Star Nursery's Green Pages Summer 2019

GREEN pages Summer 2019

Lantana

Summer Workhorse, Wild Weed, Wonderful Color...

It All Started Here

Few businesses in Southern Nevada have enjoyed the 36-year longevity and success like Star Nursery...

Good Bugs, Bad Bugs Don’t let insects bug you!

Your #1 Source for

DECORATIVE ROCK & HARDSCAPES • Pavers • Flagstone • Wall Block • Stepping Stones • River Rock • Boulders • Bulk Soil • Bulk Sand

•Create a Maintainable and Drought Tolerant Landscape •Use Flagstone for a Beautiful and Unique Walkway

Decorative Rock Yards Nevada

Arizona

Utah

Las Vegas

Kingman

Dixie

2600 West Ann Rd. (702) 216-7837

4140 Stockton Hill Road (928) 757-7827

1335 South Dixie Dr. (435) 673-9523

5380 Blue Diamond Rd. (702) 444-7837

Fort Mohave

8725 South Eastern Ave. (702) 407-2470

6325 Hwy 95 (928) 278-2016

Pahrump

Lake Havasu

911 Buol Rd. (775) 727-5300

1141 N. Lake Havasu Ave. (928) 505-7625

St. George 1145 West Sunset Blvd.

(435) 688-STAR (7827)

DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE

CO NT EN TS Our Staff

Editor-in-Chief

Terry Newcomb MS

Art/Design

Doug Ryan Taylor White

Contributing Writers Paul Noe Terry Newcomb MS

For a FREE copy of Green Pages subscribe @ www.starnursery.com

Summer lawns are beautiful not extinct

06

The very best shrimp ceviche

09

Lantana, summer workhorse

10

Summer gardening calendar

12

The desert summer gardener

16

Garden in a pot

18

Good bugs, bad bugs

20

It All Started Here

Community Partners Star Nursery’s All Stars

23

22

it’s survived a civil war skirmish, Five tOrNadOes, aNd eiGht GeNer atiONs OF Gr aNdkids.

But a siNGle BOrer iNFestatiON cOuld kill this tree iN 30 daYs.

Give your customers premium insect protection with ANNUAL Tree & Shrub drench. ANNUAL contains Systemaxx® to accelerate and improve uptake by the roots and provide the ultimate systemic protection for your customers’ most cherished plants. With ANNUAL, you can offer maximum protection without a budget-busting cost. Give your customers the protection and value they deserve.

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BEST SOLUTIONS

Garden Centers Las Vegas, NV Ann Road & Simmons 2600 W. Ann Rd. North Las Vegas, NV 89031 (702) 216-STAR (7827) West Cheyenne & Tenaya 7330 W. Cheyenne Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89129 (702) 253-STAR (7827) W. Charleston Blvd. & Cimarron 8170 W. Charleston Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89117 (702) 360-STAR (7827) W. Tropicana & Fort Apache 9480 W. Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89147 (702) 278-STAR (7827) Boulder Hwy. & E. Tropicana 5340 Boulder Highway Las Vegas, NV 89122 (702) 435-STAR (7827) S. Eastern & Pebble 8725 S. Eastern Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89123 (702) 333-STAR (7827) Blue Diamond & Lindell 5380 Blue Diamond Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89139 (702) 444-STAR (7827)

Pahrump, NV Buol Rd. & Hwy. 372 911 Buol Rd. Pahrump, NV 89048 (775) 727-5300

Star Nursery has been privately owned and operated for 36 years. We are proud to be the premier garden center for all your landscaping needs. Currently, we operate in Southern Nevada, Southern Utah and Northern Arizona with a total of 16 Garden Centers and 9 Decorative Rock Yards. We cater to both residential and commercial clientele.

Star Nursery offers the best in garden supplies. From a large assortment of trees to shrubbery, drought tolerant plants, succulents and houseplants, we have landscape material to suit anyone’s lifestyle. We offer the largest and most complete line of products that include irrigation supplies, gardening accessories, yard tools and our very own exclusive line of Dr. Q’s Garden Products. This line of products consists of soils and fertilizers that are specifically formulated to help you succeed with your gardening efforts in the Southwest Region. We also carry a selection of hardscape products ranging from flagstone to pavers to decorative rock and bulk soils.

Find everything you need to maintain a beautiful landscape or garden space. We pride ourselves in giving our customers the right price and best advice.

