KAHNKE BROTHERS TREE FARM- MINNESOTA NURSERY GROWER OF TREES, SHRUBS AND PERENNIALS
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Nursery News

Bee Friendly- A good way to bee

3/25/2016

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While we do not label our perennials as pollinator friendly, they provide safe sources of food and habitat for bees, butterflies and a variety of other wildlife.  The only reason we don't brag about that on a tag is because tags don't stay put very well here on the prairie.  Wind blows them all over creation, which completely defeats our goal of being an environmentally friendly company.  

The fact is, our perennials have not been treated with any insecticides in years.  I know that, because I am our perennial grower and that has been my role since 2006.  In the past, we have had to drench our flowers with fungicides on occasion.  We are doing everything in our power to avoid doing that too.  As I write this, my crew is washing one gallon pots in a stock tank full of water in our greenhouse.  After all of the pots are washed, they will be treated with a ZeroTol 2.0 solution.  ZeroTol is basically a concentrated version of Hydrogen Peroxide.  This chemical can be very toxic to bees if they come in direct contact with it on blooming plants.  To eliminate that risk, we apply the product to our pots instead.  Treating the pots helps prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that could require more serious methods of control later.  I have been doing this for a few years now and have been able to greatly reduce the necessity for fungicide treatments.  The process actually takes a few days, but we feel that the benefits outweigh the initial costs.

Our selection of native wildflowers continues to grow.  More and more commercial and municipal projects are utilizing native plants, which is a wonderful thing for pollinators and wildlife.  Many folks are warming up to the idea of less manicured landscapes.  Others are utilizing native plants successfully in more formal designs.  Most native plants produce showy seed heads that contribute winter interest as well as critical sustenance.  They are generally extremely tough and adaptable; requiring far less from their caretakers than trendy cultivars.  Native plants want to be there for the creatures that rely on them readily propagate themselves to achieve that goal.  There are many reasons to plant them and I could go on for a while.  
You will notice that our nursery is not weed free.  While we want to look presentable for our clients, the costs associated with weed control are financially and environmentally high.  Herbicides eliminate pollinator habitat, so we try not to go nuts.  We treat our production areas so that we can keep our plants healthy.  Other areas are hand weeded, weed whipped or left alone.  The guys know that I get a little testy when they pull out milkweed plants, so they usually leave them around until the end of the season.  We use cover crops to fill the spaces between our rows of trees; which helps reduce the need for pesticides and prevents soil erosion.  Our greenhouse floors are covered with ground cloth to keep the weeds at bay.  A combination of control strategies helps us respectfully produce beautiful plants.

Our nursery is home to about a million bunnies, coyotes, deer, rodents and raptors.  While they can produce some unique challenges for us, we enjoy our encounters with them.  Last year, a prairie dog wound up in our shop.  We don't see them very often around here and everyone was pretty intrigued.  Monarch caterpillars were all over our swamp milkweeds last summer.  We also saw plenty on wild plants in the fields.  A bee keeper placed his hives right next to our property and we enjoyed hearing a soothing hum while we went about our daily tasks.  This is what farming is like for us and we love it!  While we are occasionally forced to use insecticides on some of our other crops, we try to avoid doing so whenever possible.  We want our plants to be enjoyed by everyone, including the birds and the bees. 
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Bees LOVE anise hyssop. This beautiful, native plant can be used in place of salvias and veronicas. It blooms for a long time and can be made into an excellent tea.
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Monarch caterpillars on one of my pet weeds.
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Toads in a hole- the pot sockets for our container grown trees are prime hunting ground for amphibians.
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Progress, despite the regress

3/24/2016

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We have been getting tons of calls from customers, wondering when they can stop by and buy some trees.  As we were reminded yesterday, it is still a bit early in the season to plant.  However, we have been busy at the nursery.  The guys have been spading trees for a couple of weeks now and we have quite a few trees out of the ground.  Crabapples are always first, as we have to get them balled before their buds unfurl.  This year, we were also able to dig some of our Freeman maples and other shade trees early.  Normally, we don't start spading trees until the first or second week in April.

My crew finished planting our first batch of shrubs on Monday.  They are all neatly pruned and potted, waiting for a little warmth to really get them going.  Already, many of the plants have swollen buds and a few even have small leaves.  It is great to be able to go into the greenhouse to warm up.  By the end of next week, plant juices will be flowing and leaves should be growing.  Once that happens, we will be smelling the sugary scent of progress!

