In the Field. Why We Heat our Greenhouses with Manure. Understanding Boxwood Bronzing. Spotlight: Cedrus deodara

Transcription

1 In the Field A Newsletter from Waverly Farm Winter Celebrating 25 Years! Why We Heat our Greenhouses with Manure Understanding Boxwood Bronzing Spotlight: Cedrus deodara

2 25 Years Time does fly when one is having fun. In September, 1989 I made my annual journey to Oregon to visit with Paul Bizon and other friends for fishing and hunting. For years I thought about getting back to my roots farming. While walking with Paul in his nursery I blurted out, I will start planting nursery stock next spring. I didn t have land or liners. I found land; Paul and Phin Tuthill helped secure liners. It was started. The first nursery site was not big enough and bought what is now Waverly Farm in Working the soil, planting, building an irrigation system, buying equipment, new buildings, constantly experimenting with growing systems and equipment, propagation, finding great people, finding the very best customers; building a new career was exciting and very satisfying. After all these years I can honestly say I can t wait to arrive at the farm everyday, more than ready to have fun. Great staff! Great customers! Great vendors! Wonderful and sharing industry colleagues! Thanks to all for helping me to have way more fun than many will ever experience in their work. -Jerry Contact Info: Waverly Farm 1931 Greenfield Road Adamstown, Maryland (301) Office (301) Fax Mark Nowicki- Sales & Shipping Mark@waverlyfarm.com Jessica Ahrweiler - Sales & Marketing Jessica@waverlyfarm.com Lisa DeRamus - Sales & Accounting Lisa@waverlyfarm.com Understanding Boxwood Winter Bronzing BOXWOOD leaves may turn orange-bronze during winter when faced with full sun and frequent frost or cold weather. This is common, though some types of Boxwood are more prone to bronzing, such as the small-leaved Korean boxwoods (Buxus microphylla var. koreana). Often, you will notice one side of the Boxwood bronzes, and the other might stay green. The side of the Box facing the winds and sun will likely get more color. Because Boxwood physiological processes continue throughout the winter, (though at a reduced rate), the winds continue to pull water from the plants. Buxus North Star Buxus Appalachian Pyramid To avoid bronzing: 1. Water deeply in fall, prior to ground freezing. 2. Check soil conditions in winter, and if needed, water deeply in winter when ground is thawed. 3. Slow-release fertilizer in the Spring and Fall will help keep the plant healthy. 4. Spraying anti-desiccant on the foliage can help reduce water loss. 5. Place in a protected site, to avoid sun burn and transpiration. The good news is that the bronzing does not kill the plant! Come Spring and warm weather, the leaves should green up again. The only concern due to winter bronzing should be if you don t like the appearance. Luckily, we all have our own preferences...some might find the bronzing to be winter interest. A nice change of scenery. However, if you are of the opinion that green is better, a few Boxwood cultivars that keep good green color are: Justin Browers, and many of the B. sempervirens cultivars such as North Star, Fastigiata, and Appalachian Pyramid. Unfortunately, we have experienced that Wintergreen does not live up to its name. Wintergreen - not living up to its name. Photo taken 12/13/14 2

3 You MAY Compost to Heat Generator -article written by Jerry Faulring recall from your life in 2009, business was bad. I needed a distraction and a project to deflect the day-to-day issues facing all of us so I started researching this concept. In previous years I wondered how we could convert heat produced from composting horse manure into something useful in our operation. Our compost wind rows produce enormous amounts of heat from a minimum of 120 degrees F to 165F and sustained temperatures in the range of 145F. I spent many hours on the internet researching. I schemed through several different compost containment vessels and heat transfer systems that would efficiently reduce energy bills. Everything I read about was ridiculously expensive except for the Jean Pain implementation; see below. It appeared that one simple need could possibly be met in generating hot water for propagation bottom heat during the winter months. Our propagation scale is tiny compared to many, but consumes about 2,000 gallons of propane each winter. In a tough economy, nothing could achieve more satisfaction than messing with the propane supplier. Further, we re already processing about 10,000 cubic yards of horse manure per year. We had the raw materials, equipment, and a basic understanding of compost heat production. There is an enormous amount of data available related to BTUs produced by compost from which one can engineer a system. The huge challenge is to convert the heat efficiently to another use. Composting BTU Production Source: BioCycle Magazine-Lew Naylor, Black & Veatch, Gaithersburg, MD One pound (wet weight) of compost can yield 10,000 BTUs, One ton of compost can yield 20,000,000 BTUs; another source says 16,000,000 BTUs, One gallon of propane yields 91,000 BTUs, One gallon of heating oil yields 140,000 BTUs, Therefore; one ton of compost could be equal to 219 gallons of propane or 140 gallons of oil if maximum heat extraction occurred. The history of producing hot water from composting organic matter is long. In recent history, a farmer in southern France, during the 1960 s, developed a simple system that produced all his domestic hot water and enough methane to run his tractors and trucks. He also used methane for cooking. His name was Jean Pain and became somewhat of a legend in the world of alternative energy. The genius of Pain s system was low capital investment resulting in exceptional return on investment. Our system is very similar to Pains. See: permacultureactivist.net/peterbane/ Jean_Pain.html The pipe is layered with every 250 feet The manure pile keeps warm temperatures, separated by 1 one foot of compost. this was taken on a windy December day. The pile will reach 8 when finished. Our bottom heat system is typical with hot water produced from propane maintaining the cutting media at 70 degrees F. We have plumbed the system so water returning from the tables flows into the compost pile, returns through the hot water tank and then back to the tables. The hot water tank is available to add additional heat to the water if the compost source can not maintain the needed temperature. The grow house piping, covered by manure 3

