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    • Learning Center >
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  • (843) 559-3425

Espoma Organic Fertilizers

3/1/2022

 

Find Your PLANT's Perfect Match This Growing Season!

Such anticipation! Southern Indica Azaleas and Carolina jessamine are in bud and bloom, the weather is warming up nicely, and we couldn't be more excited about Spring arriving in Charleston. This month, we'd like to share a helpful guide for selecting Espoma Organic fertilizers by plant type to keep your flowers, shrubs, and trees in peak condition.
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Ready to Get Growing? We're Here to Help!

Make a list of existing landscape plantings, or take photos and bring them into the Garden Center. Our Nursery Professionals can assist you in plant identification and provide you with fertilizer recommendations specific to your plant type(s). We are also happy to review the proper fertilizer pairing for any new plants when you're here shopping.
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Get STARTED - What you'll need WHEN you plant:

​We highly recommend amending the soil in your planting area with Brownswood Premium Planting Mix  as well as a starter fertilizer such as Espoma Organic Bio-tone® Starter Plus to give your new plants their best start. You can find our Planting Guide at the link below. It provides planting instructions and helpful information about watering and getting new plants established.
Download our Planting Guide
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GROW & THRIVE - What you'll need AFTER you plant:

​Espoma's other organic 'tone' fertilizers can be used after planting, throughout the growing season. These easy-to-use granulated fertilizers are typically applied around the plant at the soil level. (see application instructions on each product label for frequency and amount to use)
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Azaleas, camellias, and gardenias:
Azalea-tone® organic fertilizer is formulated for all types of azaleas, camellias, and gardenias - plus other evergreen trees and shrubs!

Palms and tropical plants (including hibiscus!):
Organic Palm-tone® is specially formulated for palms and will also produce deep green foliage and larger blooms on tropical plants such as hibiscus.

​Herbs and veggies:
Organic Garden-tone® fertilizer provides a long lasting, slow-release feeding for delicious cool and warm season veggies as well as herbs.
​Annual and perennial flowers:
Get larger, more abundant blooms with organic Flower-tone® fertilizer. Use in garden beds, hanging baskets, or other planted containers.

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All-purpose organic plant food:
Plant-tone® organic all-purpose fertilizer is for use on all flowers, vegetables, trees, and shrubs for increased blooming and larger growth.

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Lemons, limes, oranges or other citrus:
Organic Citrus-tone® fertilizer is formulated for all citrus varieties. It promotes larger and more flavorful fruit.

And there's more! Not all of Espoma's Organic fertilizers are listed here. Formulations for other plant types are available.
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Visit the Brownswood Nursery Garden Center and speak with one of our Nursery Professionals about our complete selection of Espoma Organic garden products such as additional single ingredient soil amendments, fertilizers, and planting mixes. We look forward to growing with you this season!

Winter Landscape Frequently Asked Questions

2/1/2022

 

You Asked, We Answered!

​Naturally, the Nursery Professionals at our Garden Center receive lots of questions about the right time to perform various tasks in the landscape. We thought it might be helpful to share some of the questions we've received recently. We hope you enjoy these Winter tips!
When do I cut back my sweet grass?

Sweet Grass, or Muhly Grass, is a warm-season, ornamental grass that can be found all around the Charleston area. It's typically most noticed in Fall when its cotton-candy pink blooms appear - an impressive show that lasts for weeks! Sweet Grass will develop a straw-like appearance as the weather gets colder and the blades dry out. While it's tempting to cut this grass back when it starts to lose its green color, it's best to wait until late Winter or early Spring. Waiting to cut this grass back offers Winter protection for its roots in case of freezing temperatures.
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Sweet Grass
Is it safe to plant trees and shrubs this time of year?

Yes! We are fortunate to be able to plant year round in the Charleston area. In fact, planting during colder weather can actually lessen transplant shock as plants are able to get acclimated well before the onset of Summer heat. When planting, we recommend amending your soil with our Brownswood Premium Planting Mix as well as a starter fertilizer such as Espoma Organic Bio-tone® Starter Plus to give your new plants their best start. Click here to download our planting guide.
When is the best time to plant flowering perennials?
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While flowering perennials survive our mild Winter season, the best time to plant them is in Spring after the danger of a late frost has passed. This will ensure that flower buds are not damaged by cold weather. Another way of determining the right time to plant your favorite flowering perennials is when the selection of these plants becomes more plentiful at the Garden Center. While some varieties may be available sooner, early to mid-March is a good time to start checking for in stock perennials.
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Blue Plumbago
Which plants should I avoid pruning during the Winter?

While many shrubs and trees can be pruned during the Winter months, those that bloom in Spring should be avoided. Shrubs such as azalea, forsythia, loropetalum, and viburnum, for example, have already formed their Spring flower buds by Winter and should be pruned after flowering. Likewise, wait until Spring to prune Winter flowering shrubs such as camellias.
When do I prune my crape myrtle trees?

