Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2004
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/gardentips.html

Garden Tips
December 2004
Marty Johnson, President, Johnson's Garden Centers & 
     Kansas Certified Nursery Professional

Keep Your Gloves Out!
    As the Christmas season quickly approaches, we seem to think that
it's time to put away the gardening gloves. Late November to early
December is still a great time for many gardening activities from
planting spring-flowering bulbs, trees and shrubs to dormant seeding of
fescue in your lawn.

Harvesting Dutch Bulbs
    In my last article, I mentioned my visit to the Tour de France while
visiting Piet Stuifbergen, our bulb supplier from The Netherlands. I
also did do some work while there. The bulb industry is very interesting.
If you ever have an opportunity to visit The Netherlands I would encourage 
you to do so. One question that I frequently get is wondering how the bulbs 
are harvested. All of the harvesting done today is pretty much all mechanical. 
Using tractor-driven diggers, the bulbs are lifted from the ground, excess 
soil removed and then placed into large wooden containers. From there the 
bulbs are washed, sorted, stored, packaged and shipped all within a matter
of a few short weeks. The Dutch certainly have figured out how to grow and 
process the finest spring-flowering bulbs in the world!

OK to Plant Tulips in December?
    If you are like me, you still have a bag of tulip bulbs hanging
around in your garage. If you purchased spring-flowering bulbs this fall
I would strongly encourage you to get the bulbs into the ground soon.
The bulbs have enough time to get established and give you an abundance
of color next spring. Be sure to plant with our Bulb Planting Package
which contains cotton boll compost, Hi-Yield Bone Meal and Dutch Bulb
Food. These products, along with adequate moisture, are all your bulbs
require to bloom next spring. If you have not purchased your bulbs, stop
by one of our locations and pick up some to plant. We still have a great
selection.

New "IceClear" is Safe for Pets and Landscapes!
    Every fall, we attend several trade shows to order products for the
upcoming season as well as check out new products. There are a couple of
products I think that you might be interested in. The first is
"IceClear" from Monterery Chemical Co. IceClear is a liquid organic
product that contains no toxic materials or toxic salts. It is a
ready-to-use formulation, so all you need to do is put it in a pump-up
sprayer. IceClear does not freeze until Ð50 degrees F. Once applied it prevents
ice from bonding to the sidewalk or driveway. Because IceClear is
non-corrosive it is safe to use around pets and wildlife. It is easy to
use, odorless, and stain-free. Landscapers use this product on broadleaf
evergreens such as holly and boxwood to keep ice from forming on the
leaf surfaces.

Marty's Bog Boots
    While at one of these trade shows this fall I came across an item
that was too good to pass up. One of our suppliers was closing out their
line of Bog Boots (see page 8). These all-weather boots are great for
any outdoor activity. The normal retail price is $40 to $50 depending on
which style you select. We have these Bog Boots at all three locations
for only $14.98. If you could use a pair of shoes that are comfortable,
waterproof and warm in the colder months, come check out our Bog Boots.