Potting Bar

Come check out our Potting Bar!!

During the spring our potting bar will be open every Wednesday 10am-12.

Do I need to bring my own pot?

You can bring your own pot or choose from our wide selection at the nursery.

Cost:

You purchase the plants and pot of your choice. Our premium potting soil mix is free to use as long as the potting bar is open!.Please keep track of the container labels by taking a picture of it before covering with soil or plants, and keep the pots the plants came out of for easy check when your done.

Send us a picture of what you created we would love to see!!!

Mulch

We sell many different varieties of mulch here at Martin’s Nursery. Most commonly known is the Grade A Cedar, Pine Straw Bales, and the Softscape Mulch.

We had to stop selling our Grade A Cypress for a few reasons. It has become prohibitively too expensive, old growth cypress trees are targeted for the bark, making it unsustainable, and deliveries are not predictable due to sourcing bark. Since the availability of Grade A Cypress is limited, we have decided to sell Grade A Cedar as an alternative. As the picture demonstrates the cedar is superior in looks and color to the Grade A Cypress and the cedar mulch is derived and harvested from managed cedar forest.

left picture is Grade A Cypress – right picture is Grade A Cedar

The Western Red Cedar is a highly sustainable wood type, being both renewable and biodegradable, and most commonly sourced from the best sustainable managed forests world wide.

Grade A Cedar 3 cu ft bag is $13.99 cover 10 sq. ft.

Grade A Cypress 3 cu ft is $18.99 cover 10 sq. ft. (Currently out of stock)

Pine Straw Bales

We also sell the Pine Straw bales. We have regular or natural color, red dye color, and long leaf pine straw. See the color difference below.

The pine straw is extremely clean, uniform and is our MOST economical and ECO FRIENDLY choice!

1 bale of natural pine straw will cover 50sq.ft., or the same area as 2.5 bags of Grade A Cedar 3 cu. ft.

1 bale of colored pine straw will cover 65sq.ft., or the same area as 5.5 bags of Grade A Cedar 3 cu. ft.

1 bale of longleaf pine straw will cover 65sq.ft., or the same area as 9 bags of Grade A Cedar 3 cu. ft.

Softscape Mulch

Softscape mulch is great to add long lasting color to your flower beds, planting beds, and gardens. It is a colorful, light weight mulch option that looks very similar to pine straw. Adding softscape mulch will brighten up your landscaping.

Why Do Leaves Change Color?

Autumn is the time of year when nature graces us with a perfect landscape of red, orange, and yellow leaves to enjoy. As you take in the beautiful scenery, you may wonder: What causes the leaves to change colors in the fall months? Many people believe frost is the reason, but that’s actually a myth! 

During warmer months, leaves create food for tree growth. The process takes place inside of plant cell structures called chloroplasts, which contain the pigment chlorophyll. This explains why the leaves are green during spring and summer! Fall brings shorter days and cooler weather, which brings this food-making process to a halt. The green chlorophyll breaks down, and golden-colored leaves begin to appear instead. Other chemical changes may occur, which result in different leaf colors like orange, red, and even deep purple.

These leaves last briefly before fall winds and rains cause them to drop. The cells that hold the leaves to the twigs become weak because the food-making process has slowed down. That’s why leaves drop easier in the fall than in the summer when trees are actively creating food for growth. Leaf-shedding helps protect trees by making it easier for the tree to handle any snow and ice collection that may happen as the weather grows colder.

Learn more

HOW TO GET RID OF DOLLARWEED IN YOUR LAWN!

What is Dollarweed?

Dollarweed in your lawn is a bright green creeping plant that loves moisture, therefore it can steal water away from your lawn.

Dollarweed, or pennywort, is a perennial weed that has bright green, rounded leaves with wavy margins and small white flowers that bloom from July to August. They grow in moist, shady lawns, gardens, and unplanted areas, and thrives in warm temperate regions of the United states.

Apply a Weed & Feed

First, If you only have a few Dollarweed plants, you can spot treat them with a ready-to-use product. Don’t hand-pull Dollarweed; if you miss a piece of the root the weed will grow back as a result. To treat large Dollarweed problems, hold off on watering for two weeks. Because, most grasses can handle a short dry spell, but Dollarweed can not. Instead, it becomes week, making it an excellent target for control products. After two weeks, apply a weed-and-feed product labeled for Dollarweed.

Water drop on Centella Asiatica , Pegagan, Indian pennywort or Gotu kola or Asiatic pennywort.This coin-like plant, The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.

Feed Your Lawn

Regular feedings (2 to 4 times per year) with a lawn fertilizer, provides the nutrients your lawn needs to grow thick and strong, as a result it will crowd out weeds like Dollarweed in your lawn.

