This article will be a good primer for anyone that wants to propagate plants over the winter…in fact winter propagation is one of the best times for woody plants.  Are you a business that wants to double their stock?  A savvy homeowner that wants to maintain their frugal ways?  Or are you just bored and need something to do over the winter?  Then keep on reading.

Hardwood Cuttings are by far the best way to start most deciduous plants; althea (rose of sharon), chaenomeles (quince), crepe myrtle, currant, fig, forsythia, gooseberry, grape, honeysuckle, ligustrum (privet), mulberry, multiflora rose, philadelphus (mock orange), pomegranate, spiraea and wisteria.

The first step of the process is to find a healthy host / stock plant that you can multiply and multiply and multiply and eventually take over the world….muhahahaha!  Ahem, anyways, it is very important to find a healthy host plant free from disease, insects, or any other ailing problems.  We are going to need a healthy gene pool here.

Choose your cuttings after the leaves have fallen and all of the energy has been stored in the plant.  Say away from old wood and frail new wood.  You want something in the middle, good and sturdy.  Harvest 6-12 good stalks taking note of the top and the bottom.  Easy way to keep track is to cut the tops at an angle and the bottoms flat.  Make sure to use sharp clean pruners and not to crush the cuts.  When you have your harvest material tie them together (jute twine will work) making sure the bottoms are all even with each other.

Now there are two options here…depends on your climate.

Our winters are cool like dat (not much snow if any, but a definite season change)

The most important part of this method of propagation is to create calluses development.  To do this, dig a hole 12-to-18 inches deep in sandy or well-drained soil in a sunny location and place the bundles of hardwood cuttings into this pit. Place them top end down, so that the bases of the cuttings are about four inches below the soil surface. This promotes root initiation at the cuttings base and inhibits bud formation at the top. Fill in the pit, leaving a shallow basin over the ends of the cutting to channel water and keep the cuttings moist (important).

Our winters are so cold my pug needs to wear booties (too much snow and too cold to care about anything or anyone)

In area’s with severely cold winters, wrap the cuttings in moist burlap and store them in a cellar or cold frame at 32-to-40F. After winter storage, when you see that there is callus formation, lift the bundles and wash and untie them. (Protect cuttings with moist burlap so that the callus tissue does not dry). Then, set the callused cuttings (top end up) directly in a propagation bed or container so that half or two to three buds of each cutting are above the soil surface. Firm the soil around the cuttings and water to eliminate air pockets and assure good contact between the cuttings and the soil.

In warm winter climates, callus may develop in four to eight weeks. In fact, some species won’t need to be stored to develop callus. Cut leafless stems of rose, abelia, bridal wreath, privet and other plants into 8-to-10-inch lengths and set them directly in the propagation bed or container.

So there ya go, just a taste of what you can try out.  Tell us your propagation stories (legal ones) and how they worked out for you.  Did you find this article useful?  Please comment.

Source – Richard Murphy (me) and some information from Joe Freeman as I couldn’t have written it any better.

Here are a few courses that I have heard about and have taken (landscape Ontario).  Please list any continuing education courses you have taken or can refer for others.

Rutgers Landscape and Grounds Maintenance Courses

Rutgers has a FREE Pest identification webinar coming up that you can register for here.  Course date is December 20, 2011 1:30pm – 2:30pm EST.

http://www.cpe.rutgers.edu/programs/landscape.html (New Jersey)

Ryerson University Landscape Design

The Certificate in Landscape Design is a widely recognized and unique program located in the heart of Toronto, one of Canada’s premier cities. The program delivers fundamental courses in landscape design with emphasis on design, design process, plant materials, horticulture, graphics as a language, construction, landscape ecology, history, and more. Courses are delivered through interactive lectures and enhanced with valuable local field trips.

http://ce-online.ryerson.ca/ce/default.aspx?id=2593 (ON, Canada)

Landscape Ontario Seminars

There are plenty of career opportunities in the field of horticulture. Landscape Ontario has worked closely with the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU), to provide education at the high school, college and university levels that give individuals the skills they need for a successful career in the industry.

http://www.horttrades.com/seminars/ (ON, Canada) (ON, Canada)

Garden Design School

Garden Design School was founded in the UK in 2002, and is recognized there as one of the top training schools in landscape design. In 2009, Garden Design School opened its doors at Boylston, MA to bring its highly successful landscape design career training program to the USA

http://www.gardendesignschool.com/

With winter on the doorstep these above seasonal temperatures in Southern Ontario have extended the season for property maintenance professionals. I know we have been able to get in a few extra jobs here at Murphy Property Maintenance. Waking up this morning to temperatures above 12C and yesterday topping at 14C really gives the feeling of spring rather than being a few weeks away from ‘winter’. By all means we are not complaining…it is nice not to have to bundle up everyday; dress like a Canadian

Mother nature is just late with the snow and it will soon be here. Our snow removal equipment is looking excited to get out and start working.

