Wyntour Gardens

As we slip into the long, hot days of summer, Wyntour Gardens’ congratulates our sister nursery, the Red Bluff Garden Center, on the opening of their very own website. Designed in the same basic format as this site, you can now learn all about what is happening at the Red Bluff Garden Center; the history of this long-standing Red Bluff nursery; information about their staff; interesting growing tips and other gardening tidbits at: www.redbluffgardencenter.com.

Next year, the Red Bluff Garden Center will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary! A small, intimate setting, Red Bluff Garden Center has been owned by the Winter family since practically the beginning! They have a very knowledgeable, energetic staff, and they carry most of the same great, locally grown plants as Wyntour Gardens, plus a selection of indoor plants. They have recently begun to hold interesting and informative classes and seminars, which are scheduled through the rest of the year. We invite you to visit their nursery and visit their site – it’s just a click away.

This spring and summer have been particularly windy. Strong winds can quickly dry out soil, especially in containers and in newly planted garden beds. Don’t let the wind wreak havoc on your garden. Take time to check your garden and to water all garden beds and container gardens often.

To determine how dry your planted areas are, before watering dig down 2-3” in a spot as close to the root ball as possible. This will indicate the depth of your moisture content. When watering, infrequent, long, deep watering is preferable to frequent, shallow watering. For optimal plant success, water deeply enough each time to moisten the entire root ball.

Check container plantings often, as plants in containers dry out even faster than garden beds. Water containers at least once a day, especially on windy and hot days. Unglazed terra cotta pots dry out more quickly than glazed ceramic pots and plastic pots.

On the flip side, take care to not over-water, and keep in mind that strong wind can also make leaves appear wilted. It’s very difficult to find the perfect balance, especially when the weather is so fickle and has such a strong impact on our gardens. If a plant sustains wind and/or cold damage, be patient before pruning and cleaning up damaged plant tissue. Wait for new growth to appear before removing damaged growth.

(or The Art of Pruning Perennials)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Paprika’) benefits from pruning off spent flower stalks.

Flowering perennials are a very large category within the plant kingdom, and their wide array of foliage color, growth habit and huge range of flower display have always entranced gardeners. Most flowering perennials will reward gardeners with a continual flush of summer bloom for several years, if they are cleaned up, cut back and cared for correctly throughout the season, especially during the spring and summer months.

Often gardeners are overwhelmed as to where to start and how to cut back each type of perennial plant. The following guidelines are meant only as a general guide to the seasons. For specific information, there are many books and websites available.

In early spring, general clean-up of garden beds should be the focus. First, remove any dead or diseased leaves, stems and flowers. This not only gives your garden a cleaner look, but it deters snails, slugs and other pests that may be over-wintering amongst your plants and soil. Remember that some perennials retain their foliage throughout the winter, though some die back to the ground completely, emerging once again as the weather warms up. It is helpful to mark the areas where such plants are located, to help with springtime care and cleanup. It is also important to contain springtime enthusiasm for bed cleanup, leaving on the ground the fallen leaves that have created a warm, protective blanket around tender plants, until all chances of frost have passed.

Early to mid-summer is time to remove spent blossoms and foliage growth. Removing or “deadheading” spent flowers stops flowers from going to seed, diverting the plant’s energy to producing more flowers. There are a variety of techniques that can be employed for this task, much of which will be determined by the amount of plants to be pruned, and the amount of time you have available. If you have lots of time on your hands, you can carefully remove spent flowers with pruning shears, taking the flower stems down to the ground level, unless they contain mid-stem blossoms which will result in additional flowers. At this time of the year, do not remove foliage all the way to the ground – simply cut back to where the leaves look healthy. Pinching off tips during the growing period increases branching, making a compact, dense plant with more flowers.

African Daisys (Arctotis ‘Bumble Bee’) are much happier with their old flowers removed.

Some gardeners, including several members of our staff, prefer the quick and dirty “lazy gardener” pruning method, using hedge clippers to quickly bring plants down to the desired shape and height. One particularly busy staff member has even taken her weed whacker to her scabiosa, commenting that the plants “only looked stunned for about a week.” (Not recommended for perennials with woody stems.)

Either method works, as most flowering perennials are sturdy and hard-wired to keep growing.

Winter is time once again for overall bed clean-up, removing dead and/or diseased material, taking special notice of those perennials that die back to the ground. Placing small flags or markers near these plants can be very helpful. Mulch beds with compost, leaves, or bark to keep soil warm and weed free during the winter months. Flower seedheads may be left on plants to serve as food for birds, and possibly reseeding.