Star Nursery -Your Garden’s Partner for Every Bloomin’ Thing Since 1983.

Lake Havasu, AZ Lake Havasu Ave. & College Dr. 1141 N. Lake Havasu Ave. Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403 (928) 505-ROCK (7625)

Kingman, AZ Stockton Hill Rd. & Gordon Dr. 4140 Stockton Hill Rd. Kingman, AZ 86409 (928) 757-STAR (7827)

Fort Mohave, AZ Hwy. 95 & Boundary Cone Rd. 6325 Hwy. 95 Fort Mohave, AZ 86426 (928) 788-STAR (7827)

Mesquite, NV

Bullhead City, AZ

Commerce Cir. & Pioneer 549 Commerce Cir. Mesquite, NV 89027 (702) 613-4770

Mohave Dr. & Miracle Mile 1579 Mohave Dr. Bullhead City, AZ 86442 (928) 758-STAR (7827)

St. George, UT Sunset Blvd. & Bluff St. 1145 W. Sunset Blvd.

St. George, UT 84770 (435) 688-STAR (7827) Dixie Dr. & Gubler Ln. 1335 S. Dixie Dr. St. George, UT 84770 (435) 674-STAR (7827)

Washington, UT Telegraph Rd. & 500 W. 385 W. Telegraph Rd. Washington, UT 84780 (435) 986-0820

Summer lawns are beautiful not extinct

F

or those of us who love a nice lawn, we certainly want it to look its best; especially in the summer. Also, it’s in the summer when we can find that natural turf does have its place in our landscapes. Whether it’s in helping to reduce the heat island effect or making our desert more livable for our families and wildlife – a healthy lawn can be a beautiful element in our landscape.

Desert lawns have plenty of challenges in the summer.

Extreme heat easily stresses improperly fertilized lawns or turf that has not been maintained well. Everyone is aware that their grass needs more water, but often that water is applied at the wrong time of day or for the wrong length of time.

Hopefully you have already given your lawn some good nutrition this year with a product like Dr Q’s Royal Flush.

Did you know that this fertilizer is slow release and even safe to apply in hot weather?

Dr Q’s Triple Play 7-7-7 is another great, complete fertilizer for your lawn and especially formulated for summer. You want your grass to be wonderfully green all summer, but you don’t want to push it to grow too fast. Quick release fertilizers (those with a high percent of ammoniacal and water-soluble nitrogen are designed for cooler weather and will not only cause you to mow

more often but can stress or burn your lawn when it’s hot.

Having healthy soil is the primary aspect for having healthy plants, and this is no different for natural turf. If you initially planted your grass properly, you put 4 to 6 inches of good soil beneath your sod or seed. Here is something you may not know; the clay in that dirt under that good soil you put down has been “migrating” upward each year, and now it may be surrounding the roots of your lawn. You need only dig up a small plug to inspect for this.

The water we use is high in solids and pH. That means its alkaline, salty and so as time goes by it gets tougher for your grass to take up the nutrition you give it.

A super soil amendment that Star Nursery put onto its shelves is called Dr Q’s Ironworker.

This product is loaded with sulfur and iron.

Two nutrients that allow your turf to look its best. Summer is the best time to apply Ironworker. The sulfur is effective in lowering pH when the soil is warm and the bacteria that cause the pH reduction are active. Plus, neither iron nor sulfur (when used according to directions) will stress a plant in the heat.

When you are having your lawn mown during this hot time of year, remember that it’s best to have it cut a bit longer (about 2 ½ to 3 inches) as this reduces stress and helps conserve soil moisture. Make sure the blades are sharp! Dull lawn mower blades are responsible for a lot of turf stress that happens during the warm season.

If you are noticing patchy growth where some areas are brown, and others are growing more rapidly can be from poor sprinkler coverage. Often the area right under a sprinkler head looks bad because that head isn’t getting any water to it and the other heads no longer reach the area. There are special heads with an “under-cut” to deal with this. Ask to speak with the irrigation specialist at your Star Nursery for more information.

Another way to check for good water distribution is to set out some “tuna cans” in various areas in one of your sprinkler zones and see if they all fill up equally. They should! Inspect all the heads to see if any are broken, plugged or misdirected.

A moisture meter can be very helpful in examining moisture levels throughout your lawn.

Grass that is in full sun all day certainly needs more water than that in shady areas, but you can’t always water these differently.