I know the weather is seasonally above average in Winnipeg as well. How is the weather where you are? Have you noticed above seasonal temperatures? How is it affecting your business?

Found some new Green Industry Christmas Cards.  Click on the images to take you to the site to order them.  Christmas Cards are a great way to show your clients that you appreciate them and who doesn’t like getting a card in the mail?  I know I love them.

Explore MTD’s lawn mower history graphic and see how lawn care has evolved from the original mower – the goat – to sophisticated machines.  In addition to the history and invention of the lawn mower, learn facts about the differences between gas and electric mowers and the environmental benefits of a manicured lawn.

When winter rolls around, you may be wondering how to protect the trees and shrubs you’ve worked hard to cultivate throughout the growing season. Follow these tips to help ensure that your landscaping makes it to spring unscathed.

Keep winter in mind when planning your landscaping

The first step to making sure your shrubs and trees survive the winter is to plant ones that are appropriate for your region. Use your zip code to look up which hardiness zone you live in, and then select plants that are tagged for your zone.

Hardiness describes a plant’s ability to withstand the lowest temperature that is likely to occur in a given area. Choosing plants that are hardy for your region is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your landscaping makes it through the winter. By taking winter into account when designing your landscaping, you can reduce the effort required to winterize your shrubs and trees.

When you’re planning a new garden, try to plant in places that are sheltered from the wind. If possible, put your most delicate plants in an elevated section of your garden. This will help prevent them from being exposed to the coldest air, which tends to accumulate in low areas.

How to protect trees and shrubs from cold damage

Preparation is key to protecting trees and shrubs from winter weather. Proper watering during the growing season will help them cope with dry winter soil. When the cold hits, winterizing your shrubs and trees can prevent them from getting dried out by harsh gusts.

Homemade wind shelters are great for protecting trees and shrubs. Start by hammering stakes into the ground around them. Then, wrap burlap around the stakes. Staple the burlap to the stakes to secure it.

Young shrubs and trees are especially vulnerable to wind damage. If you have young trees, use twine to tie burlap around their trunks. To prevent animals from nesting in the material, wrap it with chicken wire.

You can also build a shelter to winterize shrubs planted near the road, which are at higher risk of dehydration because they are exposed to salty de-icing treatments. It’s best to use erosion-control fabric rather than burlap because it has finer mesh and won’t allow as much salt to get through.

To winterize shrubs that are tall and narrow, wrap twine around them. This will prevent ice and snow from accumulating on the branches, which can weigh them down and cause them to break.

How to protect trees and shrubs using mulch

Mulch is helpful for protecting trees and shrubs against temperature fluctuations, which can cause them to freeze and thaw throughout the winter. Lay a few inches of mulch around the base of your shrubs and trees – especially newly planted ones – to help prevent the soil from losing heat and moisture.

Using a chipper to make your own mulch is a great way to clean up your yard and recycle wood debris. Keeping your chipper blades sharp prevents damage to your machine and makes it chop more quickly. Quality wood chipper parts, such as vacuums that help you quickly collect debris for your mulch, can make the job easier for you.

Hello everyone in the green industry.

Do you have a new and/or innovative product that you would like The Lawn Blog to review?  Send us an email to office@thelawnblog.com and tell us about it.

January 14, 2011, Tipp City, Ohio:  We love introducing new plant varieties to our customers, and this Spring is no exception! We pride ourselves in providing a selection that is exciting, interesting and not readily available in local nurseries or big box stores. Our new Spring 2011 catalog is in the mail, and here’s a list of just a few new products you’ll find inside.

You’ll Be Blue Over Our New Pre-Planned Garden

One of the hardest flower colors to find is true blue. That’s what makes our Blue Butterfly Sun Garden so interesting. This pre-planned garden offers five perennial flowers in different shades of blue: Caroline Vandenburg Tall Hybrid Phlox, The Governor Lupine, Butterfly Blue Scabiosa and Professor Kippenberg Dwarf Aster. Our pre-planned gardens are so popular because we do all the planning for you. Each comes with all of the plants you’ll need, and the easy-to-use planting diagrams are included with each garden to ensure a breathtaking display every time!