Water Less

Dollarweed is a water-loving plant. The existence of Dollarweed in your lawn indicates that the area is staying to wet. Therefore, reduce watering so your lawn only receives 1 inch of water per week, either from rainfall or watering, which will allow the soil to dry out. Dollarweed won’t be able to grow as well in the drier soil conditions, but your lawn will develop deeper roots, helping it to better defeat weeds.

References: How to get rid of dollarweed.

How To Protect Palm Trees From Winter Freeze, Cold, and Frost.

How To Protect Palm Trees From Winter Freeze, Cold, and Frost.

Palm tree owners that live in the warm climates don’t need to worry about cold weather, but with unpredictable winters in the last couple of years, freezing temperatures don’t come as a surprise to us.

Palm species vary greatly in their sensitivity to cold. Some types of palms can tolerate cold temperatures down to 10 – 15F for a short period of time, while others gets damaged when the temperatures drop below 45F. Cold tolerance of the palm also depends on summer care, plant age, and time of establishment. If you are trying to figure out what is the lowest temperature your palm can survive at, start by checking cold tolerant for this particular species.

Cold weather can affect palm trees in different ways. Cold temperatures will slow down the root activity and growth rate of the palm.

Freeze or frost can damage the palm tissue in the trunk, which may limit the ability of the palm to provide leaves with enough water. Unfortunately, palm trees can’t regenerate conducting tissue and will likely die after a while. If the bud, also called “palm heart”, gets damaged, the palm will not survive.

Before we talk about different cold protection options, it’s important to understand that a little bit of cold weather is actually good for the palms, because it promotes dormancy and also makes palms more cold tolerant (cold hardy). If there is no sudden temperature drop, let the palms acclimatize a little to the colder conditions. The goal is to protect the most important part of the palm which is the bud and to minimize the damage to the leaves and stems in case of an unexpected freeze. 

Palm fertilization – Palm tissue deficient in nutrients is less cold tolerant. That is why it is important for the palm tree to receive right amount of fertilizer in the months leading up to the period of cold weather. Fertilization improves cold hardiness of palms. Of course, the fertilization schedule will depend on where you live and the length of your growing season. I recommend using a slow-release good quality fertilizer that has the same amount or close of Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K). You will know the ratio by looking at the three numbers on the label (NPK): 15-5-15 or 20-15-15.

Small Heater or string Christmas Light – For severe freezes or prolonged temperatures below freezing, providing a heat source under the cover improves protection. One of the safest and easiest methods I’ve come across is to wrap or drape the plant with strings of small outdoor Christmas lights. Not enough heat is generated to damage the plant, but what heat is given off by the small bulbs can make a big difference in the survival of a plant. Just make sure you use outdoor extension cords!

Palm Trunk and Foliage Wrapping – Trunk and foliage wrapping is another great palm winterizing technique if you have a palm with a central trunk. Again, it’s best to use a material that does NOT absorb moister like synthetic blanket, burlap or a landscape fabric. 

Before wrapping the tree, spray the area being wrapped with fungicide/bactericide spray. Next, wrap the material around the trunk and secure it with duck tape.

Continue to wrap up around the lower leaves while gathering the leaves closer and closer into a bunch. Wrap as high as the stiffness of the leaves will allow. Don’t worry, the foliage is not going to be damaged. To minimize the fungal and bacterial problems, place sticks around the trunk before wrapping it so that the wrap does not touch the trunk.

Warm Cover – During cold days, it is a good idea to cover your palm. If your palm tree is small, you can cover it with a weighted down box or a blanket. On sunny days, partially open a box to avoid air heating up to damaging temperatures inside. 

This can happen even with the outside temperatures being below freezing. Don’t let the tree sit under the cover for more than 3 days in a row. After 3 days, uncover your palm during the day to provide it with some light.

For a larger palm, use a blanket, burlap or other warm material. Avoid using water-absorbent cotton type of materials since they trap moisture resulting in the trunk rot. When placing the blanket over the tree, allow for the cover to drape loosely so that warm air rising from the soil will be trapped under the cover. This will keep your palm 4-5 degrees warmer than the outside air.

Temporary Greenhouse – If you have a lot of time and energy, you can build a temporary greenhouse around your palm. Build a wooden frame above the tree and cover it with double plastic sheet nailing it to the frame. Adding a supplementary heat to the greenhouse will add two or even more full USDA zones to your garden. This is the most involved method that will allow you to grow palm trees almost anywhere. Of course, the greenhouse structure has to be strong enough to withstand strong winds, and freezing rain. 

Heavy Mulching and watering – Heavy mulching is the most effective way to minimize leaf damage and maximizing tree survival. You are probably already applying mulch all year round, but during winter mulch your palm more heavily. Adding 4-6 inches of mulch will protect ground from freezing deeply, thus protecting roots and lower trunk of the tree.