Try to help your lawn get deeper rooted by watering only once or twice, but for more minutes.

You need to avoid puddling and run-off, but if the lawn is soaking the water up try once per watering day irrigation. Of course, in areas where your lawn is on a slope, the run-off will occur much faster, and short run times are recommended.

You may want to consider planting something other than turf on a sloped area.

Remember; do not water in the evening. When grass is wet and it’s dark; fungus gets started. If you think your lawn may have developed fungus, dig a small plug (include as much soil beneath as exists) and bring it into one of our Plant Specialists.

They will help you make the right choices in getting your lawn healthy again.

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The Very Best Shrimp Ceviche INGREDIENTS • 1lb. Cooked Shrimp peeled and deveined • 1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice about two lemons • 1/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice about three limes • 1/2 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice • 4 Whole Plum Tomatoes seeds removed and diced • 2 Whole Jalapeño Peppers seeds and vein removed, minced • 1 cup Diced Jicama or diced peeled apple • 1/2 cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro • 1/4 cup Finely Chopped Red Onion • 1 Avocado pitted and diced • Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Chop the shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon, lime and orange juice to combine. Pour 1/2 cup of the citrus juice over the shrimp and toss to combine. Allow the shrimp to marinade in the juice for 15 minutes.

3. Add the tomato, jalapeño, jicama (or apple), cilantro and red onion to the shrimp. Toss the ingredients to combine and allow to marinade for an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the avocado and remaining juices.

4. Season the ceviche with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately with tortilla chips, if desired.

RECIPE NOTES Do not use lemon, lime or orange juice from a container.

Fresh squeezed is recommended for best results. Shrimp Ceviche is best enjoyed the same day it’s made.

Recipe from

www.thesuburbansoapbox.com

Lantana Summer Workhorse, Wild Weed, Wonderful Color

Have you ever had trouble telling the difference between a Lantana and a Verbena? Both Lantana and Verbena are of the family ‘Verbenaceae’. So, you see, that’s why we so often get the two confused. Lantana ‘camara’ and ‘montevidensis’ species rightfully abound in our desert communities.

Abundantly colorful as well as easy to care for and hardy is what makes Lantana popular, but were you aware of it’s history, characteristics and the abundant varieties?

Lantanas are mostly natives of the comfortable Tropics and subtropics of the Americas, but some are Mediterranean natives. So, Lantana likes it warm or hot. The leaves of lantana are hairy, and the stem seems kind of prickly, but it isn’t thorny or painful. If rubbed the leaves usually have a quite pungent odor. Verbena-like flowers form in clusters and put on quite a show all through the warm season.

One of the most heat hardy and beautiful plants in the Southwest desert is Lantana. Used as a groundcover or moderately sized shrub, these colorful gems are sure to brighten up your landscape. One of the many reasons they thrive here is their tolerance for our salty water and soil. In climates like San Diego or Phoenix, Lantana are evergreen, but here in Las Vegas they are deciduous, while in Utah they are typically annuals.

In some parts of the country lantana will grow wild as weeds and are chiefly spread by birds that are very fond of their juicy fruits. The small, berry-like fruits of these varieties contain seeds surrounded by deep purple colored fruit. Lantana has been improved as a bedding-plant much through the efforts of French hybridizers. Though just as showy in hot weather, the older wild varieties are tall and lanky and put out a heavy crop of berry clusters.

As we all continually search for greater variety for our landscapes, here are a few more names for you to remember: White – Sha-Bam and Lavender Ice Lantana are a few more for you to check out.

Really the best improvement that’s been made to Lantana might be ‘sterilization’. A few of the new varieties bloom all the time, but never form the berries which tend to inhibit additional blooms if not dead-headed. The Trailing Purple and White, as well as the New Gold, are this type.

Though Lantana can be a bit cold tender (native to the tropics remember), with sustained 20˚ or lower winter temps on a new plant it can cause a plant to fail. These temps are not that common at lower elevations. How the plant behaves is quite different before and after it has had a couple seasons to establish.

Heat is never a problem!

Here are a few varieties that you might select to grace your landscape with color.

Trailing Purple

(Lantana montevidensis’) is one of the most appropriate used as a groundcover as it generally doesn’t grow higher than 18 inches or so. This variety also tends to stay green in the winter, provided that the temps don’t get too low. With lots of sunshine – you’ll have lots of blooms!

