Adams Gardens Nursery

A full service nursery and garden center in Nampa, Idaho.

The Mythological Tradition and Symbolism of Christmas Trees

Christmas Trees go on sale at Adams Gardens starting Friday, 26th!

Before you come out to the Adams Gardens Nursery this year to hunt for the perfect Christmas conifer, we’d like to share with you some Christmas Tree trivia. Over 35 million American families will celebrate this holiday season with a live Christmas Tree, participating in a symbolic tradition that reaches as far back as human civilization itself. The most common tree myth, spread across cultures and the centuries that pass them by, is the myth of the Tree of Life, which is the point of origin for the modern Christmas Tree, amongst others.
The mythological roots of the Christmas Tree tradition harkens back to the ancient Roman festival “Saturnalia,” referring to the Roman god Saturn, the equivalent of the Greek god Cronus, father to the famous pantheon of gods we recognize from classic mythology. The Saturnalia holiday, which was held in honor of the Golden Age when Saturn reigned over Italy, was marked by a great winter feast. “The idea of it was that the Golden Age returned to earth during the days [the holiday] lasted. No war could be then declared; slaves and masters ate at the same table; executions were postponed; it was the season for giving presents; it kept alive in men’s minds the idea of equality, of a time when they were all on the same level.” (Hamilton 46)
The first recorded reference to the Christmas Tree as we recognize it dates to the 16th century, to a part of ancient Germany- families of all status decorated fir trees with colored paper, fruits and other treats. The retail Christmas Tree also has it’s roots in the same period; spinsters would harvest trees to sell from surrounding forests. By the eighteen century the tradition of decorating Christmas Trees had become a cultural custom across Europe and the many European colonies. From that point on, the popularity of the Christmas Tree snowballed.
Franklin Pierce, our 14th President, brought the Christmas Tree tradition to the White House. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, now held every year on the White House Lawn. Many national cities since then have introduced their own Christmas Tree celebrations.
Several Idaho cities celebrate their own Christmas Tree celebrations, but the largest and most frequently attended is the Boise Downtown Holiday Tree Lighting celebration, held every year in the state capital. This years Tree Lighting Celebration will be held on Saturday, November 28th 2009, from 5-7 PM. The celebration will include the lighting of the tree by the Mayor of Boise, a candle lighting ceremony amongst the families present, and rounds of Christmas carols. For the entire itinerary, visit the event website: http://http://www.downtownboise.org/m_events/dba_holiday_tree_lighting.cfm. Or better yet, begin a new tradition by starting a tree-lighting ceremony of your own with a hand picked, fresh-cut tree from Adams Gardens tree nursery.

Lawn & Garden Winterization

Planning for cold weather is important to the survival and vitality of your plants in the spring. Some of you may have already started this process, but there is still time for those of you who haven’t. Diagnosis of ailments for treatment, clearing of debris and planting bulbs are all part of winter weather preparation. Here are some important tips to properly prepare your yard and garden for the frigid season.

• Proper treatment of diseases requires notation of symptoms, so jot down specific notes for all your plants that suffered from diseases and discoloration.

• Also make note of the plants, shrubs and trees that flourished during the spring and summer.
• Cover your tomatoes with a blanket or sheet to help protect them while they are still producing tomatoes in the fall. If using plastic to protect your tomatoes, make sure the plastic is not touching the plant. Frost will transfer through plastic and damage your plants.

• Clear any of the plants that died to make room for new bulbs. Consider including the dead plant material in your compost instead of discarding it.

• Begin digging up weeds and checking for cold weather weeds that need control product applied.

• Remove and clear areas under your shrubs, trees and roses to improve air flow to your plants. Dead leaves and debris will pack down around your plants with snow fall. This environment breeds disease and mold due to a lack of air flow. Considering clearing the debris and shredding it for use as winter mulch.

• Continue mowing your lawn until the frost develops. This also promotes air flow and prevents the tall grass from lying over and suffocating under the snow pack. Only cut the grass down to 2 - 2 ½ inches.

• Apply fertilizers and nutrients to revitalize your lawn before winter. Phosphorus improves the root system; slow release nitrogen helps to prevent disease and keeps your lawn green; and potassium will help to protect your lawn from freezing cold temperatures.

• Once your flower beds and garden are cleared of dead plants, leaves and debris, you can begin planting new bulbs for spring. Many people plant tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, muscari, crocuses, peonies, daylilies, hostas and coral bells.

• Mulch around your newly planted bulbs, your roses and trees to provide insulation to your soil during the winter. Mulching helps to reduce sudden temperature changes in your soil.

• Clean your gardening tools and clear your hoses and sprinkler systems to prevent freezing. Winterize your lawn mower and other motorized landscaping tools.

Proper care and preparation for winter will give your lawn and garden the boost it needs to flourish when spring comes around. Talk to your local Adams Gardens expert for more advice and winterizing product suggestions.

“Fall” for Fruit Trees

Summer activities are drifting off and things are cooling down. Turning leaves, pumpkin patches and hot chocolate are what’s on our mind. Fall is a time for us to settle in and slow down. The natural world around us feels this too as nature begins to focus its energies inward for hibernation and dormancy for the coming winter weather.

As deciduous trees turn their attention away from blooming, they begin to shed their leaves and weak branches. Fruit trees, for example, are best planted in the fall. Planting during fall reduces the chance of a tree having transplant shock and gives them enough time to establish themselves before refocusing their energy on growth and blooming in the spring.