We have yet to uncover our over-wintered shrubs and perennials.  Quite a few of the larger nurseries started that process a couple of weeks ago.  However, they ended up having to re-cover more sensitive plants to protect them from our current conditions.  That is a leisure we don't have.  We simply don't have the labor or time to undo and redo.  The wind out here on the range does not help when you are dealing with 60' long sheets of plastic either.  

Every year, I gamble on our safe uncovering date.  Typically, I call a few grower friends to see what they are doing before I get too carried away.  This year, I went with my gut.  For once, it paid off.  I have screwed up plenty of times and no mistakes are small mistakes when you are dealing with thousands of plants.  The earliest we have ever uncovered is the last week of March.  I am waiting to see the long-range forecast to determine if we uncover next week or wait a little longer.  Last year, we had a hard frost after our Spring Tree & Shrub Auction in mid-May.  That little fact is etched in my memory because we lost a lot of apple trees that were just beginning to leaf out when the cold came.  Mother Nature is a moody gal and I have learned to be tuned in to her feelings.  We'll see what type of vibe she is giving off next week...        
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Our spade and spade crew in action
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Our greenhouse- last year around April Fool's Day
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Here's what shrub uncovering looks like.
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​Are We There Yet?

3/2/2016

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I am re-posting this article I wrote previously for "The Glencoe Enterprise".  It seems, Februaries are much the same from year to year.

March is almost here, and the media is a buzz with spring enthusiasm. People in other states are already enjoying the scents of blooming flowers while we brace ourselves for what could be the biggest blizzard of the year.   The weekend was a lovely one.  My husband and I took a walk across Silver Lake on Saturday afternoon, and played bocce ball on the lake with our neighbor in the evening.  The ice is still really solid here.  Last week’s thin coating of snow has made it much easier to stay upright on it too.  Saturday’s sunshine was powerful enough, that it forced us to remove our hats and scarves while we were out playing.  All conditions were perfect for enjoying the day on the lake.  In the winter, we feel like we have one, 472-acre backyard.  Our neighborhood gang has plans to play ice croquet and bean bag before the season is through.  However, Mother Nature’s mood is ready to swing again and she feels like hanging with Old Man Winter.  Whether you love him or hate him, Old Man Winter is a loyal companion to Mother Nature and he is going to stick by her side for as long as he can.  That is why Minnesotans are always so glad when spring arrives.  When we see our first Robins or tulips of the season, our hearts are elevated.  Even though we know spring will always return, we experience extensive relief when we know for sure that winter is finally over.  For this reason, spring-blooming plants are a must for Minnesota gardens. 
   
One of the easiest ways to create an impressive, spring display is with fall-planted bulbs.  Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths should all be planted right before the ground freezes in late autumn.  This year, you probably could have planted them in December.  Watering after planting is critical, so make sure you have the means to do so.  Many people put their hoses away well before bulb-planting season arrives.  Beds should be mulched after the soil hardens with evergreen branches, shredded leaves or clean straw.  Most bulbs require a well-drained soil.  Peat moss and compost can be used to amend heavier substrates.  Daffodils and grape hyacinths have pretty commendable shade tolerance.  Tulips prefer full sun.  Many areas that are shady in the summer receive a good amount of sun before the trees leaf out.  Early blooming tulips and daffodils, as well as a nice variety of minor bulbs, bloom well before the foliage of surrounding plants unfurls.  This creates full-sun opportunities that aren’t there later in the season.  More light always means more options.  Bulbs work well planted amongst groundcovers and hostas.  The longer you keep the foliage of ephemeral bulbs thriving in the spring, the more food they produce for the next season.  For this reason, it is best to plant them in locations where their gradually senescing foliage won’t bother you.  Shallow-rooted annuals can be planted right on top of deeply planted bulbs.  This is another great way to camouflage withering leaves.