Radiation

(Lantana ‘camara’) will produce a beautiful shrub with outstanding color all summer long.

Because this variety will grow to 4 or 5 feet, it can even be used to create a flowering hedge in climates where it stays green. Prune it low to the ground or leave it taller depending on the height you’d like it to achieve in the summer.

In caring for your Lantana, you’ll want to provide adequately deep irrigation but avoid watering too often. Once established these guys can handle being deeply watered as little as a couple times a week in the heat. You can put them on the same zone as your more traditional shrubs and water them every other day in the summer without any harm, but if you have a zone for drought tolerant plants they’ll do fine with less often. Don’t confuse “less water” with “less frequent”. Any plant needs enough water (when it gets watered) to saturate the root system, and that generally takes at least 2 gallons. The larger the plant the larger the roots need to be. Fertilize them in the spring and fall to make sure you get the maximum out of your blooms.

Be careful when pruning for the first time. Lantana are a bit cold tender, so don’t prune them at all the first winter – wait till spring to shape them up. The ‘camara’ specie will go dormant here in Las Vegas – that means they’ll look like sticks. They are not dead, just sleeping; so, don’t pull them up! After they have established, and if you don’t care to look at the “sticks” through the winter months, you can prune them back in January when their completely dormant. The ‘montevidensis’ specie may not be dormant in January (depends on the temperatures we may have had), so be very careful before pruning these in the winter.

To prune a cold tender plant that isn’t dormant, and then subject it to freezing temps is a sure way to lose it.

When planning your landscape and considering mixing in some Lantana for that summer punch of color, try mixing it up a bit with some evergreen plants. This helps your yard to look nice all year round.

Insects or disease are rarely any problem with these colorful shrubs, and for the most part (there are exceptions) rabbits don’t care to munch on them either. Lantanas are one of the easy to grow – easy to enjoy plants that the Desert Southwest has to offer.

June Plant heat-loving annual flowers like Star Flower, Vinca, Moss Rose, Texas Bluebell and Zinnia or perennials like Coreopsis, Gazania, Salvia and Verbena. Blend a good planting mix like Dr. Q’s Paydirt Planting Mix and Mulch into the in-ground soil to add organic material, improve drainage and help the plants establish quickly.

Maintain flowers. Even the toughest, heat-loving flowers need a little help in the summer. Pinch off faded flowers, and fertilize with a low nitrogen fertilizer, like Dr. Q’s Rose & Flower Food. If you are dealing with pest as well as nutrition issues, try BioAdvanced “All-In-One” Rose and Flower Care, to deal with insects, disease and safely fertilize your plants all at once.

Check your Irrigation Clock. Check your SNWA water guide, or local water company, for allowable watering hours or days.

More water is not always better! Resist the temptation to water everything to death in the heat. Our clay soils hold water a long time. Use organic surface bark mulches to help retain moisture.

Water wisely. Water lawns during the hours just before sunrise; avoid late afternoon or evening watering. This avoids excess evaporation and possible fungus problems of nighttime watering. Your lawn may be watered daily but may not need it depending on plant variety and exposure. Water established shrubs and trees deeply and infrequently – about 3-times a week to build strong roots.

Keep your lawn healthy Use a balanced high iron fertilizer like Dr. Q’s Triple Play (7-7-7). Watch for summer weeds like dandelion and spurge. Pull by hand or spot spray with a weed killer like BioAdvanced All-in-One Weed Killer.

Watch for Bermuda grass. If you have a fescue lawn, this aggressive grassy weed can be difficult to control in many landscapes and it’s growing rapidly right now. Removal and control methods vary with your situation...see your Star Plant Specialist for options!

Leave your Lawn Taller (2 to 3 inches) to decrease the water use. Taller grass blades will shade the roots resulting in less water use and evaporation.

Control insect pests like roaches, ants, black widows and earwigs with insecticides like Amdro Insect Killer. Protect against home invasion with BioAdvanced Home Pest Control. It forms an invisible barrier that keeps killing bugs for up to 9 months.

Prevent and control Spider Mites on evergreens like cypress, juniper and pine. Symptoms include a dusty, off color or rust colored appearance and fine webbing on the foliage. Use BioAdvanced Insect, Disease and Mite Control or Bonide Captain Jacks Deadbug Brew (an effective and environmentally safe organic insecticide).

