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Frequently Asked Questions
Sherman Nursery Company
Potting
Field planting
Delivery
Plants
Potting questions answered by the PlantExpert.
| Q. |
How do I handle my bare root plants until I can get them planted? |
| A. |
Keep the bare root nursery stock out of sun, wind, and freezing
temperatures. Boxed or baled nursery stock should be opened and watered. Close the
package until ready to plant. Keep the stock in a cool, dry place that will not
freeze (35 to 45 degrees is ideal). Stock delivered by combination load should be
placed in a cool protected location. Cover the roots with straw or sawdust and water well.
Then, cover everything with plastic to prevent roots from drying out. Water daily. |
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| Q. |
My bare root plants became frozen. What should I do?.
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| A. |
If your nursery stock should become frozen allow it to thaw out
slowly at temperatures just above freezing. Do not handle the stock while frozen. |
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| Q. |
What kind of soil mix should I use for potting my bare root
plants? |
| A. |
The "potting soil" you use can be homemade or
commercially available. If you choose a commercial
mix, there will generally be several choices available depending on the type of stock
you are potting. Excellent crops are being grown in many media.
Possible mixes you can make include:
1-1-1 mix of topsoil, sand, composted pine bark.
2-2-1 mix of peat, composted bark, sand
3-1-1 or 2-1-1 mix of ground pine bark, peat and sand.
4-1 mix of ground pine bark, sand
mix of 1/4 to 1/3 top soil and the balance locally available
organic material (see below).
mix of 50% composted hardwood, 20% sphagnum peat, 20% perlite,
10% vermiculite
(Greendell Farms) (general propagation mix)
mix of 33% reed-sedge peat, 33% rice hulls and apple pomace, 33%
composted
hardwood and hardwood bark (Michigan Soil Services - container mix)
Should you desire to mix your own, remember, there is no one best mix. Different plants
may respond differently to different mixes. It is very important to have a well drained
mix. Consider mixing your "soil" 6 to 12 months ahead and store it in a dry
place. It will be aged, dry, and ready to use when your plants arrive.
Possible growth media components include: peat, top soil, composted bark, composted
sawdust, sand, municipal compost, perlite, vermiculite, rice hulls and styrofoam beads. |
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| Q. |
Where can I purchase a commercial potting soil mix? |
| A. |
Commercial mixes. |
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| Q. |
What is "sweating"? |
| A. |
A little background first. During winter storage the buds of some
varieties of nursery stock become quite dormant and hard. In order to induce bud break,
high humidity and warm temperatures are needed. The easiest and best way to provide these
conditions is the use of a polyhouse for potting and forcing the plant material.
The second method of inducing bud break is called "sweating". To
"sweat" plants, lay them down and cover them with wet packing material like
straw or shingle tow. Then cover the plants and packing material with a sheet of plastic.
The temperature should preferably be between 45 and 70 degrees. Usually, within a few
days, the buds have begun to swell and the plants are ready to pot. It is very important
that after potting, the plants must have warm, humid outdoor conditions also. If you can
delay potting until the outside conditions are right, your success will be greatly
enhanced. |
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| Q. |
What plants need to be "sweated"? |
| A. |
Here is a partial list of plants that need "sweating" or
humid and warm conditions after potting: Birch, Hackberry, Oak, Hawthorn, Ironwood,
Willow, Pears, Amelanchier, Linden, Locust, Mulberry, Redbud, Tulip Tree, Potentilla,
Ginnala Maple, Barberry, Variegated and Pagoda Dogwood, Cistena Plum, Spreading
Cotoneaster, Tamarix, Trumpet Vine, and Roses.
If you experience plant material starting to "come out", then suddenly not
growing anymore, return the stock to a polyhouse. The plants generally respond quickly to
the warm humid conditions.
I have many customers who become overly concerned about sweating their stock. Some
plants need more attention in this area than others. Please ask, I will advise you of any
plants a newcomer to potting bare root plants should avoid. Sweating is an issue to be
aware of to eliminate any unnecessary plant loss. |
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| Q. |
What should I do when planting my nursery stock? |
| A. |
When planting remove any broken roots or branches. Thin and shape
the plant if necessary. Soak the roots in water for up to 24 hours before planting.
Untangle the roots and spread them out in the container. Shovel in potting soil and tamp
down the soil as you fill the container. Water. Let the potting mix settle and top dress
any low spots. Top dress with mulch, if desired, to keep weeds down and retain moisture.
Place the plants in a cold greenhouse, polyhouse, lath house, shed, barn or other area
protected from wind and sun. A high level of humidity will insure better bud break and
keep stems from shriveling. As foliage develops, plants that are in barns or sheds should
be brought outside and exposed to light . |
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| Q. |
Should I trim the tops of my plants? |
| A. |
Some plants respond well to severe pruning (spirea, potentilla,
buddleia, cotinus). Others do not need to be cut back (Euonymus, French lilac, Alpine
Current). Roses should be cut back to about 8 inches. It is easier to prune your plants
before planting. |
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| Q. |
What type of fertilizer should I use? |
| A. |
Your potted nursery stock needs nutrients in order to become
established and thrive. A slow release fertilizer like Osmocote can be used supplemented
with a liquid fertilizer during peak growing periods. Follow the manufacturers directions!