While mulching will prevent roots from freezing, it won’t help with the water uptake that gets dramatically reduced once the temperatures falls below 40°F (5°C). Adding to the stress, cold winter winds in combination with the afternoon sun cause winterburn and defoliation of the palm. 

To maximize water availability to the leaves, make sure the palm is well-watered entering winter season and the soil is saturated throughout the winter. Since moist soil loses heat less rapidly than dry soil, water heavily the soil around the palm prior to a cold snap.

Antitranspirant Spray – Another way to reduce water loss from the leaves is to use antitranspirant spray. It forms a soft, clear, flexible film on the plant’s foliage which holds moisture reducing water loss during plant stress. You will only need to spray it once per season. It will also extend the life of Christmas tree by preventing it from drying out too quickly.

I like spray called ‘Wilt Stop’ by Bonide.

Copper Spray – Stressed by cold temperatures, palm trees can become vulnerable to bacterial and fungal infections. The low levels of bacteria present on healthy palm tissue are harmless but becomes a problem once the palm has been damaged by cold. 

That is why it is a good idea to spray the tree with fungicidal copper before the freezing temperatures in order to reduced the amount of bacteria to the lowest levels possible.


References: Florida Palm Trees and LSU AG Center

Favorite Citrus trees!

Favorite Citrus trees!

Citrus trees are the most popular edible tree grown in southern Louisiana. With their dark green foliage, their fragrant white flowers and delicious fruit; so many people just love them! We are lucky to have a unique climate that allows us to grow Citrus (a tropical fruit) here in south Louisiana.

Many of the citrus will produce ripe fruit starting as early as September and ending in January. Lending these plants to remind us of the holidays! As citrus ripen during the fall into winter months, they often remind us of the holidays. Keep these memories going with a citrus tree planted in your yard or even in a container on your patio!

mandarin fruits on a tree, background

Here is a list of a few of our favorites:

SATSUMA: This is a superior fruit of the Mandarin family. It is a very cold hardy,slow-growing, and spreading tree with open dark green foliage. Tree is also considered thorn-less. Fruit is easy peeling and has few to no seeds and is actually considered a seedless fruit.

satsuma-treeNAVEL: The tree size is considered to be small to medium. The fruit is known for its red flesh. The fruit is large, flavorful, considered seedless, and appears to hold well on the tree. The fruit is also known to section and peel easily.

LA SWEET ORANGE: This tree is considered to be medium to large in size, and usually produces a heavy annual crop. The sweet orange is also known to tolerate the cold. The fruit size is small to medium, usually seedless, and is also known to ripen early. The peel is very tender and is very juicy with low acidity.

BLOOD ORANGE: Tree appears to be medium in size with a round top. This blood orange tends to bear heavily but usually in alternate years. Fruit is normally borne in clusters in a very attractive setting appearing outside of the canopy. Fruit is medium in size, ripening very early with a distinct aroma. The flesh of the fruit is a violet to burgundy; rind orange with a pink blush, and is known to hold well on the tree.

Add Charm with a Window Box!

Add Charm with a Window Box!

Most of us need a lot of help in this area alone for tips & inspirations. Nothing brightens up the exterior of your house faster and for less money than a window box! Bonus points if you can view the window box from indoors as well. Add color, charm and curb appeal by adding a window box.

IMG_6235

Fixer-Upper-Window-Box-Ideas

The above is another great examples of using just a few colors in the flowers planters.  Shades of purple, white and of course various shades of green as well. Window boxes are treated like an actual architecture piece to the home, and are a great way to add to the curb appeal of your home.

Fixer-Upper-Flower-Planters

The flower planters truly frame the windows of the house and exterior entry way of any home.  Your yard can look a little shabby, but if you have pops of color and big statement pieces on each side of your door, one’s eye will automatically go to those flower container statement pieces.

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You can take two galvanized tubs and add them as a unconventional window box. Fill with your favorite herbs!

 

When and How to prune freeze-damaged tropical plants ..

When and How to prune freeze-damaged tropical plants ..

Severe freezes struck a hard blow to some area landscapes earlier this month. Damage to tropical plants was fairly extensive, and now it is about what to do next.

At this point, it is time to assess the effects of the freezes.

Damage almost always occurs to plants that are covered when temperatures reach the low 20s or teens. For plants growing in the ground, cold protection is done to preserve the plant’s life — not to bring it through winter without harm.

To maximize protection, make sure the cover extends all the way to the ground and is sealed. Multiple layers provide better protection than a single layer.

For best results, provide heat under the cover when temperatures reach the low 20s or teens. This is easily done by generously draping small, incandescent outdoor Christmas lights under the cover.

