Dear Hydrangea Enthusiasts,
WELCOME
Welcome to the September 2008 e-mail
newsletter for Hydrangeas Plus®.
The glorious Fall is upon us here. Oh I just love this time of
year! Kids back in school, no 100 degree temperatures, hydrangeas
bring on the color changes!
We finally got our Google mess cleaned up. It's funny that the
paid search worked just fine, well I guess not that funny because their
motivation is so obvious. Our website had no spam or invaders
that could steal your identity but it took just time for Google to
figure that out. They 'scan' the website when they want and won't
do so ahead of their schedule. Okay, I'm still a little bitter.
Still working on Youtube video
Hydrangea Lady videos
are a step closer to your computer. David, our fabulous webmaster
and expert on all things computer, got the video from the nursery onto
my Mac, now I just have to cut and paste, add a little music and make
you some videos. Remember, I'm hydrangealady at
http://www.youtube.com/user/hydrangealady.
CULTIVARS COMING BACK IN STOCK
I'm out there every few weeks
checking on those cultivars and doing the grow dance. The 1 year
plants are just getting potted up into the containers so those won't be
rooted until next year but most the 2 year and 3 year plants will be
ready this fall. Just email me if you're waiting for something.
I'll let you know when I put it back in stock. With our
upgrade, the notification of 'back in stock' wasn't available so I'm
back to manual transmission for that one.
Le Tour Des Plants - September 13th - 21st, 2008
Can you say ahhhh,
ohhhh. I've got some cool new plants here at the nursery just for
LeTour. You're going to get a sneak preview and opportunity to
buy some never before offered hydrangeas during the tour. Some of
the most sought after hydrangeas will be here!!!
Check out the website at http://www.letourdesplants.com
for other participating nurseries and all the fabulous events going on
around the nursery world. But, come here first before you run out
of room for one more hydrangea!
We will have fabulous prices (like
20 to 30% off retail prices) and lots of tips to help you become an
expert on hydrangeas. Well, not too much of an expert because,
why would you need me? All Day Every Day special is free bag of
Hydrangeas Plus® Fertilizer or Hydrangeas Plus® Lime with any
$50 purchase.
Hours and events are as followed
Weekday, noon to 4pm
Weekends, 10am to 5pm
September 13 - Kickoff for LeTour Des Plants
Opening day contest - enter to win $100 Gift Certificate for Hydrangeas Plus
10am - cut flower demonstration
1pm - pruning demonstration (will put this on You Tube at a later date)
2pm - Guided tour with me through the nursery
September 14
1pm - pruning demonstration
2pm - pruning demonstration
September 15-19 - weekdays - no events planned but open noon to 4pm
September 20
10am - Meet Paul Simmons, my favorite customer and Kiwi/Kiwi honey guy of K&B Farms
1pm - pruning demonstration
2pm - Guided tour with me through the nursery
September 21
2pm - pruning demonstration
3pm - pruning demonstration
FREE SHIPPING for fall orders (over $199)
That time of the year again, we're
offering free shipping for your orders OVER $199 in September, October
and November. Use the Coupon Code FREE SHIP after you've added
the products to your shopping cart (that's just 5 of our 3 year plants,
on average at retail price) and in the cart, under 'Redeem a discount
coupon, type FREE SHIP. Continue shopping or fill out your
customer information after that. You won't notice anything on the
cart that says you have the coupon in place. Other than shipping
cost will be zero. These orders must ship in September, October
or November of this year, 2008. If you have trouble using the
coupon, just type me a note in the special shipping instructions and I
can adjust this at my end.
2009 catalog
Address Rule changing
for the USPS - Oh my, as if we don't have enough to worry about
with rising costs! Please let us know about your address changes.
Affective November 23rd, new Move Update regs. What does
that mean? Probably nothing for those of you that haven't moved
in the last year but for us mailers, it means mail will not be
delivered to address over 95 days old. That's half of the
previous requirement of 185 days.
So keep us up to date if you moved or didn't get an order from us this year. You may not get a catalog for 2009.
Questions and Answers - these are from the last months that many of you have and may be too shy to ask
Q:
My hydrangea tree is blooming quite well and in fact, is so heavy
that the blooms fall over and looks very sloppy. What is the best
way to trip or stake this plant?
A: The
Paniculata bloom on new wood so you don't have to worry about
pruning. Prune in the spring or in the fall. Prune quite
vigorously for shape. Cut down to the first leaf node on every
branch and thin out small weak branches. The old wives's tale is
to cut so that no two branches are crossing (bad luck). I like to
cut in the spring because it will yield smaller blooms and less
flopping for the current year's blooms. For spring pruning, wait
until the leaf buds are green and cut above the first or second leaf
node (depending on shape). These trees can grow 4 feet in one
year here in the NW. Save the blooms, too, for winter projects!
Q: ARRRGH! Powdery mildew is early. What should I do to protect the hydrangeas?
A:
Mildew is early here in the pacific NW, too. Gads, what a
year it's been. Mildew is more prevalent when the days are warm
and the nights are cool. The best way to keep it away is never
get it. These spores spread so quickly. Here's some tips to
keep it from happening: Keep area under and around plant free
from fallen leaves and debris, decrease the watering and water in the
morning hours (not late at night).
If you need to spray once the mildew has started, there are tons of
products in your garden centers. Just be sure the label says it's
safe for hydrangeas. A baking soda mixture (with water and
horticultural oil) can keep it controlled.
Q: The blooms on my hydrangeas have turned green and lots are starting to rot away. Is it time to prune?
A:
I'll assume you are talking about your Macrophylla (mophead and
lacecap) hydrangeas and yes, it's a good time to prune in the fall.
First, does it need pruning or is just removing the old flower
heads enough? You may remove old bloom heads at any time, just
cut above the leaf node. If the plant has good shape and isn't
too leggy, just cut off the old bloom heads. New plants or plants
that are very compact need not be pruned much. However, larger
cultivars or older plants should be pruned.
I like to prune in the fall but you can prune in the spring as well.
Just remember, the more your prune and the later you prune
(closer to next summer and next bloom cycle), the fewer blooms you'll
have.
I have some directions in the catalog for pruning on page 6 and there
are directions on the website in the bottom purple help box (pruning
tips). I like to prune in the fall because I can see the old wood
and the new wood. Or, at least what will be old wood next year.
It's important that Macrophylla hydrangeas have some old wood to
bloom. In the fall, the green growth (growth from this year) will
be old wood next year. So, cut so that you leave some of that
green growth. Cut above a leaf node. Prune early enough so
that you see some new growth before the plant goes dormant.
Q: Is now a good time to plant hydrangeas?
A:
That really depends on where you live and how long until WINTER
comes. My rule of thumb is that if you have 6 to 8 weeks before
your hard frost, it's safe to plant. The key is getting the
hydrangea established before winter comes. Roots need to be good
and growing so that the plant can make it through the winter.
If you're unsure, call your local garden center or agricultural
extension office. Generally zone 6 and above can plant in the
fall. Be sure to mulch well,t oo.
Fall planting is preferred in most areas because the water supply is abundant.
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Sincerely,
Kristin VanHoose
Hydrangeas Plus®
http://www.hydrangeasplus.com