Fertilize palms: Palm trees need to be fertilized when it’s hot, right now in the summer. Unlike many other plants that do best with spring and fall fertilization, feed your palms now with Dr. Q’s Palm Tree Food to provide the special nutrients like continuous

feed nitrogen, magnesium and manganese needed for vigorous growth and rich, green color. Transplant and prune palms if needed.

Remember these like the warmer temperatures – not the cold.

Mulch. Now is a good time to replenish mulch layers in the garden, to cool the soil and suppress weeds. DR. Q’s Paydirt Planting Mix is a premium grade, fully composted garden mulch. A good mulch layer is about two to three inches thick. Keep mulch away from the stems of flowers and woody plants to avoid stem rot. Cedar mulch can help keep insects away from your herbs and veggies without the use of any pesticide. For mulching plants in desert (rock) landscapes, gently rake the rock away from the plant, apply mulch, and replace rock on top of mulch.

Weed Control. If you have been enjoying the benefit of weed control using a pre-emergent like Green Light’s Amaze it may be time to re-apply and begin the battle against summer weeds. Great for desert (rock) landscapes!

Tree pruning? “Thinning Only”. If you are concerned your trees may be damaged by summer winds, you can thin out your trees to lighten the canopy.

July

Thinning Cuts

Heading Cuts

Harvest vegetables and fruits. If you have prolific summer vegetables in your garden, keep on top of the harvest, pick ripened vegetables often. Keep your eye on this month’s tree fruits too, to avoid messy fruit drop and get the best harvest. Protect with Bird Block netting as needed. Treat squash bugs with Sevin Dust or Bonide Pyrethrin Garden Spray. Always read the label! Avoid top watering of vegetables to reduce the chance for disease.

Plant more veggies. This is one of the traditional times to plant corn and bean seeds and squash plants. It’s also a good time to plant tomato seeds for a fall crop. Plant now for luscious garden produce throughout the fall. Star Nursery has a great selection of Burpee seeds.

Maintain roses. Roses are going through their roughest time; don’t worry, they’ll spring back in fall. To help them through it, keep faded flowers cut, provide them with a cooling mulch layer, and give them a mild fertilizer like Dr. Q’s Rose Food. Deep water once every two weeks, to keep salts flushed from the root system.

Continue to plant summer bulbs like Dahlias and Cannas. Dig and separate Bearded Iris rhizomes. Store them in a paper bag, in the house, until re-planting the first of September.

Water wisely. Continue with June’s watering tips, remembering more is not always better. Use deep-infrequent watering for trees and shrubs. Don’t forget your monthly irrigation check-up! Consider upgrading to a WIFI controller that saves water and can be operated from anywhere. Check with your water authority for rebates, SNWA offers an irrigation controller rebate of 50% off the purchase price of a qualifying product (up to $100).

August Want some summer color? Enjoy the last two months of hot weather surrounded by color.

Flowers like Vinca, Star Flowers, or Celosia or perennials like Lantana or Verbena thrive in the summer heat.

Watch watering. Thunderstorms are more numerous this month than any other. Heavy nighttime rains can cause lawn diseases in turf. Turn off sprinkler clocks to conserve water following a heavy night or morning rain.

Lawn fungus. If you suspect your grass may have this, consult our specialists at the nursery. Fungicide like BioAdvanced Lawn Fungus Control effectively combats the problem.

Start seeds for cool weather flowers. Late August is a good time to plant seeds for pansies, violas, snapdragons, kale and more. By the time plants reach flowering size, cool weather will be here once again. Never started flowers from seed? Try something new to expand your gardening skills.

Kill unwanted Bermuda grass that has appeared this summer. Use BioAdvanced Bermuda Grass Control for effective control.

Don’t wait too long. Once cooler nights arrive, Bermuda starts to go dormant and herbicides won’t work properly.

Recycling is SMART! Do your part and be rewarded! Bring in your empty black plant pots and receive IN-STORE CREDIT toward future garden purchases.

Dr. Q Does House Calls “Stop by your local Star Nursery Garden Center to schedule an appointment...

Or through our free app.”

We accept the following sizes: • 1 Gallon..........................5¢ per pot • 3 Gallon........................10¢ per pot • 5 Gallon........................25¢ per pot • 15 Gallon.......................60¢ per pot R

®

Professional Bird Control Products Since 1992

Inc.

Available at all Star Nursery locations!

BEFORE

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One stop shop for residential bird control!

Humane and effective products that work!