4 We have two propagation houses and two compost-to-heat systems. Each system utilizes 1,000 feet of one inch thin wall polyethylene pipe. Aeration tubes are under each pile and connected to a greenhouse poly inflation blower. The total investment for labor, additional plumbing fittings and equipment use is $500 per pile each year; the pipe cannot be salvaged. The rest of the system would be in place for bottom heat so I don t consider it an annual cost. During November, 2014 we stuck 7100 cuttings. Based on several years of propane use as a basis of comparison and six years of producing hot water from compost, we should save approximately 1600 gallons of propane during the propagation season. Propane cost varies from year to year and season to season but at $3.00 per gallon we will save about $4,800 dollars this year from a $1,000 investment or a net savings of $3,800 and $.50 per cutting. I am sure significant heat transfer engineering improvements could make our trial more productive. However, one must be careful to minimize capital investment costs to earn the highest possible return on investment. This unit utilizes tables and mist. Note the copper pipe under the trays. This unit is on the floor, and tented with no mist. It uses less energy than the open table system but restricts light. Evergreen Winter Containers THIS YEAR, we have had a number of people ask what we grow that would work in winter containers. Good question. The first thought is that our material is larger than the required sizes for a typical container. However, there are a few options that we might provide. To most accurately compile a list of worthy plants, however, the key is to understand containerized plants needs. At a previous employment, Lisa had worked with containerized plants, so she has shared her knowledge on containers. In determining containerized plantings, the type of plant and the environment the container will be located in are major considerations. There are a number of factors that affect a plants likelihood of surviving the winter in a container. Planting Winter Containers Location Wind and sun are two major factors that affect the plant. Determine the sun and wind exposure at the site. If the site is protected from harsh winds, then perhaps you can use a plant that goes just 1 zone colder. Often containers are located in a space open to the elements - on pedestals, out front of houses or on mall walkways. If the plants are planted together in row, as in a garden bed, they will better protect each other from the harsh winds. Container The type of containers used can be important. Winter containers should be sturdy enough to withstand freezing and thawing. This means you shouldn t use porous material, such as terracotta. Plastic is also not the best choice, as it will get brittle and fade in the sun. Winter containers should be a sturdy material such as concrete, stone, or fiberglass. Concrete is also beneficial in that is absorbs warmth. Drainage holes are vital; you do not want soggy soil. Use real soil, not a soilless mix. Soilless medium has no nutrients and won t hold anything. Lisa suggests buying a bag of topsoil. Don t use the clay soil found in your MD/DC back yard. Ball Size How long do you want the plants in the container? If they will stay planted for years, leave space for roots to grow. Plants can be planted as tight as you want if it is a one-winter deal, however, more soil creates more insulation for the roots, as will a layer of mulch. continued on page

