Seen this Prehistoric looking Wheel Bug?

Assassin Bugs - Wheel Bug

Arilus Cristatus, commonly known as the wheel bug, due to their unique gear like structure. These assassin bugs, like the Wheel Bug, are part of the Hemiptera order, Reduviidae family and are found throughout the Northeast and the South in the U.S. Fun fact: stink bugs and bed bugs are a part of the same family.

Holiday Holly Tree Berry-Best Practices

Nelly Stevens Holly Berries on the tree

Walking the fields to find the perfect live Christmas tree has become a tradition for many families. Not only is the tree an important part of the holidays, but garland, misteltoe and wreaths as well. The bright red berries of the Holly trees look stunning against the green backdrop of leaves and needles in our … Continue reading Holiday Holly Tree Berry-Best Practices

Evergreen Tree Watering and Fertilization

Little Boy Watering Plants

In our last blog, we talked about soil types affecting the availability and uptake of plant nutrients.  Sandy soils , which drain quickly, may not have sufficient N, P and K due to leaching, as the water rapidly leaves a sand area. Over the years rains can remove a lot of nutrients from a porous area to the garden. Regular watering is needed to establish new trees and may move materials away also, from sandy planting mix. If you could see a cross section of the soil draining, the water you are applying moves rapidly out of the sand in a more pointed, dagger like profile.

Organic Soil Amendments

Organic Mulch delivery to the farm

At our evergreen tree farm, we experimented with different soil types and potting mixtures over 20 years ago for organic soil amendments. Leafgro, which is manufactured by the state of Maryland, proved to be an excellent addition to the planting medium. Made of leaves and grass clippings collected from the surrounding cities, it is professionally … Continue reading Organic Soil Amendments

Holly Berry Time

honeybee-on-the-male-winterberry flowers

The late spring is the time every year when the Nellie Stevens holly creates new berries. The hollies are cross pollinated by the bees. Hollies that have pollinated flowers  will develop small green berries that will grow and become  red in the fall.

Time to Water Your Living Fence!

Little Boy Watering Plants

Consistently monitoring your watering is one of the most important things you can do for the success of your Living Fence. 
 

Bagworm Control

Evergreen bagworms are detrimental to the trees

Bagworms are easy to control when they are young and there is minimal damage to the plant. Look for bagworms in late June. Use the Fourth of July as a reminder date. The bagworms will be very small at this time and are easy to stop with most any product. They may be as small as a … Continue reading Bagworm Control

The Maryland Home & Garden Show

Maryland Home Show Booth

Nice crowd at The Maryland Home and Garden show at the Timonium fairgrounds. It was great to meet 2 of the Pryor's Nursery VIP show ticket contest winners! And of course, 100s of people interested in privacy screening for their home inquired about the living fence. We had a sample of our evergreen trees at the show for everyone to see. The 7ft Green Giants ,10 ft tall Green Giant, a 7 ft Nellie Stevens Holly and a Leyland Cypress were on display in our show booth.