Protect your fruits and vegetables from pest birds!

Keep pest birds away and the diseases they carry!

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Garden Centers

Coolaroo© provides unique shade solutions to enhance your outdoor living space.

PEOPLE PROTECTION

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Porches

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Gazebos

PRIVACY SCREENING

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Fencing

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Green houses

AVAILABLE COLORS:

WHEAT

STONE

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FOREST GREEN

BLACK

The desert summer gardener

T

he hot summer sun is here to stay for a few months.

Don’t give up on your garden now. A little bit of time spent feeding, adjusting your watering routine and controlling weeds and pests will pay off with a garden that will keep you in a variety of vegetables until cooler weather arrives.

Keep Harvesting: The long, hot days make us seek the air conditioner and indoor comfort. However, you have to keep picking the fruit and vegetables growing in your garden. Many vegetables like squash, eggplant and peppers will stop producing if nearly ripe or ready-to-pick fruit is left on the vine. It is important to harvest to keep a plant producing and not let it start to decline.

Tidy Up: Cut back overgrown cucumbers, squash and other foliage blocking the sunlight. Fewer leaves means less disease and fewer places for insects to take up residency. A well-kept plant also lets the sun in to ripen the fruit that is growing.

Fertilize: Most plants need a little early summer pick-me-up. A well-balanced fertilizer like Dr. Q’s Vegetable and Tomato Food will encourage your vegetables to maintain their health and keep producing. If you choose a different fertilizer make sure it is low in nitrogen (low first number). High nitrogen fertilizers promote leaf growth and restrict vegetable production.

Water Consistently: Do not stress your garden by letting it dry out. Your plants will think it is the end of the season and go to seed. Low or no blossom set = no vegetables. Tomatoes show signs of blossom-end rot or cracking when water is insufficient.

Other vegetables become bitter, grow poorly or are simply undesirable. However, a water-logged garden isn’t the answer.

Plants and root systems need oxygen to survive and too much water is just as deadly as not enough.

Weed and Insect Control: Don’t let the pests take over. Plants shouldn’t have to compete for water, fertilizer or sunshine.

Control weeds by pulling them up and applying a pre-emergent like Bonide Maze which can be applied onto the surrounding soil. Control insects by using insecticidal soap or other organics like Bonide Pyrethrin or Captain Jacks Deadbug Brew insect spray.

Ask a Star Nursery sales associate to help you keep your garden insect-free.

There are other things you can do to improve your garden plot.

Provide some shade, if necessary, to keep your produce from scorching in the hot afternoon sun. For those who would prefer to avoid using an herbicide to control weeds, a 2-inch layer of mulch, like shredded Cedar Bark or Dr. Q’s Vegetable and Herb Mix, is also very effective in preventing new weeds. Bark or mulch helps keep your garden looking nice and is beneficial to your plants as well.

Keep a Gardener’s Journal: Finally, take some notes about your garden’s yield and your experiences this year. Did you plant some things too early? Maybe you waited too long for others.

Did you find a new favorite heirloom tomato? These are all things you can jot down on a calendar or in the cover of your favorite gardening book that will be there waiting for you when next year rolls around.

Garden in a Pot Gardening in containers is easily one of the most fun, creative and space-saving projects. It is an excellent way to provide focal points, interesting textural concepts, color creations and instant gardens.

This method is especially useful for apartment and condo dwellers, as well as the elderly and disabled. Yet anyone can enjoy the beauty of a well-thought out container, whether it is utilized for growing fruits and vegetables, or ornamental plants and flowers.

There are four basic and simple concepts to container gardening: The container itself, the soil and nutrients, the plant material, and choosing the best way to provide water.

The Container: It should be large enough to hold the plants (or plant) you have chosen.

The rule of thumb is twice the size of the container that the plant has come in. Other deciding factors besides size are the color choice, shape of the pot and whether it provides drainage.

When it comes to choosing the soil, always choose a POTTING mix, not a PLANTING mix. Potting soils, such as our own Dr. Q’s Filthy Rich and Filthy Rich Gold, is formulated to provide excellent drainage and porosity (air spaces) for containerized plant roots. Planting mixes are formulated to incorporate with existing, or native soils. They are too dense for containers, interfering with water and oxygen levels.