Adams Gardens currently has a variety of fruit trees, shrubs and other fall plants and landscaping on sale. Before selecting your tree choose a spot in your yard that allows 15 to 20 feet of space. When you are ready to plant your tree, remember to remove the container. For fertilization, use a root stabilizer. Do not use high nitrogen for the first year. Don’t worry about babying your tree during winter, it will be dormant. However, pay attention to moisture during the winter. If there is not adequate rain or snow during a month, add 5 gallons of water to the tree.

Stop by Adams Garden and one of our experts can help you with more fall planting advice.

Spring - Time to Get Growing

Garden Preparation:
You will need to work the soil, adding organic matter and Soil Activator, to encourage an ideal growing medium.
(For any root crops, such as potatoes or carrots, add some bone meal.) Now let us discuss appropriate planting times for the vegetables in our valley.

Crop (starting from)	Average Planting Date	Planting depth (inches)	Spacing (inches)
Beans (seed)	May 10th	1-1.5	3-4
Beets (seed)	March 25th	1	2-3
Broccoli (plant)	March 15th		14-24
Cabbage (seed)	March 15th	.5	14-24
Cantaloupe (seed0	May 5th	1	72
Carrots (seed)	April 5th	.5	2-3
Cauliflower (plant)	March 15th		14-24
Corn (seed)	April 30th	2	10
Cucumber (seed)	May 15th	.5	72
Eggplant (seed)	May 10th	.5	36
Lettuce, Head (seed)	March 15th	.25	12
Lettuce, Leaf (seed)	March 5th	.25	6
Onion (set or plant)	March 15th	1-2	2-3
Peas (seed)	March 15th	2-3	1
Pepper (plant)	May 10th		18-24
Potato (seed)	March 20th	4	10-12
Radish (seed)	March 15th	.5	1
Spinach (seed)	March 5th	.5	3-4
Squash (seed)	May 5th	1-2	48
Tomato (plant)	May 10th		18-36
Turnip (seed)	March 15th	.25-.5	2-3
Watermelon (seed)	May 5th	1-2	96

*Special garden tip* For those who hate to pull endless weeds in the garden, putting weed barrier down prior to planting can greatly reduce the weeding back strain.
Once plants are in carefully watch the weather for dangerous temperatures. Frost can be detrimental to the tender seedlings. To avoid the possibility of a replant it is a good idea to have “hot caps” or “walls of water” on hand for nighttime protection. Plastic is not an advisable frost protector because the cold will easily transfer through the plastic and potentially frost the plant.
Happy gardening and a good harvest to you!

Preventing and Treating Chlorosis

Chlorosis, or yellowing, refers to plant leaves that are become faded-green or yellowed, rather than a healthy, dark green color. When manifest, the leaf veins often will remain dark while the rest of the leaf becomes lighter. This condition is common with maples, but also presents itself in pin oak, aspen, sweet gum, birch, and various other trees and shrubs.
Idaho soils typically have an alkaline, high pH level, which may cause problems such as nutrient-deficiency chlorosis. In such soil types minor nutrients are often bound within the soil chemistry, making them unattainable by the to the plant roots. The most limiting of the nutrients in a high soil pH system tend to be iron and manganese. Both nutrients present similar symptoms- however, if symptoms are worse on older leaves the most likely culprit is manganese, and likewise, if the symptoms are worse on younger leaves, iron is the likelier nutrient deficiency. In wet periods or under root compaction or damage, symptoms become intensified. Additionally, clay sub-soils aggravate the problem.
Chlorosis is the most common problem that affects plants here in the valley. As always it is a good idea to bring a sample to the nursery for proper identification of the problem and its severity. Digital pictures (Please print them.) can also be useful, however, diagnosis over the phone is difficult at best. So bring your patient in for best chances of recovery.
Be aware, however, that changing the soil pH around a rooted tree is rarely a quick process. The following are a few ways to attack our common nemesis, which we at Adams Gardens will help you to choose based on the current health of the plant. If the plant is severely affected, consider spraying your foliage with a cheated-iron or manganese product, available year-round at the nursery. By testing the product on a small area at first, you may determine which element is limiting by watching for a response. During the growing season, the leaves should become darker green within a week or so if the limiting element was sprayed. This treatment only works on the leaves sprayed, so the effect is temporary and benefit’s the leaves currently expanded only. Newer leaves will not turn darker green.
The midterm treatment in terms of longevity and effective results also requires patience and attention: acidifying the soil can be accomplished by applying copperas or iron applied to the surface and watered. Depending on the severity of the condition, several applications may be required.
The longest term treatment, usually begun once plants have returned to good health, deals with the maintenance of the correct soil PH level. This is generally done with annual to biannual treatments using soil sulfur. Soil sulfur will reduce the alkalinity and maintain the happy median that most plants prefer.
Depending on the time of year and the advancement of the chlorosis we will determine which plan of treatment is best. This way we can keep our favorite plants happy and healthy, even in some of the most difficult soils.

Copyright 2005-2010. Adams Gardens Nursery. All rights reserved
4500 E. Greenhurst Rd. - Nampa, Idaho 83686 | 208.461.6101

• Home
• About
• Contact Us
• Diagnostic Questionnaire
• Expert Advice
• Growing Tips