The best time to prune a crape myrtle tree is late Winter while the tree is dormant (leafless). We recommend pruning a crape myrtle minimally to maintain the canopy and overall health of the tree. Cut away dead or crossed branches and remove suckers growing from the base of the tree. You can also limb the tree up at this time, removing smaller, lower limbs along the trunk.
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Crape Myrtle
Have a question that wasn't answered here? Feel free to contact us on Facebook or Instagram or, send an email to sales@brownswoodnursery.com. 

It's Time to Choose New Favorite Evergreen Trees AND Shrubs!

1/1/2022

 
What are you noticing most in your landscape right now? Perhaps spots that are bare and uninteresting? In a developing landscape, this time of year naturally brings with it dreams of what could be. While our Winters here in the Charleston are short, we must endure a span of time when branches are bare and blooms are less abundant. The good news? This is a fantastic time to see opportunities, plan, and plant for year-round appeal!

Winter is also the perfect time to choose new evergreen trees and shrubs at our Garden Center. The varieties available right now are too numerous to list, but we've put together a quick list of selections for inspiration while the rest of the landscape sleeps.

Evergreen Selections for Lowcountry Landscapes

Our Nursery Professionals are here to assist you, so feel free to bring in photos of your landscape. It is helpful if you have dimensions of beds or the space you'd like to create, information about sun exposure, deer pressure, and/or soil difficulties such as moisture.
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​Inkberry
Small in stature, but big in versatility, the Shamrock Inkberry Holly we grow here at the Nursery is suitable for just about any spot in the landscape. This compact native evergreen shrub makes a great replacement for boxwood shrubs here along the coast as it is tolerant of wet feet. It is also disease and pest resistant, tolerant of salt, and deer non-preferred. Matures to 3-4' tall and wide, easily shaped with pruning. Adaptable to sun or shade.
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Camellia japonica
If you've seen large, colorful blooms on a stately shrub here in Charleston since the New Year began, there's a good chance you've come across a Camellia japonica. Right now while they're blooming is an excellent time to choose your favorite flower colors and forms. Mature size depends on variety, although most tend to grow upright and can be maintained easily at a height of 6-12'. These shrubs prefer protection from harsh afternoon sun.
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Southern Magnolia
Gorgeous and grand, Southern Magnolia trees offer handsome foliage throughout the
year and bright, white fragrant blooms Spring through Fall. Fortunately, these native trees are not preferred by deer, are salt-tolerant, and tolerate moist soils - an ideal blend of characteristics for Lowcountry landscapes! Mature size depends on variety. Part to full sun.
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Leucothoe
Evergreen Burning Love™ is a petite Leucothoe shrub that offers color and texture that lasts all year!  This variety spices up the shade with deep red growth in Spring that ages to green, followed by dark purple Fall color. Matures to 2 1/2' tall and wide. Deer non-preferred. Prefers part sun to shade.
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Yaupon Holly
From the compact, dwarf varieties to the upright shrubs or weeping tree forms, native Yaupon hollies are a must-have in the coastal landscape. Not only do they have a high salt tolerance, but they tolerate wet feet and are deer non-preferred. Dwarf forms of this shrub make excellent foundation plants. Larger growing shrubs and trees provide berries for wildlife in Winter and add ornamental appeal to the landscape as specimen plantings. Mature size depends on variety. Adaptable to sun or shade.
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​Tea Olive
SO much sweet fragrance comes from the tiny flower clusters of our evergreen Tea Olive shrubs. These versatile shrubs easily lend themselves to use as hedges, privacy screens, or specimen plantings. Blooms arise for weeks in Spring and again in Fall (and sporadically in Summer and Winter) when the days are warm and nights are cool. Deer non-preferred. Part sun to shade.
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​Anise
One of the newest additions to our offering of Anise shrubs is Star Flower Orion. White blooms arise on this compact variety in Spring, Summer, and Fall. Like other Anise, Star Flower Orion is a problem solver in the landscape, tolerating such adverse conditions as moist or dry shade, pest and disease, and the prescence of deer. Matures to 3-5' tall and 4-6' wide, easily shaped with pruning. Prefers part to full shade. 
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Distylium
Another great boxwood alternative that offers a unique, feathery, and mounding growth habit is Vintage Jade Distylium. This shrub is highly adaptable to a variety of soil types, drought tolerant once established, resistant to pests, and is deer non-preferred. 3-4' tall and 4-5' wide. Part to full sun.

FOR PLANTING SUCCESS:

We highly recommend amending the soil in your planting area with a Brownswood Premium Planting Mix as well as a starter fertilizer such as Espoma Organic Bio-tone® Starter Plus to give your new plants their best start. You can find our Planting Guide at the link below. It provides planting instructions and helpful information about watering and getting new plants established. We look forward to seeing you at the Garden Center!
Download Our Planting Guide

READY TO TRANSFORM YOUR YARD?

​Our Landscape Design and Installation teams are here to serve you! We would be pleased to develop a comprehensive Landscape Plan to assist you in reaching your landscape goals.
LEARN MORE

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