Nutrients and Soil: When filling your container, this is a good time to add a granular fertilizer. Star Nursery’s-Dr. Q’s Gold Dust Starter Fertilizer provides just enough nutrients for newly containerized, or for that matter, any newly installed plant. The macro-nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium) are in the right amounts for your project, as are the micro-nutrients (Iron, Zinc, etc.) After this initial fertilization, it is best to provide occasional liquid fertilizers, as nutrients get washed out with the frequent irrigations that containerized plants demand.

Plant Choices: The sky’s the limit in deciding what to install. From annual color to vines or vegetables, anything is possible. Imagine a salsa garden, with tomatoes, cilantro, onions and peppers. How about playing with color, heights, and textures, such as an upright grassy plant or vine in the center or back of the container, layered with medium size perennials, then small size annuals, then trailing plants. Or fill a bowl with succulents, they come in so many colors and textures. Play with two colors, like blues and grays, or choose the warm colors (reds, yellows, oranges) and play them off each other. The possibilities are numerous, exciting, and rewarding.

Container Watering: Providing a dripper (or drippers) up and through the bottom of the pot is the most effective way. It’s fine to water by hand, also. The important thing is to understand the site you have set the pot upon. A windy, sunny site will dry out sooner and require more water than a shadier, more protected site.

Just dig in, get creative and enjoy your garden!

Don’t let insects bug you! Just like us, insects become much more active as the weather gets warmer. With a good plan of attack, you can control the critters around your home and garden.

Keep six and 8-legged bad guys from invading your home and garden by attacking them the smart way. Get more bang for your buck by going after roaches, crickets, cutworms and black widows at night when they are most active. Every week take a flashlight and check the perimeter of your home after it’s dark. Roaches seem to be especially active on exterior walls at night.

Ortho Home Defense, Amdro Insect Control, Bio Advanced Complete Insect Control & Bonide Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew If you can locate their nest, wasps are particularly vulnerable to nighttime spraying since they are always in the nest after dark.

With these more aggressive critters, use a Wasp & Hornet Spray to hit them from a safe distance!

Check your garden with a flashlight too. You’ll quickly find out if cutworms, hornworms or other insects are working your veggies over. These insects rarely feed during the day when you notice most of the damage. With your edible plants and fruits, you may want to minimize the use of chemicals. An organic option for insecticide is Bonide Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew.

Cedar Bark is excellent to use as a mulch around plants, especially veggies to keep the pests at a minimum.

Keep pill bugs (sow bugs) from eating ripening strawberries without using chemicals. Loosely roll up a damp newspaper and place it in your strawberry bed. During the night, the bugs crawl inside. Relocate them and the newspaper (away from fruits and veggies) the next morning and repeat the process until they are under control. Watch for shield-shaped squash bugs on melons and squash. Check undersides of leaves for egg clusters and wipe them off with your fingers--it’s not as bad as it sounds...

If you have whiteflies, here’s an interesting way to control them: The adult flies are attracted to yellow colors. Place several yellow boards (paint works fine) around the garden and coat them with heavy oil. Shake the foliage and the flies will head for the boards where they become stuck in the oil and die. Whiteflies are most active during the day and roost on the undersides of leaves at night.

Mites are another troubling pest during the summer, but they do not like water. You can often keep them at bay by routine high pressure washing, especially after strong winds. Often mites require stronger chemical controls like Ortho Home Defense or BioAdvanced Insect Disease & Mite Control.

So, when you come into the Star Nursery make sure to have a conversation with our trained salespeople and read the label.

Use caution with pesticides. Avoid spraying when it’s windy and wear all the recommended protective clothing.

ted

Few businesses in Southern Nevada have enjoyed the 36-year longevity and success like Star Nursery and even fewer have maintained the close-knit, family feel that runs throughout Star employees.

The company, founded in 1983 by California transplant Craig Keough, first opened its doors with three separate leased locations, but in 1989, Keough stepped out in faith, secured a Small Business of America loan and built Star’s first brick and mortar store on a remote corner near Cheyenne and Tenaya.

Keough laughs when asked what was out there in those early days. “Nothing except a two-lane stretch of the 95,” he describes. The five acres were chosen when he saw some tractors off to the West, moving dirt over what would become Desert Shores. Beyond that, early construction evidence of the formidable Summerlin Master Planned Community, including Sun City. He figured all those houses would soon need trees, shrubs and some irrigation.

The Cheyenne store, since those early days, has consistently remained among the top three to four performing stores—in both customer service and sales.

