Huntree Nursery Newsletter – July 2025

Hi There Fellow Gardeners!

Time for your monthly reminder:     WATER, WATER, WATER.  Matt the Brit says do a rain dance often.  You are going to say ‘We just got some rain’ but….we are still in drought conditions even though we got some rain yesterday…. but we still need more!!!   Ughhh.   It is getting very old and a lot of work keeping everything looking good here at the nursery.    Every day people are bringing in samples of drought stressed plants and wondering what kind of bug or disease they have.  More times than not it’s drought stress.  Yes, you too may bring your baggie of leaves in for us to assess.   Our advice is deep watering.   Be sure to get the entire root ball soaked every time you water.  Running your irrigation 10 minutes twice a day is not going to do it.  Lawn sprinkling is not enough water for trees and shrubs.

Nadia says “No beautification without irrigation.”

Did you know that bugs are really smart?  They can tell when a plant is malnutritioned or stressed out.  And those are the ones they pick on first.   So keep your plants healthy.  Fertilizing really helps keep them in top condition, along with watering of course.

Treat your potted annuals to a drink of liquid fertilizer like Miracle Gro or Jack’s once a week to keep them lush… a tablespoon to a gallon of water.  It makes a difference!

News flash!!!!   We just had a lovely shipment of garden ornaments come in.  They are really cool!  Come check them out.

I know you all want just one more idea for a deer resistant plant.   Try the fancy Elderberries –  Black Lace and Lemony Lace.

Word is that Japanese beetles have arrived on the scene for some of our customers.

What to do:

• If you have a large piece of property, you can use Japanese Beetle Traps.   Place them on the upwind end of your property so they get in the trap before passing through your yard.
• If you have a small yard, do not use a trap because it will just draw them in.    Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew is a great organic solution to spray onto your target plants…. especially roses, which ‘are one of their favorites.   Spray in the morning or evening.
• Also, knocking them into a bucket of soapy water is a great organic way also.  Same with tomato horn worms which are starting to appear.  Pick them off and throw them in your bucket of soapy water…. or use them as fish bait.

Please, please, please do NOT use Sevin.   It’s death on bees.  Save our bees!!!

Cory says “Not all bugs are bad bugs”.    So don’t go crazy trying to irradicate every creepy crawly moving thing you see in your yard.  Remember… the circle of life.  Your birds need to feed their babies with nutritious morsels.

We love our Hydrangeas at Huntree!   There’s just not a better plant out there for long-lasting summer color.  They are so versatile and come in any height, from short to very tall.   We even have a purple leaved variety called Eclipse.    Need a hedge in the shade?  Use the PG Hydrangea ‘Limelight’ or ‘Firelight’.  They get 6 to 8 ft. high and make a nice screen from your neighbors.   Oakleaf Hydrangeas will give you great large conical flowers and beautiful burgundy fall color.

David says now is the time to clean up your Rhododendrons.  Snap off the spent flower heads.  It’ll spiff up your plant and get it ready to set new flower buds for next year.    Are your Forsythias getting leggy and sprawly?   If you want to shape them up NOW is the time!   Do not trim them in the fall or you will be cutting off their flowers for next year.    Same goes for Lilacs.   Do it NOW!

Have some fun and go on the South Haven Garden Tour today.   And have some more fun and go on the Saugatuck/Douglas Garden Tour on July 19.   We have tickets for the Saugatuck/Douglas Garden Tour right here at Huntree.    While you are here, make a jog over to Pier Cove and check out the great new deck and steps down to the beach.

Enjoy your summer.

Jan and the Huntree Gang

Categorised in: Newsletter

This post was written by MHarrison9