You asked the questions, we answered them. If you have a question you need answered, please call 355-1551 or email justin@railcitygarden.net.

What do I do about mushrooms growing in my lawn?

Mushrooms fruiting in your lawn are NOT a disease organism and there is no effective chemical control. The best way to prevent them from fruiting is to maintain a healthy lawn. Here’s the story: The body of the mushroom lives underground virtually anywhere on the planet where there is ground. When conditions are favorable they fruit, that’s when you see the mushrooms. When it comes to your lawn, favorable conditions for fruiting generally include a heavy thatch layer and moisture. Having your lawn regularly thatched and aerated as well as keeping it well fed and weeded will help keep the mushroom from fruiting. You may notice a browning of the lawn where the mushrooms are or very near them. This is because the mushroom forms an especially thick mat of mycelium (the underground body of the mushroom) prior to fruiting. That thick patch of fungi along with the thatch build-up prevent water from penetrating to the root zone of you lawn. Aerating will help alleviate that problem (punching holes in you lawn so water can get to the roots). The best way to aerate is to use the method that pulls the plugs out of the lawn as opposed to pushing holes down into the lawn, which compacts the soil.

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What is the best time of the year to plant?

Fortunately, here in the Truckee Meadows you can really plant all year long. You just need to pay attention to the weather and what your plants need. In the winter, you should have 7-10 days of daytime temperatures in the mid 50's to plant. That way you can water daily to get your plant established. Make sure that you continue to hand water as needed (depending on our crazy weather) until your drip system is turned on in the spring. Spring and fall plantings are great. Temperatures are moderate enough that your plants are not usually too stressed out. Just use proper planting guidelines, hook up your drip and watch your plants grow! Summer planting requires you to keep a more watchful eye on water needs. Depending on the temperatures and your soil conditions, you may need to water 2-3 times a day to get the plants established. There is a fine line here in that you should be sure you do not saturate or over water! If temperatures are holding for more than a few days in the 100 degree range, you might want to wait to plant when the temperature drops down a bit.

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Why and how should I use ladybugs?

Ladybugs are a beneficial insect, which means they eat other nasty insects in your garden. They love to feast on aphids and thrips, whitefly and whitefly larvae, and most small piercing and sucking insects. They should be released at dusk at the base of infected plants. So long as there is food in your garden, they will happily stay at your little B&B! Of course they do have wings, so your ladybug purchase may also be a gift to your neighbors! Ladybugs and other beneficial insects should be used to minimize the need for harsh chemicals that can be unhealthy for you and the environment.

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What is the difference between an annual and a perennial?

Annuals complete their life cycle within one year. They give a burst of color over the growing season and die when we start to frost. Perennials may or may not die down to the ground in the winter but will come back in the spring. Perennials may be short or long lived, but they do make it for more than one year!

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What does deciduous and evergreen mean?

A deciduous tree or shrub loses all its leaves in the winter, while an evergreen retains leaves year round. This does not mean that an evergreen NEVER loses its leaves (needles). They will go through a natural life cycle like any other leaf, hence the shedding nature of pine trees. The difference is that there are living, green leaves all the time.

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How much dirt and or rock do I need for my project?

There are two easy formulas to figure out how much material you need for your project:

(Length x Width x Depth*)/27 = # of yards of material
*make sure you are using the same units of measure, ie: length in feet, width in feet and depth in feet. If you only need 6 inches, the depth should be 6/12 or .5.

Another way to do it is this:

Square feet (length x width in feet) / 80 = # yards 4” deep
Square feet (length x width in feet) / 108 = # yards 3” deep
Square feet (length x width in feet) / 160 = # yards 2” deep

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How do I plant a Balled and Bur-lapped tree?

It used to be that real burlap was used in the industry. For better or worse, most B&B trees now are wrapped in synthetic burlap. What does this mean to you? Well, real burlap will decompose over time in the ground while synthetic will not. Ideally, you would dig your planting hole for your new tree (see planting guidelines) and completely remove the burlap. This should be avoided if, as you are beginning to remove the burlap, the soil starts falling off the root system. It is more important to retain soil around the root ball than it is to completely remove the burlap. If you are not removing the entire burlap, the most important consideration when planting a B&B tree is to pull the burlap away from the trunk in four directions at the time of planting. Make sure that what is left of the burlap is BELOW ground level to prevent wicking. You may then want to cut some slits in the burlap to help the roots grow out of it. The reason you MUST cut it back from the trunk of the tree is that as the tree matures and the trunk widens, leftover burlap will cut into the vascular system of the tree and slowly kill it. If your tree comes in any type of wire basket, always COMPLETELY remove it. Even though roots will initially grow through the wire, as they grow in girth they will become girdled and thus choke off the nutrient flow to the tree.

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Do I need to water in the winter when my drip system is turned off?

Yes! When we hit winter, your drip system is turned off to protect your pipes, not because your plants don’t need water! A general rule of thumb is to water when we get temperatures in the mid 50’s that hold for a week or so. Go out with your hose and give those trees and shrubs a drink! Usually twice a month is enough, but this depends on what our whacky Nevada weather decides to do! This is most important for new plantings (less than 3 years old), but more established plants may need it as well.

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Can I top my tree to keep it shorter?

NO!!! Please, please, please don’t top your trees! First of all, the goal of a shorter tree will not be accomplished by topping. When you top a tree, you are cutting off the main growing region. The tree will compensate by having its’ lateral branches take over. You will have what is known as water sprouts shooting up off the side branches. These water sprouts grow faster and taller than the original tree ever would have, they are weak wooded and tend to snap easily in the wind. Also, topping a tree opens a large wound area that beckons insects and diseases. The best way to have your tree stay the size you want it is to plant a tree that matures to the size you want! Use the right tree for the right location and you and your tree will be happy!

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What can I do about aphids on my plants?

There are a number of different controls you can use for aphid infested plants. If you catch the infestation early, a good home remedy is to take a SMALL amount (literally a few drops) of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle filled with water. Saturate the entire plant that has aphids present, on both sides of the leaves. Make sure the next day you rinse the leaves off with plain water. The soap that suffocates the aphids will also suffocate the plant if left on. If your infestation is large, you can use any number of insecticidal soaps, pyrethrum based insecticides or systemic insecticides. Neem oil is a wonderful, natural product that not only controls aphids but mites and fungus as well. It is so safe to use that you can spray it on food crops the same day you harvest them. You may also want to consider using dormant spray oil in late fall or very early spring to suffocate any eggs that are over-wintering from last seasons pest population. Introducing beneficial insects to your garden (ladybugs, preying mantis) is a wonderful, natural way to control these pests as well.

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How can I control garden pests without chemicals?

There are a number of ways to control pests in your garden without resorting to the most toxic chemicals or guns! Try using beneficial insects like ladybugs and preying mantids. For slugs or snails, you can bait them with a low dish of beer. They will crawl in for the party and drown! There are also a number of mild insecticides on the market that will kill the pest without any danger to humans or pets. Try pyrethrums or Neem oil.

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Do you have an arborist? Someone who prunes trees?

Yes! Dale Carlon is an ISA certified arborist with all the necessary equipment to care for your trees. Just call the nursery and ask for him!

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Can you install my landscaping and/or water feature?

Absolutely, just give us a call and we’ll set up an appointment for a consultation/estimate.

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How much does a yard of rock or dirt cover?

One yard will cover 80 square feet 4 inches deep, 108 square feet 3 inches deep and 160 square feet 2 inches deep.

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