Cheyenne’s 34-year-old General Manager, Jeremy Cannon, is just a few years younger than his boss was when a 30-something Keough first asked a bank for a loan. Jeremy, a 12-year Star employee, grew up and went to school just a few miles from the store he’s managed since 2018. A CimarronMemorial honors grad, Jeremy still sees classmates, friends and former teachers at the store. He emphasizes how much he enjoys it when customers return after a project is complete to update him on their successes and accomplishments.

Cannon’s other passion is supporting his employees as they develop garden nursery skills and move toward their own goals and future career options. He states, “I like making a difference in guiding, teaching and developing my employees towards whatever they’d like to achieve.” Cannon’s mentors in his growth toward becoming a General Manager? “There are several but no one more than Craig himself,” notes Cannon.

“He taught me to take care of my store, my customers, know the plants and what they need, and you’ll be successful,” says Cannon.

“Everything in my life—my fiancé, our kids, our home—I have because of Star,” says Cannon. “It literally all started with Star.”

We extend a heartfelt thank you to the community for 36 years of support, gardening success and great stories.

(Star Nursery has 16 stores and 9 rock yards in Nevada, Utah and Arizona)

Betty Blundell, Outside Sales, at our Dixie Drive store in St. George, UT, helps customers pick out plants and flowers. In reality, she does so much more. Betty particularly loves helping with residential design—working with customers to put their yards together along with solving unique and problematic landscape issues.

Blundell grew up in Salt Lake City, UT, along with seven brothers and sisters, and first learned retail sales working in the family grocery business. Of note, she became a butcher at age 14 and can still count to 10 on both hands! After surviving six robberies at the family store, she moved on to work for Mill Creek Gardens and eventually opened, and successfully operated, her own embroidery business for 25 years.

Betty and her husband relocated south to St. George to escape the snow. She knew she wanted to work in the garden industry, once again, and has been with Star Nursery for the past three years. When she’s not at the store, Blundell loves planning and experiencing worldwide travel.

Next up, Europe, and eight different countries, this fall.

Cassandra Britton, Floor Supervisor at Star Nursery’s Garden Center in Bullhead City, AZ, coordinates duties with the management team and oversees day-to-day nursery operations. A true local, she grew up in the Bullhead-Ft. Mohave-Laughlin triplex and spent her early years, and epic summers, on the Colorado river with friends and family.

Her early work life was in the casinos she watched develop along the river but there was a different kind of “green” in her career future. Britton’s career shift took place while at the Ft. Mohave store buying a Pygmy Date Palm. She took one look at the trees, shrubs and flowers—and a sea of green—and decided to apply.

Cassandra is now part of a terrific team enjoying the natural beauty of the nursery, time spent with customers and learning more about horticulture.

Cassidy Warr, Yard Foreman at Star Nursery Garden Center’s historic Cotton Mill, located in Washington, UT, where he leads our outdoor crew members. His team is responsible for the safe unloading, watering, pruning and care of our trees, shrubs and plant inventory—a big job and an even bigger responsibility that he handles well.

Prior to joining the Star team three years ago, Cassidy spent his early years on his family’s farm growing alfalfa and vegetables in Roosevelt, UT. Adding to that core knowledge were several years spent working a local potato farm. His deep farming roots ensures our plant material stays pest and disease free—and in the best possible condition when you come in to buy.

Cassidy enjoys days off with his wife and two children. A life-long learner, he says he’s especially interested in learning more about heat and drought tolerant desert plants.

Virginia Queja Outside Sales Associate at our Ann Road store, spent her early years on the windward, or country, side of Oahu, HI. Warm, sunny days of fun were spent at the beach, looking at the fields not far away. In ’92, Virginia and her husband decided to stay in Las Vegas after one particular vacation and have never looked back.

A 20-year employee, Virginia went from early career days spent indoors, in law libraries, at work on projects that preserved old law books to film, to days spent outside, come rain or shine, helping customers with plant choices. She most enjoys helping customers with plant identification, gift finding for special occasions, and general plant care questions.

For fun, Virginia relishes time with her nine grandchildren, often traveling to Colorado and Hawaii to see seven of them. Her own yard you ask? Well, she’s a flower gardener who finds joy in the nearly 20 different variety of roses she grows.

BEST LAS VEGAS GOLD WINNER

Las Vegas Review-Journal bestoflasvegas.com

2018

Your Garden’s Partner for Every Bloomin’ Thing!

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