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March 2020
Issue 133
Hello Great Gardeners,

We hope this newsletter finds everyone healthy. Here at the store, we have been behind the scenes watering and taking care of the plants. Our crew has been a tremendous help. They may be small in numbers, but they are mighty. We truly appreciate all that they do.

For those who are wanting to work in their garden, we are offering curbside pick up. Just call into the store or place an order over the internet, and we will get it ready for you to pick up between
8:00 am - 4:30 pm.

The plan (as we know it right now) is to open back up on April 6th. At that time, we will be posting more information.

For now, stay safe, get out into your garden, and enjoy some fresh air.
As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, hit reply. I would love to hear from you. Have a great-gardening day.

Sincerely,
Holly
Garden Center Walk
Take a walk around the garden center with me. Sorry, it is in two parts my phone decided to stop in the middle.
Growing Lettuce
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From The OSU Extension Service

Types of Lettuce:

Crisphead Lettuce: is characterized by a tight, firm head of crisp, light-green leaves. In general, crisphead lettuce is intolerant of hot weather, readily bolting or sending up a flower stalk under hot summer conditions. For this reason, plus the long growing period required, it is the most difficult of the lettuces to grow in the home garden.

Butterhead Types: have smaller, softer heads of loosely folded leaves. The outer leaves may be green or brownish with cream or butter colored inner leaves.

Leaf lettuce: has an open growth and does not form a head. Leaf form and color varies considerably. Some cultivars are frilled and crinkled and others deeply lobed. Color ranges from light green to red and bronze. Leaf lettuce matures quickly and is the easiest to grow.

Romaine or cos lettuces: form upright, cylindrical heads of tightly folded leaves. The plants may reach up to 10 inches in height. The outer leaves are medium green with greenish white inner leaves. This is the sweeter of the four types.

Climatic Requirements:
Lettuce is a cool-season vegetable and develops best quality when grown under cool, moist conditions.

Lettuce seedlings will tolerate a light frost. Temperatures between 45 F and 65 F are ideal. Such conditions usually prevail in Ohio in spring and fall. Seeds of leaf lettuce are usually planted in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked. Butterhead and romaine can be grown from either seeds or transplants. Due to its long-growing season, crisphead lettuce is grown from transplants. Transplants may be purchased or started indoors about six weeks before the preferred planting date.

Soil Requirements:
Lettuce can be grown under a wide range of soils. Loose, fertile, sandy loam soils, well-supplied with organic matter are best. The soil should be well-drained, moist, but not soggy. Heavy soils can be modified with well-rotted manure, compost, or by growing a cover crop. Like most other garden vegetables, lettuce prefers a slightly acidic pH of 6.0 to 6.5.

Cultural Practices:
Since lettuce seed is very small, a well-prepared seedbed is essential. Large clods will not allow proper seed-to-soil contact, reducing germination. Lettuce does not have an extensive root system so an adequate supply of moisture and nutrients is also necessary for proper development.

Fertilizer and lime recommendations should be based on the results of a soil test. Contact your local Cooperative Extension office for information on soil testing. As a general rule, however, apply and work into the soil three to four pounds of 5-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet of garden area.

Seed may be sown in single rows or broadcast for wide row planting. Wide rows should be 12 to 15 inches across. Cover the seeds with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of soil. Water carefully but thoroughly. Several successive plantings of leaf lettuce will provide a more continuous harvest throughout the growing season. Leave 18 inches between the rows for leaf lettuce, and 24 inches for the other types. To achieve proper spacing of plants, thinning of lettuce seedlings is usually necessary. Thin plants of leaf lettuce four to six inches or more between plants depending on plant size. Butterhead and romaine should be thinned six to ten inches between plants. Finally, crisphead transplants should be spaced 10 to 12 inches apart in the row.

An organic mulch will help conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and keep soil temperatures cool. If weeds do become a problem, either pull by hand or cultivate very shallowly to avoid damage to lettuce roots. Planning your garden so that lettuce will be in the shade of taller plants, such as tomatoes or sweet corn, in the heat of the summer, may reduce bolting.

Insect pests and diseases can occasionally cause problems on lettuce. For proper identification and control recommendation, contact your local Cooperative Extension office.