Each type of plant has a slightly different growth pattern, and knowing what to trim is a skill that is developed with time and experience. Observe you plants, watching how they grow. Start slowly, pruning more as your confidence develops. Remember that perennials are quite hardy, and pruning helps them to develop and grow. You probably won’t kill them, and they will reward you with many months of exquisite color as the years go on.

If you are overwhelmed or new to the art of pruning, your local independent garden center is always a good place to ask for assistance.
In our ongoing efforts to provide gardeners with as much information as possible, we are happy to include several new articles this summer:

Companion Planting for Garden Harmony contains valuable information for vegetable gardeners and ornamental gardeners alike, including ideas on which plants do well when planted together, and which ones do not.

Gardening at Elevation is information compiled by owner George Winter, after moving to Shingletown and learning to grow a successful garden at 1800 feet.

Kiwi’s for the Home Garden talks about growing, pruning and harvesting these interesting fruit which are native to New Zealand. Kiwi’s do quite well in our Mediterranean climate, and would be a great addition to the North State garden.

LATE SEASON TOMATOES

Winter vegetable gardening is easy, especially compared to the summer vegetable garden. There are fewer insects and there will be little watering and less weeding. You can let the weather do the work for you in the winter, instead of fighting the arid heat. You don’t need to fertilize the winter garden – in fact it is better not to, as high levels of nitrogen will bring on a new flush of growth which will be more susceptible to frost.

Basics for growing a late season tomato crop are simple. First choose one of the late season
varieties and plant from mid-July thru the end of September. It seems odd that these late
season varieties would be planted in warmer temperatures, but it is vital to get the plants started in mid-summer. This way, the heat of summer can be utilized to produce lots of foliage and a mature root system. When the colder temperatures arrive, the tomato plants will be better able to resist the cold and still produce fruit.

Late season tomatoes have a very short growing season. On average, most varieties will produce mature fruit in around 60 days.

Prepare the soil with an organic planting mix and an organic fertilizer containing humic acid such as E.B. Stone Organics’ “Tomato & Vegetable Food”. The humic acid helps protect plants from frost damage. Humic acid also stimulates plants to create more foliage, which in turn increases the amount of starch produced. Starches in the vascular system act like
anti-freeze in an automobile and protect the plants from freezing.

In colder areas, use tomato cages as a shelter and wrap the cage with an insulating cloth such as DeWitts’ N-Sulate or a clear plastic. Leave a six inch gap at the bottom and top of the cage to allow some air circulation and put a piece of cardboard over the top of the cage to prevent cold air from traveling down inside the cage from the open top. As long as the foliage doesn’t have direct contact with the frost it will survive.

Plant late season tomatoes in full sun and preferably against a south or west facing wall or fence where the suns reflection will provide additional heat for earlier ripening. Be sure to mulch around the bottom of the plants to even out swings in soil temperature.

Tomatoes prefer rich soil and to be kept moderately moist. Water is necessary, since the tomato plants still need as much water in the cooler weather as they needed in the summer.
You may not need to water as often because of the change in humidity levels and temperature, but you will still need to water.

With a little luck and as long as the weather holds, you should look forward to harvesting your tomatoes well into November.

LATE SEASON TOMATO VARIETIES

Bush Early Girl	54 Days	Compact plants yield 6-7 oz. red fruit. Determinate. Can be grown in containers. VFFNT
Glacier	58 Days	2-3 oz. sweet, rich, flavorful fruit. Determinate.
Jetsetter	64 Days	Great “real tomato” flavor. Smooth, juicy, red 8 oz. fruit. Indeterminate. VFFNTAST
Legend	68 Days	Early set, sweet red fruit 8 oz. with few seeds. Determinate.
Oregon Spring	58 Days	Medium to large juicy, tender fruit. Cold tolerant. Determinate.
Stupice	55-70 Days	1-3 oz. red fruit in clusters. Great, sweet flavor, heavy yields. Indeterminate.
Sub-Artic Plenty	55-68 Days	Red, tasty 2-oz. fruit. Early fruit set. Determinate.

Summer Events and Activities

Entries for Wyntour Gardens’ first ever Container Contest have drawn to a close. We think it’s safe to say that the entrants all had a great time creating their GORGEOUS plantings, and they all learned some planting techniques and came away with ideas for future plantings.

Stop in at Wyntour Gardens during the first two weeks of July (we’re closed on July 4th), pick up a ballot, check out the photo gallery of our entries, and pick your favorites. Our entrants thank you for your help.

