Newsletter for January 2023

Perhaps you drove by Bay Laurel Nursery and noticed the stark transformation. Bareroot fruit trees! They are here and ready to be transported to your garden. We cover a lot of ground from apples to pomegranates to blueberries. Check out our website for the current availability at https://www.baylaurelnursery.com/

It appears folks are ordering earlier every year. If you want to be sure to find that perfect plant for next year, why not make a note in your 2023 calendar for next September as a reminder to give us a call at (805) 466-3449. We still have many great selections available including the most popular apple, Fuji, plus lots of cherries and a very popular white peach, Snow Beauty. Wait no longer!

Pruning is an essential task for great results in the home orchard. It’s beneficial to give a new fruit tree a good start. At Bay Laurel Garden Center we offer to prune trees here at time of purchase but you can check out some alternatives on the website from the Dave Wilson Nursery. In order to maintain a low growing plant with easy access to the fruit, it is recommended to start the young trees at a height of about 3 feet.

Add to your list of chores “spray peaches and nectarines with Liqui-cop”. This copper based fungicide is the best product to protect against the fungus Peach Leaf Curl which affects both fruits. Spray three times but at least twice when the leaves are totally absent: the most important spray is just before the buds open. In a wet year such as this it is even more important to protect your trees. This preventative is not necessary for first year plantings.

Cotyledon orbiculata v. oblonga (you can just call it Long Fingers). This succulent would appear to be of the frost tender variety, but not so. It’s a charming addition to the garden. The plant needs very little water. It’s quite striking even before the coral flowers clusters appear. We currently stock this plant in 4′ containers at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero.

Beauty at a bargain price – bare root roses. We have the usual rose types to accommodate your preferences at Bay Laurel Garden Center. In the mix – floribundas, hybrid teas, shrub roses, miniatures and climbing roses. Also in stock, three different sizes of tree roses. Many varieties are sold out already so don’t wait any longer!

Speaking of roses, it’s time to prune those along with your fruit trees. Be sure you remove all the old leaves. Cut the branches to an outside bud. Climbing roses have their own requirements. You can purchase a small pruning book at the nursery or go online for more info. We have special gloves for just such a task. Also on hand, Bahco pruners, which fit nicely in your hand.

Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’ serves dual purposes. In bloom, the ivory bells reach 2 feet or more. These are accompanied by dark burgundy leaves. Even when the plant is not in bloom you have a striking accent in your landscape. Finding plants with bold colored leaves is somewhat of a challenge. The Australian native, Phormium, provides some very dark foliage, but is not always content in our hot summers and cold winters. In the shade some dark leaved candidates include Black Mondo Grass as well as the perennial Ajuga.