As fall approaches the nursery takes a deep breath before settling in for winter. Our nursery facility is where we grow and house plants for our sales and those to be added to the arboretum collection. But before the nursery slows down, there is a flurry of activity preparing plants for Autumn Discovery Day (our annual fall plant sale, October 3). Each plant must be inventoried and tagged with pricing and branded labels if it is part of a branded series. In addition, we make information signs for new cultivars to help guide customers at our sales.
As sale day approaches, selected plants are grouped and loaded for transport down to the Secrest Welcome and Education Center. After the sale, the remaining plants are reorganized and inventoried in anticipation of Plant Discovery Day in the spring and preparation for winter.
Cooler temperatures and shorter days signal a slowdown in plant growth. This means less frequent irrigation is needed, especially once regular rain sets in. Due to the location of the nursery next to a part of the legacy tree collection, leaves begin to accumulate in the nursery. Every few days we blow leaves out of the nursery, preventing a buildup in our hoop houses.
Those leaves may seem harmless, but they create ideal shelter for mice and voles seeking a warm winter home. Unfortunately, sheltered rodents also need a food source, and the plants we are overwintering for spring sales can become an attractive target. Keeping the nursery free of leaf buildup helps reduce that risk.
While plants are adapted to surviving winter in the ground, they were not made to grow in containers and spend their life above ground. The roots of container grown plants are vulnerable to fluctuations in temperature and need some protection over winter to ensure maximum survival. Before the houses are covered, the plants are moved inside and tall plants are laid on their side for their winter rest. After several freezes, it is finally time to cover the hoop houses with plastic to protect the plants over the winter. There they remain through the cold months, resting quietly until spring arrives and they are ready to find a new home in the arboretum or in your garden.
–Paul Snyder, Operations Manager snyder.1062@osu.edu