First prize winner will receive a $100 Wyntour Gardens Gift Card
Second prize winner will receive a $75 Wyntour Gardens Gift Card
Third prize winner will receive a $50 Wyntour Gardens Gift Card

Perhaps you were lucky enough to attend our Fruit Tastings last August. The many varieties of juicy plums, Asian pears and pluots brought to us by Dave Wilson Nursery were surely a delight to the tastebuds and gave attendees an idea of which varieties were their favorites, to help in their decision of which fruit trees to plant in their own home orchards.

Every other year Dave Wilson brings us this peak-of-the-season summer fruit. Since they won’t be coming this year, we invite you to taste the flavors of the summer harvest at our HARVEST PARTIES. Many new and unusual varieties of tomatoes, peppers and melons are now growing in the demonstration garden at Red Bluff Garden Center, and we invite you to taste the harvest! This is a unique opportunity to taste the many new vegetable varieties and help us decide which ones we should grow commercially in coming years and to help you select which ones you wish to include in your garden next year.

Sign-ups are recommended, so we know how much to prepare. Call 365-2256 (Wyntour Gardens) or 527-0886 (Red Bluff) to reserve your space, or register on-line at sales@wyntourgardens.com. Please include at which location you will be attending.

For more summer events, and Fall Sale information, go to the Events section of this site.

Wyntour Gardens is happy to announce that customers will once again have the opportunity to special order their favorite fruit and nut trees for the 2009 season. This special “Soft Order” program is made available by the Dave Wilson Nursery, our primary fruit tree growers.

Orders must be placed by November 1, 2008.

The extensive list of available tree varieties can be obtained at Wyntour Gardens, or we can send the list to you by mail. Call 365-2256 or e-mail your interest to: sales@wyntourgardens.com. A handout with descriptions of the different varieties is also available.

There is no minimum order required, though orders must be paid in full at the time of ordering. Customers will be notified in early 2008 when the trees arrive. Special order bare-root trees carry the same bare-root guarantee as our other bare-root trees. Quantity discounts are available, with a minimum order of $850.00.

Our monthly Discount Coupons are now redeemable at both nurseries, and of course, Wyntour Gardens’ and Red Bluff Garden Center Gift Cards may be used interchangeably at both nurseries. Great for special occasions, or just because, our Gift Cards give your favorite gardeners a chance to get exactly what they want.

SAVE GAS – Order Gift Cards on-line. We will mail them to the recipient for you.

Thank you for visiting our site. We invite you to check out all the information within, and hope that you come away knowing a bit more about your garden, because we have learned that - -

Gardening at Elevation

Temperatures in the foothills surrounding the North State run about 10 degrees cooler than in the Redding basin during both, summer and winter, which is a welcome relief during the summer months. Nighttime temperatures drop significantly. This climate is ideal for plants that require a definite seasonal pattern and need a specific period of pronounced winter chill to thrive - such as peonies, lilacs, and flowering cherry. There are also many blueberries, fruit and nut trees (requiring 800 hours of chilling time) that will thrive in this region, which is noted for growing apples, pears, peaches and cherries. Grapes are another crop that is becoming popular, with an increasing number of vineyards and small wineries dotting open hillsides at higher elevations.

For those people living in the foothills surrounding the Redding area, you are no doubt in Sunset Western Garden Book's Zone 7, characterized by hot dry summers and mild but pronounced winters. Temperatures typically run from 23 degrees down to 9 degrees (daytime or nighttime) giving the area sharply defined seasons without severe winter cold or extreme humidity. The normal growing season is from the middle of May to early October - approximately six weeks later than in the Redding valley.

We are focusing on elevations above 1800 feet, including Shingletown, Mount Shasta, Weaverville, Whitmore, and Oak Run. Climate Zones can vary from Zone 1A to Zone 7, depending upon the lay of the land and the specific microclimates in your area. It is most useful to identify your specific climate zone, as it will help greatly with plant selection and care.

Microclimates
Know your microclimates. It is common for several microclimates to be located on a single piece of land, causing variations in temperature and exposure. Cold air falls into low-lying areas, making lower areas colder than higher ones. Track the temperatures in different areas of your property. For ideas on what to plant, observe what is growing in your neighborhood.

Some Good Plants
The most important criteria for plant selection in areas of higher elevation is to choose cold-loving and deer resistant plants. Some suggestions are:

	Try scattering high-mountain wildflower mix on large expanses of property.
	Rugosa Roses
	Japanese Maples (like cooler temperatures and dappled shade)
	Lilacs
	Peonies
	Daffodils (deer resistant). Try planting tulips and hyacinths amongst the daffodils, as the deer will probably stay away from the area.
	Avoid frost-sensitive citrus, unless you have a greenhouse.