After the freeze, a damaged plant’s living parts can recover during the summer. So the damage does not mean the covers were a waste of time.

And be sure to protect even the damaged tropicals should we have additional freezes. IMG_512

The question I get most often  after freezes is: “Is my plant still alive, and will it recover?” This is a hard question to answer for individual plants. There are way too many variables.

You’ll have to evaluate the plant’s health for yourself. I would say to be optimistic for plants growing in the ground, particularly if you were able to provide some protection.

LSU AG Center

How you keep your pets and plants safe

Some common landscape plants may pose hazards to pets.

Your landscape is an extension of your home, to be enjoyed by you and your family. Our outdoor space provides a place for kids to play and to hold barbecues and other family get-togethers. If your family includes pets, your landscape will likely be used by them, too.

In some ways, pets will behave in your landscape much like young children. Although a pet is less likely to get hurt than a child, there are still some similar precautions you should take, such as watching out for poisonous plants.

Pets can also cause problems in the landscape, but loving owners usually forgive minor indiscretions.

So, there are two major issues: keeping your landscape from harming your pet, and keeping your pet from harming your landscape.

Hazards to petsimages

All of us likely grow plants in our landscapes that could be toxic to dogs or cats. The good news is that, despite the abundance and ready availability of these plants to pets, incidents of poisoning are not especially common.

Of all the calls to the ASPCA each year about poisoned pets, most concern human medications (50,000 calls), insecticides (particularly those applied to dogs and cats for flea control, 31,000 calls) and people food (such as chocolate, 15,000 calls). Rat poison, veterinary medications and poisonous plants each had about 8,000 calls. The plants involved were mostly house plants, not landscape plants.

Azaleas, which are popular in local landscapes, can be fatally toxic to dogs — and people, too. Now that they are in bloom, look around at how many azaleas there are in people’s yards. Obviously, it’s not common for dogs to eat and be poisoned by azaleas — although I do know of an incident involving a puppy left alone inside a house all day with a potted azalea, which did result in the dog’s death.

There is one plant, however, that dog owners should be keenly aware of: the sago palm. A cycad, Cycas revoluta is not actually related to palms. It is a gymnosperm related to conifers such as pine trees and bald cypresses and, as such, the reproductive structures are cones.

There are male sagos and female sagos, and it is the females that present the most dangerous situation to dogs. The females form large, dome-shaped cones on the top of the plant during the summer. The seeds mature in January and February and then drop to the ground. The seeds are covered with a fleshy red coat that dogs must find tasty, because they will eat them.

Although all parts of the sago are toxic, the seeds are highly toxic to dogs, and there have been numerous fatalities over the years in our area. Seeds from female sagos should be gathered up and disposed of in January.

The ASPCA’s Web site provides a searchable list of plants that are especially toxic to animals, which can be narrowed to dogs, cats or horses: www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/. Lilies, for instance, are highly toxic to cats, but not to dogs or horses.

If you’re concerned, avoid placing possibly hazardous plants in your landscape. But I’m not sure how far I would go to radically change an existing landscape (such as ripping out all of the azaleas) to eliminate all potentially toxic plants.

More pet protocol

If you leave your dog outside unattended, make sure your fences are up to the job of keeping him in your yard. Avoid large gaps, as curious dogs will generally try to work their way through and get out. If you don’t want to enclose the whole yard, consider a fenced dog run.

Dogs and cats will use the yard when they relieve themselves, and this can create problems. Larger dog breeds may produce enough urine in one spot to kill the grass. These dead spots will usually fill in with new grass eventually, but until then will look unsightly. This can be reduced by training your pet to favor a designated spot, or, in the case of dogs, taking them for more frequent walks elsewhere.

Cats love to use garden beds as litter boxes. They are especially attracted to freshly turned, dry soil. Never leave a turned bed bare (bare soil in general should be avoided). If you aren’t ready to plant, and cats are a problem, cover the bed with a thick layer of mulch, tarp or plastic. Cats seem to be less likely to use beds mulched with pine straw, compared with chopped or shredded mulches such as bark and cypress mulch.

If it’s necessary to discourage a pet from an area, repellents can help, but they must be reapplied fairly frequently over time to be effective. If a dog has been doing a lot of damage digging, fences, temporary or permanent, can keep him from getting into particular garden areas, such as your vegetable garden.

Cats generally won’t bother decorative ponds or aquatic features in a landscape (although I have seen one or two eyeing the fish), but dogs can be a major nuisance. Some breeds are worse than others about getting into the water; Labs are especially fond of swimming. Fence off the feature for existing pets, or, if getting a new dog, choose a breed that is not so drawn to the water.