care

Bird of the Week - 2/18/20

White Breasted Nuthatch

Basics: The Upside-down bird! This species often climbs upside down on tree trunks and branches. These birds have clean black, gray, and white markings. Song is a rapid series of low-pitched nasal sounds: “whe-whe-whe-whe-whe.” The call is nasal yank or “yank-yank” and is lower-pitched than the red-breasted nuthatch. They can be found in mature deciduous trees, in forests, woodlands, parks, and suburban areas.

Housing: These birds typically nest in a natural tree cavity or in an old woodpecker hole, although they may use a birdhouse. Leaving some dead tree trunks in wooded areas can be helpful for nesting.

Food: In our backyards, Nuthatches will eat sunflower seeds, peanuts and peanut butter, and suet.

How to attract: Offer the foods mentioned above, water, shelter and nesting sites.

Fact: With a little patience, you can get nuthatches to eat from your hand. Let them get used to you by a feeder, then hold out your hand with sunflower seeds in it.

Tip: They can be quite aggressive at feeders. With wings spread, they will swing from side to side to keep other birds away.

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Bird of the Week Special:

20% OFF
Suet Feeders

Good through 2/25/20.
Not good with any other sale, coupon or discount or on previous purchases.
Print coupon or mention offer at the checkout counter.

Code: 004
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Houseplant of the Week - 2/18/20

Philodendron

          For generations, philodendrons have served as a mainstay in interior gardens. Philodendron care is easy because if you watch for the signals, the plant will tell you exactly what it needs. This makes it easy to learn how to care for the plant. They will thrive indoors year round, but they enjoy an occasional stay outdoors in a shady spot in summer months.

Sunlight - Set the plant in a location with bright, indirect sunlight near a window where the sun’s rays never actually touch the foliage. While it’s normal for older leaves to yellow, if this happens to several leaves at the same time, the plant may be getting too much light. On the other hand, if the stems are long and leggy with several inches between leaves, the plant probably isn’t getting enough light.

Water - When growing philodendron plants, allow the top inch of soil to dry out between watering times. Check the soil by inserting your finger an inch into the soil. If the soil is moist, wait a little longer to water the plant. Droopy leaves can mean that the plant is getting too much or not enough water. However, they recover quickly when you correct the watering schedule.

Fertilizer - Water the plant with a balanced liquid foliage houseplant fertilizer monthly in spring and summer and every six to eight weeks in fall and winter. Slow growth and small leaf size is the plant’s way of telling you that it isn’t getting enough fertilizer. Pale new leaves usually indicate that the plant isn’t getting enough calcium and magnesium, which are essential micro-nutrients for philodendrons.

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Houseplant of the Week Special:

20% OFF
Philodendron Plants

Good through 2/25/20.
Not good with any other sale, coupon or discount or on previous purchases.
Print coupon or mention this offer at the checkout counter.

Code: 004

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Tips for the Garden - February 2020

February is National Bird Feeding Month… this year the Audubon Society will be making national awareness of the decline of birds in North America. This awareness of loss of nature began more than several years ago with bees, then butterflies, to pollinators and this year will focus on the loss of birds and their habitat. The next will be frogs. Our world is losing nature and it’s help for human survival at an alarming rate. I truly hope by now that these declines in nature have hit home with you and that you realize that now it is time to do something about it ourselves. You will hear much more about these environmental efforts throughout the year. 

For winter care of birds one of the easiest things to provide is water. Providing shelter is another way to help. There is a shortage of nesting sites for cavity-nesting birds due to land development, and the use of pesticides. The use of birdhouses and nesting boxes has helped many species make a comeback. Landscaping that provides shelter can be a great help. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide a place out of the wind, snow or rain. Birds gather in groups towards the inside and huddle together to create more warmth.

The final piece of the puzzle is providing food. Here in Missouri, winter is a difficult time for the bird species that have chosen to overwinter here. There is little to no vegetation, and most of the insects are dead or dormant. Most songbirds feed on insects and spiders during the spring and summer; however, the non-migratory species switch to fruit and seeds in the fall and winter. Black oil sunflower seeds are preferred by the largest number of bird species. Enjoy the birds this season with these simple tips.

It is also time to think about starting any garden and flower seeds in the house that you may want to grow this year. Our last frost date is around May 1st, so back up the weeks on the calendar for seed starting so you know when the best time for planting in the house would be. Ample light is very important for this task.

Another cold weather job is cleaning up any containers or planters that you have stored away. While doing this, make a list of the flowers that you are going to need for these containers in the spring.

Until next month, 
Sandi Hillermann McDonald