Rain is a double-edged sword. Mostly, for the good -- it brings much needed moister to our soil and waters our nursery better than irrigation ever could. It brings a rest to tired farmers, and a chance to catch up on record-keeping and computer work. Now that the rains have passed, we look forward to watching our babies grow. Indeed our pussy willow (Salix discolor) have shot up a foot these past couple days!
At the same time, these next few days mean scouting for fungal pathogens heavily. When this endeavor started last year, I decided that this was my chance to grow with my best personal integrity. For Native Legacy, this means brining plants to market that are safe for our wildlife and pollinator allies, humans and pets. So far, We are largely pest free. We had a few plants that went into quarantine and ultimately put on the burn pile. A small sacrifice. Not everything we grow will make it to market. That is integrity. We've had minor leaf feeding, and applied a hydrogen peroxide soil drench (recipe below!) when needed this spring to save a crop. But we haven't needed fungicides or insecticides!
Instead, we committed to building habitat for beneficial insects. The image is a damsel bug out hunting - we seem to have a lot of them! (Yes, our saleable plants can attract beneficials too, but most of them don't bloom until they become established and mature in your landscape). An inventory for a single plant lot might be sprinkled up throughout the nursery. If we get a pest or disease into one group, the rest is usually okay. It gives us time to address the issue culturally rather than chemically.
Sometimes, allowing a low amount of pests is scary. Wait and see can be nerve-wracking! But, so far, this seems to be working for us. Not nearly as nerve-wracking as giving this small business real legs...were working hard to get product out to you all so we make keep going for next year. So, if you like what were doing here, tell your friends and spread the word! We'll continue to have plants for retail and are growing wholesale material too. Trees and shrubs should be available this fall.
We're working on expanding our space too. Currently we are an urban farm. While we have a few leads on space further out, we would love to find a lease space closer by. If you or a friend has a quarter acre they would love to see us transform into a small nursery with native gardens, we would love to talk!
In the meantime, we hope you are enjoying the plants you've purchased and will continue to find us as a good resource for you. If you ever have questions or requests, reach out!
Have a great day and keep your shears sharp,
Lee
Human & Pet Safe Soil Drench for Root Rot/ Overwatering
This works well for a single tray or two, or houseplants
Materials needed:
- Tablespoon or other kitchen measure as appropriate
- Hydrogen Peroxide, first aid grade
- water
Instructions: Add 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide per 8 oz water. Pour into soil media to saturate. Let sit about 10 minutes then flush with water. Allow media to dry before next watering. May need to repeat two or three times.