things are heating up in the greenhouse

Inventory of trees and shrubs on hand ready to plant

       Yesterday I did inventory on the trees and shrubs I have ready to plant in pots. These trees and cuttings were either bought in the last couple of years with most of the trees being bought last year as bare-rooted saplings and are now established in pots ready to plant in your yard. Yes you could do the same thing as I do and even plant them direct into your soil and eliminate me , but I know my trees will grow as I have them started well and are firmly rooted .

     For years I would be handed a pack of Arbor Day trees and I would plant them and forget them as most of you may have done. Well they would die or I would forget where I planted them and the next thing I knew I was weed whacking them off and the trees served no purpose as they ever grew to any size or were buried in weeds that would soon overtake them. Now I can plant the same trees and get 90 percent survival rate, and this is a lot better than I had before.

      Last year I purchased trees from the extension office as well as those from Arbor Day foundation  and also from another supplier. The pines I had suffered from the heat until I moved them to a shady area , by then I had lost almost fifty percent of the trees I planted , but in those pots seeds from the river birch came down and seeded themselves in the same tree pots as the pines and I ended up with over 600 river birch seedlings , way too small to sell this year but hope to have available next year. As well there will be a bunch more pots in the same area to catch a lot more seed. Just something I learned by accident. I am sure more new ideas will come my way as I go along.

       I have already sold out most of my pines except blue spruce and this is something I had trouble growing the year before. I am thinking the secret to successfully growing out these seedlings ids to plant as quick as you receive them. In fact as soon as you receive in mail, you should be planting as quickly as possible. I also bought most of the pine from the extension office and I question how quick the freezer to sale time is when dealing with the public like they do. It is sometimes as if the seedlings sit too long before planting as evidenced by mold on the roots. Also when I get the pines in I have almost 400 trees to plant and this does take some time. Need to be more diligent when the pines arrive to plant as soon as possible.

    Anyhow by starting all my trees in pots I reduce the mortality rate and increase the survivability rate, for you, while offering you a product already established with soil around the roots to give it that initial boost to help it get its roots firmly established at your residence. So here is my list of trees and I will update weekly through my website. Kevscarvings .com will also have all available shrubs perennials and trees I have available for sale this year.

38- rose of Sharon                                         7 sugar maple                     3 black gum

5 white dogwood                                          4 river birch                          forsythia shrubs?

7 American plum                                           10 red bud trees

3 persimmon                                                  5 red oak

4 American ash                                               5 white oak

100 blue spruce                                            4 wild black cherry

 4 spice bush                                                 3 shag bark hickory

100 -1 ft. arbor vitae                                    7 northern pecan

20 -3 ft. arbor vitae                                       4 tulip poplar

           I will also have blue fescue and pampas grass available in sizeable clumps this year. I am also working on increasing the amount of perennial flowers and herbs available this year. Some I have planted and are hard to start. But will keep working on it till I get it. If you’re interested in any of these trees above they are available for 7 / tree and are guaranteed. Discounts are available if you buy more than 20 of all varieties and I will knock off 2 dollars per tree or it will cost you 5 dollars per tree.  The large arbor vitae is the only thing I have for any additional cost as they cost me more when I bought them and will sell for 10 dollars per tree, with a quantity discount of 7 dollars per large arbor vitae when you buy 5 .  I will also have hanging baskets and vegetable plants in limited quantities.

        I also will plan on having an open house on May 11th of this year, or Mother’s day. Will try and have some food available this year as I was wore out by that day last year. A hay ride and chainsaw carving will occur, I also plan on giving away a free bear carving as I did last year, to only those who attend the open house. No names will be allowed from anyone who isn’t there.  You will only be allowed to enter once, and I will get the oldest person to draw the winning ticket for the drawing.  I may or may not have the carving available that day , if I don’t I will get it to you. A free 6 pack of tomatoes will be available to all who attend.

      As we get closer to the day I will ask and see how many will attend so I can get an idea of what I will need and will update you as I go along here on my blog of my plans. Thanks for showing up last year and I hope my second annual open house will go as well or better than last year. Come and visit and enjoy.