From my observations, incorporating Osmocote into the growth media and top dressing with
Osmocote, will result in a nicer looking plant. Also see fertilizer
suggestions. |
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| Q. |
Which is better to use, plastic or biodegradable containers? |
| A. |
Plastic containers hold up on the sales lot longer. Plastic pots
can be obtained at little or no cost from landscape jobs or retail customers returning
(recycling) the pots. When potting in plastic pots it is best to wait until the plants are
well rooted (2 months or so) before sale.
Biodegradable containers hold up on the sales lot about 8 months before the bottom of the
pot degrades and the plant needs to be repotted. Plants are available for immediate sale.
Fiber pots offer better insulation against heat and cold. The top couple inches of the
fiber pot should be removed and the sides of the pot slit with a knife before planting. |
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| Q. |
What are some other potting methods your customers use? |
| A. |
Line a plastic pot with burlap (allowing the 4 burlap ends to hang
outside of the pot) before adding the soil mix. When sold, grasp the 4 corners of the
burlap and pull up; the plant and soil mix will be removed from the pot with minimal root
disturbance. The 4 corners can then be tied together forming a neat balled plant. This
method is often used on trees or larger shrubs.
Another method used on larger trees (2" caliper and up) is to take a wire basket and
place a burlap liner in the basket. Add the soil and tree. Pull down the the looped tops
and tie.
For smaller caliper trees and shrubs one can use flat baskets with a burlap square as a
liner. A 5, 7, or 10 gallon container may be used as a form. Place the wire basket into
the pot and then add a burlap liner. The soil mix and tree are added and the wire loops
pulled up to form a ball. Tie the looped ends to create a tight "ball". |
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| Q. |
What size pot should I use? |
| A. |
Container sizes for trees and shrubs chart. |
Field planting questions answered by the PlantExpert
| Q. |
How would you suggest I fertilize field grown nursery stock? |
| A. |
First always read and follow manufacturers directions. Then see fertilizer suggestions. |
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Delivery questions answered by the PlantExpert.
| Q. |
When should I have my bare root stock delivered? |
| A. |
Most customers have their stock delivered in March or April. Call
for more specific delivery dates for your area. |
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| Q. |
How much is delivery? |
| A. |
Average size orders of bare root nursery stock delivered to IN,
MI, OH, and KY
and sent on tractor trailer combinations loads will average 6-10% of the plant.
material cost. Delivery via UPS or motor freight are commonly used for smaller
orders. Boxing and bailing charges will apply. Call for a specific shipping cost
quotation. |
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| Q. |
What are shipping charges for Clematis? |
| A. |
The price of clematis includes regular UPS shipping in the United
States. Air Freight will be additional. This is the ONLY item that includes shipping from
Sherman Nursery unless special arrangements have been made. |
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| Q. |
Why does the nursery charge me for boxing plants? |
| A. |
Because it is a cost of doing business. They charge you for the
electric, fuel, repairs, labor and all the other business costs also. You just don't see
that charge as a separate line item. Not everyone needs their plants boxed so not everyone
has to pay for this service. Please, Sherman uses too many boxes to have someone stand
behind the liquor store all day waiting for freebees! And yes someone really suggested
that we do just that! |
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Plant questions answered by the PlantExpert.
| Q. |
What do the abbreviations in the
Sherman Nursery catalog mean? |
| A. |
| Elite |
A tree that has been root pruned or
undercut. This creates better branching and is great for container garden center sales. |
| lt. br. |
lightly branched |
| br. |
branched |
| w or whip |
no branching |
#1, #1 1/2, #2
or #1, Med, #2 or Hvy sel, Hvy, #1, #2
or similar grades. |
We will dig an entire field of one
variety of plant. The plants are divided into grades according to how large the final
product grew. The best and largest are #1, the average are #1 1/2 or Med, the smaller
plants are #2. We remove cull plants, damaged etc... This is a grading scale commonly used
on plants where the tops are removed . Roses, vines, some hydrangea, and buddleia fall
into this category. |
| Container or Ct. |
Container grown |
| B&B |
Balled and burlapped |
| T |
Transplant bare root trees. In general
they look like B&B trees but they are bare root. You will like these. |
| 42" std. |
A grafted plant. The 42 indicated the
height of the graft. This number can very from 18" to 72". |
| LO |
Lining out, similar to a whip |
| potted liner |
Plants grown in 3.5" pots (18 per
flat) for growing on in containers or the field. |
| RC |
Rooted cutting |
| Hedge grade |
1 year old plants grown on closer spacing
and not pruned back. A good value. |
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| Q. |
Cornus - I get spots on my dogwood shrubs. How can I prevent them. |
| A. |
Most of these spots can be prevented by hand watering the pots.
The overhead watering most nurseries use contributes to excessive moisture on the leaf. |
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| Q. |
Why are my #1 plants so much larger than last years plants? |
| A. |
Plants graded as #1, med, #2 or similarly can very somewhat in
size from year to year. This is due to the growing conditions experienced by the plants.
Generally plants are consistent from year to year but unusually favorable or unfavorable
growing conditions will affect plant growth. |
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| Q. |
Do you make substitutions when you are sold out of what I ordered? |
| A. |
Sherman Nursery makes substitutions ONE size up or down from the
size you ordered. If you need the plant regardless of size request "as
available" or we can "sub up only" or "down only" or "no
substitutions". It's up to you! |
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| Q. |
What is the best crabapple for my area? |
| A. |
Look over my crabapple
evaluation chart. |
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