Harvesting:
All lettuce types should be harvested when full size but young and tender. Over-mature lettuce is bitter and woody. Leaf lettuce is harvested by removing individual outer leaves so that the center leaves can continue to grow. Butterhead or romaine types can be harvested by removing the outer leaves, digging up the whole plant or cutting the plant about an inch above the soil surface. A second harvest is often possible this way. Crisphead lettuce is picked when the center is firm.
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Bunny Brunch Kit
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March To Do's
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  • Clean and repair tools and equipment. Get that mower ready to roar.
  • For those who desire a pristine lawn, apply pre-emergent crabgrass control (We recommend Gro Fine Crabgrass Preventer) This will prevent crabgrass from sprouting and feed your lawn at the same time.
  • Spray dormant oil to smother overwintering insects on fruit trees and ornamental shrubs and trees.
  • Remove mulch from perennials and roses gradually as plants show signs of new growth. Trim off dead parts.
  • Remove those overwintering weeds such as chickweed and henbit growing in your planting beds; rake and fluff mulch after soil is dry.
  • In March, after the ground has warmed some, it is safe to plant onions, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, grapevines, small bush fruits, fruit and shade trees, evergreens, shrubs, and roses.
  • Prune fruit and shade trees, grapevines, and shrubs which bloom in summer and fall. Wait until spring bloomers such as lilac and forsythia are finished blooming before pruning them, though, or you may trim off the flower buds.
  • Trim ornamental grasses to 4-6" above the ground so that the fresh new growth can grow up through them. Clean up any other debris from perennials.
  • Fertilize fruit and shade trees, evergreens, shrubs, and lawns. Ask us, and we'll help you select the proper plant foods.
  • Plan the right spot for herbs in the garden. Many of them will come up year after year.
  • Start fertilizing houseplants now for proper growth. There are some great organic choices now. Any that are root-bound should be repotted to a larger size. Also, check for any critters that have overwintered.
  • If you have started a compost pile, it would be good to turn the compost pile and add manure to activate it.
  • As tulip, narcissus, and other large bulbs begin to emerge, set pansy plants between them for added color.
  • Late in the month, divide and transplant summer and fall blooming perennials (such as astilbe, aster, bleeding heart, coral bells, daylilies, phlox, and Shasta daisies). Perennials grow best in well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter (such as Bumper Crop).
  • Prepare your vegetable garden for planting once the soil is workable adding compost (such as Bumper Crop).
  • Depending on weather conditions, plant hardy vegetables such as onion sets, peas, and cole crops (cabbage and broccoli).
  • Start growing healthy greens in containers. We have a great selection this year.
New For 2020
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Lenten Rose
'Glenda's Gloss'


‘Glenda’s Gloss’® sports marbled foliage with violet-white bicolor flowers, which give the look of a white flower dipped in violet paint.
* Deer Resistant *
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Gift Card Special
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Buy a $50 Gift Card
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A $10 Gift Card Free!

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Pre-Order
Boston Ferns
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Boston Fern
10 Inch Hanging Baskets

2 For $28
Pre-Order Online For Pickup In-Store The Beginning Of April
Home Making Kits
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Early Season Vegetable Garden Kit
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Vegetable Garden Kit
Click Here
Growing Broccoli & Cauliflower
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From The OSU Extension Service
Cole crops are cool weather vegetables, growing best when daytime temperatures are between 65 and 80 F. Cauliflower is more sensitive to hot weather than broccoli. In Ohio, broccoli is grown as a spring and fall crop, while cauliflower does best when planted in mid-summer for a fall harvest.
Both broccoli and cauliflower do best when set out as transplants rather than planted from seed. It is important to use sturdy transplants and that they become established quickly or the plants may not develop properly.

Soil Requirements:
All of the cole crops grow well in reasonably fertile, well-drained, moist soils with plenty of added organic matter. A mulch will help keep the ground cool and moist. The pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0 for
optimum growth. A pH within this range will discourage clubroot disease and maximize nutrient availability.

Fertilizers:
Fertilizer and lime are best applied using the results of a soil test as a guide. Contact your local Cooperative Extension office for information on soil testing. In the absence of a soil test, 2 to 3 pounds of 8-16-16
fertilizer applied uniformly over 100 square feet of garden area is suggested. Work the fertilizer thoroughly into the soil about two weeks before planting time.
A liquid starter fertilizer applied to the transplants at time of planting will help get them off to a good start. Apply a half pint of a 20-20-20 or similar solution to each plant, preparing the fertilizer according to label directions.
 
Planting Suggestions:
All cole crops are frost tolerant. Broccoli transplants may be set out in the garden as early as April 1. For a fall cauliflower crop, set out transplants on July 1.
Broccoli may be spaced 18 inches apart in the row with 24 inches between rows. Cauliflower requires a little more room. Set cauliflower plants 24 inches apart in the row with 30 inches between rows.

As cauliflower plants begin to mature and the head or curd starts to form, gather together and tie the leaves over the curd with soft twine or tape. This "blanching" is required to ensure the curd will be white and tender at harvest. There are some 'self-blanching' types available where the leaves curl naturally over the head when grown in cool weather. However, some tying of the leaves may still be necessary.
An even moisture supply is needed for transplants to become established and to produce good heads. As
mentioned earlier, an organic mulch will help keep soils cool and moist, and suppress weed growth. Hand-pull or use shallow cultivation if additional weed control becomes necessary. Apply 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week if an equal amount of rainfall does not occur. An additional side dressing of a nitrogen fertilizer when the plants are well-established may be desirable.
Principle insect and disease problems are the cabbage looper and imported cabbage worm, cabbage root maggot, aphids, flea beetles, blackleg, black rot, clubroot, and yellows. Contact your local Cooperative
Extension office for identification and current control recommendations.

Harvesting and Handling:
Harvest the center green flower bud cluster of broccoli while the buds are still tight and before any yellow petals begin to show. Cut the central stem five to six inches below the head. Many cultivars will continue producing bonus side shoots as long as a few leaves are left on the plant. This can extend the harvest period for a month or more.
The cauliflower curd, like the broccoli head, is actually a group of tightly clustered white or purple flower buds. Harvest the curd when it reaches the desired size but before the buds begin to separate. This is about two months after transplanting. Cut the head so that at least two wrapper leaves are present.
Climatic Requirements:
CONTACT US
STORE HOURS
FIND US ON
Wilson's Garden Center
10923 Lambs Ln.
Newark, Ohio. 43055

740-763-2873
740-763-2874 (Fax)

office@great-gardeners.com
Curbside Pickup
Monday - Sunday:

8 am - 4:30 pm
Closed To Public Until April 6th
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ABOUT US
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We are a family owned and operated garden center specializing in plants that thrive in Central Ohio

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