5 Evergreen Winter Containers continued from page 4... Water Soil in containers is more likely to freeze. If there is no rain in October/ November, the plants should be thoroughly watered in the fall. Many people forget that containers need to be watered during the winter months too. For instance, if the containers are under the porch, they are not getting rain. You need to water them! People often believe evergreens are tougher than they are. They need to be watered as well. Choosing the Right Plants Now comes the fun part. Taking the above factors into consideration, we can take a look at our material for the best matches. Boxwood They are a nice choice for containers, but usually need protection from winter winds (see Boxwood Bronzing article). Our smallest Boxwood root balls dug are 17, meaning a container at least that size is needed. If protected, Boxwood will prove a tasteful option. Many Boxwood are pruned into conical form, providing a strong shape. Using plants with strong architecture provides interest even when covered in snow. In general, Buxus sempervirens cultivars tend to do well in containers. Arborvitae Be careful which species you use, many may grow too big. When the roots are restricted, however, plant growth is also restricted. This also means you don t have to prune all the time. Waverly has grown Degroots in our front pots for 2 years now and have been doing surprisingly well, doubling in size. They can grow as far north as Zone 4. Junipers A great choice. Junipers are very resilient. Juniperus communis Suecica Nana would be nice in containers, a tall, thin sentinal. Juniperus squamata Blue Star is a great choice. It is small of stature and sports beautiful blue color. Hollies Our smallest hollies are the broadleaf deciduous Ilex verticillata. We sell them as small as 36 tall, with a 20 root ball. These hollies hold their colorful berries well into February. Spruce A viable option many are blue and cone shaped. If you are looking for a round or mounded shape for your container, Picea pungens Montgomery, Thume, or Glauca Globosa might be appealing. A 36 Montgomery would have a 22 root ball. Glauca Procumbens, with its trailing habit might also create an intriguing look for a container. Pines The idea with using our pines would be to find the small ones with a unique form. A few come to mind... Pinus cembra Blue Mound is slow growing, low and mounding with soft blue needles, grows 3 2 in 10 years and very hardy. Pinus leucodermis Compact Gem is a slow growing dwarf with a slender, dense, conical shape and is drought and salt tolerant. Either would look stunning in focus planters. A few plants that are not a good choice (in Maryland or farther north), on the other hand, are Camelias and Gardenias. They tend to die. They don t survive colder climates than Zone 7, and if a plant is borderline it will likely not survive the winter in a container. Thank you Lisa for your container knowledge. I hope this has helped those that have asked about winter container plants... Good luck! The conical shapes of Boxwood would stand out even covered in snow. Seen here is Buxus Green Mountain. Juniperus Blue Star is bright blue year round and stands out in winter. NEW WEBSITE COMING SOON! Many new features and tools. ~Order Online ~Password Protected! ~Photo Catalog with descriptions, plant attributes and seasonal photos ~ Comparison Function: select plants to compare side by side 5 Picea pungens Montgomery grows in a mound form and its bright blue would brighten the container display. Ilex verticillata sports bright berries well into February, adding vibrant color to the winter landscape. Stop by to ask us about it at MANTS! We will be at our yearly spot, Booth 2868

6 Waverly s Winter Favorite Cedrus deodara The growth habit of Deodar Cedars can be variable, but they are generally pyramidal with a drooping leader, a horizontal branching pattern, and gracefully pendulous branch tips. The pendulous branch tips lend a definite elegance, making a beautiful specimen. When it snows, this graceful form is only more pronounced. They re beautiful plants, I like them a lot. They re gorgeous...when they re correctly sited. A friend of mine called them dead-adoras because they can dry out in the winter months. But if protected from winter winds they are beautiful winter specimens. -Lisa Other than it s attractive technique of holding snow, Deodar Cedar cultivars show a variety of colors. There are many shades of blue, and one of Jerry s favorite is Aurea which has bright golden-yellow foliage. We currently have four Deodar Cedar s available for sale: Aurea Aurea -is fast-growing and it shows best color in full sun. When the foliage is backlit in the winter, the golden color [of Aurea ] is striking Jerry. It s a good yellow- some yellows can be muddied, but this one s not. In the hot afternoon summer sun they can burn a little, but not that bad. - Lisa Bush s Electra Blue Bill s Blue -a broad pyramid with pendulous branches and blue-green needles Offers a nice, kind of soft blue contrast to the starker deciduous landscape - Jerry When the ice coated the needles, the blue seemed to glow - Jessica Bush s Electra Blue -slow growing, bright powder blue needles It is truely electric blue. It is blue like a Blue Spruce, very vibrant. [Bush s Electra Blue] is the bluest of them Lisa Shalimar -soft blue color, graceful habit, selected for hardiness (only have a few left!) Shalimar is a lovely soft blue. A good thing about Shalimar is that it was bred to take the cold better, it can go farther North. -Lisa Shalimar Shalimar How to Use a QR Code: Step 1: Download a QR code app on your smart phone (there are numerous apps, any will work) Step 2: Open the app. (Some phones will be able to access the QR scanners using the camera.) Step 3: Scan the QR code as if you were taking a picture Step 4: The app will provide a link for you to go directly to our availability. Give it a try! Once you Scan you can access our availability in your scan history or you can re-scan. Have our availability at your fingertips! 6