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Many Minnesota wildflowers bloom early in the season.  Bloodroots, shooting stars, Canadian gingers and wild geraniums are all members of my landscape repertoire.  My pride and joy is a little lady slipper that my friend, Neil Hillstrom, picked up for me at the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market several years ago.  All of these plants do well in shadier portions of my gardens.  I would say that none of them get more than half a day of sun.  Many spring-blooming natives are ephemeral.  That means that they disappear completely during the summer.  Some of them make a fleeting, second appearance in the fall.  Therefore, you have to handle them similarly to bulbs.  In my gardens, I fill the transitional void with plants that need a little heat to get going.  Coral bells, hostas and ferns get their extra beauty sleep, while the little wildflowers show their stuff.    Then the early birds gracefully flutter away, allowing the vibrant colors and textures of summer to flourish.  Many spring-blooming gems are quite tiny.  They are best used in mass plantings or as borders for paths.  As single specimens, they lack impact.  Some native wildflowers take years to establish.  They are well worth the wait, however; when your yard looks like a Monet in May.

Lilacs and peonies are two, controversial spring beauties.  Many people shy away from lilacs because they attract bees.  This is not hard for me to identify with, as I used to me terrified of bees.  As a kid, I was stung on several occasions.  Interestingly enough, I haven’t been bitten by one bee since I started working with plants ten years ago.  Another common complaint about lilacs regards one of their strongest assets.  When it comes to fragrance, it seems that people either love or hate their powerful perfume.  Mom and Dad have a big old lilac hedge on the farm.  Fond memories of vases flowing with fragrant flowers fill my head.  In my mind, both lilacs and peonies trigger nothing but positive thoughts.  Lots of folks have a beef with peonies though.  From the ants that associate with them to their floppy postures, it seems that peonies have fallen out of popularity over the years.  Intersectional hybrids are going to change everyone’s minds.  New crosses between herbaceous peonies and tree peonies offer completely new color options and much sturdier branching habits.  Getting back to the lilacs, lolly-pop forms and dwarf varieties are gaining landscape favor.  They fit nicely into small yards and they don’t sucker.  Smaller size means smaller smells, fewer bees and a less overwhelming, over-all effect.  Crabapples are controversial plants too.  Visions of sidewalks, oozing with applesauce, come to mind right away.  However, breeding has improved these plants as well.  New crabapples retain their fruit well into the winter, when hungry birds gobble them up.  Don’t give up on some of these great plants from our past.  They generate powerful spring interest.  More importantly, they are easy to grow.  Rhododendrons and azaleas need the right site to do well.  Forsythias often won’t flower above the snow line.  This year, we probably can’t expect much from them.  There are benefits to the tried and true few that used to grace many a Minnesota farmstead.  Their soft colors and mesmerizing fragrances are indicative of a fresh start.  By spring, that’s what we’re all yearning for.
​
Well, my hubby has the day off, and he is patiently waiting for me to wrap this up.  We might just have to go for another lake walk.  The weather is pretty darn nice again today.  Tomorrow could require shovels and four-wheel drive.  Minnesota is what it is.  Make the most of it, and use plants to enhance your enjoyment of every season.    Keep your eyes peeled for the first flowers of spring.  I’ve seen sneak peeks on Facebook of crocuses that are blooming right here, right now.  ​
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    Author

    My name is Connie Kratzke. I have worked with Kahnke Brothers for 16 years.  During this period, I have done everything from watering the plants to designing our website.  My role at the nursery involves selling stock, managing inventory, marketing plants and overseeing the production of shrubs and perennials.  Sometimes I sit at a desk and other times I can be found in a Bobcat.  During my career here, I have become a MNLA Certified Professional.  I am also an at large member of the Minnesota Grown Promotion Group/Minnesota Grown Advisory Committee.  Currently, I serve as City Arborist for Silver Lake, Minnesota, and a member of their planning commission.  My focus is on helping our clients succeed with their landscaping efforts.  Education is a huge factor influencing that success.  Keeping it real is my strategy.  Through sharing my experiences at the nursery and at home, I hope to debunk myths and eliminate concerns.  At the same time, I want people to be aware of what doesn't work.  Living things are somewhat unpredictable, but they all have basic needs.  Understanding how to fill those needs while simultaneously achieving landscape goals is a process that I want to share with as many people as possible, because I truly enjoy it.  

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  • Home
  • Services
    • Planting and Delivery
    • Consulting & Design
    • Wholesale Policies & Specials
  • About
    • Photo Gallery
    • Nursery News
  • Plants We Carry
    • Potted Trees >
      • Potted Tree Descriptions
    • Shrubs >
      • Shrub Descriptions
    • Perennials >
      • Perennial Descriptions
    • Specials
  • Plant Care Info
    • Top Ten Lists
    • Useful Links
  • Contact