Virginian Silk Attracts Butterflies

Virginian Silk is an interesting perennial that produces seed pods that resemble small parrots. The real show comes from the flocks of Monarch butterflies that will feed on this plants sap. Clusters of very fragrant pink with white flowers bloom in midsummer, and are followed by decorative pods bursting with seeds.

Shrubs to Bring Color All Year Long

New to this spring’s lineup are Red Leaf Barberry Hedge, Variegated Japanese Dwarf Cedar and Cranberry Cotoneaster standard. All of these are exciting, new additions to our top-quality selection of shrubs.

The Red Leaf Barberry Hedge blooms of small, butter yellow, bell-shaped flowers cover this shrub in spring. These small flowers are pretty, but the hedge’s main attraction is the attractive, dense, colorful foliage. The show continues in the fall as it produces bright red berries and the foliage turns its colorful, purple-red foliage to bright red.

Variegated Japanese Dwarf Cedar highlights its new growth with pure white foliage that becomes more cream-colored with the more shade it receives—a perfect addition to any partially shaded bed.

If you’re looking for a colorful evergreen to grace your landscape, a Cranberry Cotoneaster is the perfect choice for you! Its beautiful foliage changes from green to shades of purple, red bronze in the fall. This ever-changing shrub bears small pinkish flowers in late spring, and gives way to cranberry-like berries in late summer.

Our Delicious Fruit Selection Grows

Since we are just as interested in health and well-being as we are about the beauty in your garden, we are continuing to add new and exciting fruits this season. We’ve added a variety of fruits to make sure that there is something for everyone in your household. There is nothing better than homegrown fruit picked fresh for your whole family to enjoy!  We’ve added Ka-Bluey® Blueberry, Red Colonnade Apple, Cabot June Bearing Strawberry and the highly anticipated Goji Berry.

The Goji Berry is a superfood that is high in antioxidants and extremely versatile due to its slightly sweet, mildly tangy flavor. The bright orange-red berries are great freshly picked, as a dried snack or made into juices, wines and herbal teas.

This is just a sneak-peak of the new plants we are offering in our Spring 2011 catalog. As always, we are working diligently to provide gardeners with exciting, new, top-quality flowers, trees, shrubs and fruits.

For information on these new products and more, log on to www.springhillnursery.com.

I would like to wish everyone a teriffic St. Pattys Day. Have a green beer for me.

This will be a multi-post all about Social Media and how it can help you improve your business. I would also like to hear your responses to this post. Have you used social media to your advantage? Has it worked? Has it failed? Enjoy!

So you decided to take the technological leap into social media, but are you doing it effectively? This article will be a great primer for anyone that has not taken their company to the next level online, as well as people who do leave an online footprint but just want a bigger one… Size matter for this one folks.

I know some of you reading this are skeptical on how social media can help your green industry business. Hopefully after you read this you’ll have a good idea on how to use it to your full advantage.

So let’s start with the basics.

What is Social Media?

Simply stated social media is any kind of online platform that interacts with its audience with the benefit of sharing information.

A two way street if you will. Magazines are a great way to get information but you cannot interact with it. Well, I guess you could but then you’ll be a crazy as my uncle Bob. Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone.

Now there are many different types of social media;

Social Networking – facebook.com, myspace.com, hi5.com, twitter.com

Social Bookmarking – delicious.com, propeller.com, stumbleupon.com, digg.com

Blogging and forums – thelawnblog.com, thelawnblog.com/forum

So now you should have a good example of what social media is. Let’s move on.

I am going to touch on the most popular programs and sites as you should already know what they are.

Facebook.com

Facebook is a massive social networking website. I am sure most of you have an account already and waste the majority of your time on there playing those highly addictive games… Guilty! But there are more than games and keeping in touch with grandma facebook has to offer. You can (and I recommend) you create a facebook page for your business. I have made one for our landscape maintenance company. You can visit it here,

Murphy Property Maintenance Fan Page

If you like you can become a fan. Your support is appreciated.

A quick rundown shows that you can share photos, updates, hours of operation, articles and discussions. Fans can even chime in and comment on your work. If you already have a website you can add your link back to your website. Doing this adds to your online footprint making you a stronger competitor.

For more detailed instructions on how to create a facebook page visit their FAQ page here.

Twitter.com

to be continued…