Extending the Growing Season
In the higher elevations, start veggies in a greenhouse or cold frame about six weeks prior to the last frost date or purchase started plants. Curb your enthusiasm for planting outdoors, keeping vegetables in cold frames or greenhouses as long as possible. Choose cold-hardy varieties, and those varieties with shorter growing seasons for best results. Harden off plants before planting outdoors. Creating raised beds will enable the soil to warm up sooner.

Plastic milk jugs with the bottoms cut out make good individual cold frames, and are great over young tomatoes, peppers, squash, and other frost sensitive seedlings. Once temperatures begin to warm, remove the milk jugs during the day. Replacing the caps at night increases the heat and humidity in these tiny micro-climates. Frost Cloth & twinkly lights help on frost sensitive plants.

Amend your Soil
Here in the North State foothills, there are large areas of volcanic soil, resulting from the eruption of Mount Lassen. Volcanic soil provides great drainage, but inferior water retention.
Volcanic soil is also lacking in nutrients.

In the higher elevations, it is not unusual to find volcanic soil and basic "Redding red clay" virtually next to each other in the landscape. Both types of soil will receive great benefit from amending the soil. We recommend using Bumper Crop or Paydirt, both excellent soil amendments, full of beneficial nutrients which will improve soil content.

Mulch
Gravel and/or stones will absorb heat to warm the soil earlier in the season, and can be used effectively as mulch in garden beds.

Oh, Deer!
Gardening in the foothills does have its special challenges. One over-riding complaint is the presence of deer, and the best thing folks living in the higher altitudes can do is to learn to live with them. It's not their fault that they feast on our landscape - we moved into their territory. The deer have had to learn to live in close proximity to humans (the rose bushes have definitely been a bonus!). Deer are creatures of habit. They travel the same trails from one place to another that they have used for years.

To keep deer away, you must be consistent in your efforts. Remember that when deer numbers increase and when food becomes scarce, deer may eat plants that they otherwise avoid, ignore repellents, and overcome their fear of scare devices. No single technique may work for keeping deer out of your yard all the time. For best results, it is recommended that several different methods of deer repellent are used. Liquid Fence, Deer Scram, and Bobbex are products that we have tried and carry at Wyntour Gardens. ScareCrow outdoor animal deterrent is a motion sensitive device that shoots a long stream of water to frighten the deer away.

Dogs are a good deterrent if the dog will chase the deer. Take caution when you have older dogs which may be harmed by the deer. Deer can become aggressive and charge a less threatening animal, striking it with its sharp hooves. Dogs on a chain aren't a threat to the deer, as they soon learn that the dog can only go to the length of his chain, likewise a kennel.

Sources for Deer Fencing:
Benners Gardens www.bennersgardens.com
A mail order company with great product.

Anderson Farm & Yard Supply, 2715 Highway 273, Anderson 365-2707
Local, and always helpful.

There are many other sources for deer fencing on-line. Search for "deer fencing".
Two others are: www.invisible-deer-fence.com and www.deerfence.com.

Here at Wyntour Gardens, we highly recommend the Sunset Western Garden Book as the foremost source of information about gardening in our area. Zones are listed for every plant in their extensive list, and be sure to refer to the Plant Selection Guide in the front for a listing of deer resistant plants and many other interesting special gardening situations.

Wyntour Gardens' Website
Summer 2008

Table of Contents

1. Home Page/Introduction

Welcome to Summer

How to Keep Your Bloomers On This Summer -or- The Art of Pruning Perennials

Focus on Late Season Tomatoes

2.Discount Coupons
Special Holiday Offer Exclusively for Our Website Visitors

3. Why Shop Here

Welcome to Our Climate Zone

Locally Grown Plants do Better in Your Garden

How to Shop for Plants

Why Shop at Wyntour Gardens

What it means to be a Master Nursery Garden Center

Our Guarantee

Planting Instructions and New Plant Care

Special Order Information

4. Events and Classes

Fun events and informative classes happening during the Holiday season

Schedule of January 2008 Pruning Classes

5. George's Almanac

Month-by-Month Guide to Your Garden by George Winter, owner of Wyntour Gardens and Red Bluff Garden Center

6. Meet our Staff
	Information about the Nursery Staff at Wyntour Gardens

7. Order Wyntour Gardens' Gift Cards On-Line

	Order our GIFT CARDS directly from our web-site. No need to leave home to purchase perfect gifts for all your gardening family and friends. Receive a FREE gift with your Holiday GIFT CARD purchase - click for details.