Second Nature at Reads Creek

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    • Home
    • What We Offer
      • Services
      • Landscape Design
      • Maintenance
      • Ponds and Water Features
      • Water Solutions
      • Specialty Gardens
      • Memorials
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      • Mulch
      • Flowering Lawn
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      • Christmas Trees
    • Events
    • Kind Words
    • Sundial
    • About Us
      • Our Story
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      • Driftless Day Trip
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Second Nature at Reads Creek

Second Nature at Reads CreekSecond Nature at Reads CreekSecond Nature at Reads Creek

Signed in as:

filler@godaddy.com

  • Home
  • What We Offer
    • Services
    • Landscape Design
    • Maintenance
    • Ponds and Water Features
    • Water Solutions
    • Specialty Gardens
    • Memorials
    • Gifts
    • Stone and Masonry
    • Mulch
    • Flowering Lawn
    • Plant Requests
    • Field Trips
    • Christmas Trees
  • Events
  • Kind Words
  • Sundial
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Team
    • Volunteer
    • Hours
    • Contact
    • Virtual Nursery Tour
    • In The News
    • Giving Back
  • Resources
    • Plant Care & Assurance
    • Work Highlights
    • Pond Management
    • Koi
    • Driftless Day Trip
    • Plant Doctor
    • Blog
    • Links We Love
  • store

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Taking care of your new plants

Landscape design and sales by Second Nature at Reads Creek

Proper Care Makes a World of Difference

Years of hard work have gone into growing your plants, and when we hand them off to you, they are healthy and have been watered meticulously. We assure you that the plants you are purchasing from us are healthy, true to name, and painstakingly cared for.  


Please understand that we cannot be financial responsible for loss due to circumstances beyond our control.  We do not replace plant loss due to animal damage, winter loss, neglect, severe weather, unusual acts of nature, or plants installed in soil or sun conditions other than those recommended.  Much like children, we hope for the best as they go off to their new homes.  We want you to be successful and encourage you to ask questions.  You'll find additional tips below about how you can nurture your plantings so they live long and healthy lives in their new homes. 


What do I do now?

Plant Care Guides

You'll find some thoughts on the best possible care for each type of plant in the documents below. You can download these, or open and read online. If you have questions about something you have noticed on your plant, or if you are not sure if what you are doing is working, please reach out and we will help get you and your plants back on track! We are here to support you and help you give your plants the best possible start in their new home.

Downloadable Care Guides

Tree Planting & Care Guide_SecondNature (pdf)

Download

Perennial Planting & Care Guide_SecondNature (pdf)

Download

Shrub Planting & Care Guide_SecondNature (pdf)

Download

Evergreen Planting & Care Guide_SecondNature (pdf)

Download

Staking Trees SNRC (pdf)

Download

Pollinator Habitat Assesment_web (pdf)

Download

Success with Fruit Trees (pdf)

Download

Growing-Apples-in-WI-A3565 (pdf)

Download

Pruning Roses SNRC (pdf)

Download

Deer Control SNRC (pdf)

Download

Rain Gardens (pdf)

Download

Dry River Beds and Bioswales (pdf)

Download

Living Christmas Tree Care (pdf)

Download

Our Healthy Plant Assurance

Our nursery stock has been cared for with love for quite some time prior to going home with you. Our trees have been grown, watered, pruned, and cared for from 3-10 years before leaving the nursery.  You can be assured that the plants you choose are well-established and very healthy.  We are here to answer questions, and there is a lot of information online about the specific plants you have purchased. Our Healthy Plant Assurance can be downloaded to further explain our assurance to you about the quality of the plants that you choose from our nursery.

Healthy Plant Assurance (pdf)

Download

Plant Hardiness Map

Visit the USDA's most recent Plant Hardiness Zone Map to find your zone, as the zones have changed in the last few years. We carry only plants that growers in our zones have planted and proven to be hardy for our area. Keep in mind that things like wind, soil type, soil moisture, and proper planting/watering techniques also play a key role in the success of your plantings. 

Plant Hardiness Map

SOIL tESTING

Is a soil test indicated based on the type of plant I'm planting?

Here are a few cases where a soil test would help you have the greatest success:

  • Colorado and Norway spruce grow best at pH 6.0 or above. If planting these types and soil pH is less than 5.8, add approximately 6 lbs (6 cups) lime within the expected mature tree drip line (minimum 3 ft by 3 ft) and incorporate to a depth of 6 to 8 inches prior to planting.
  • White and red cedar grow best at pH 6.8 or higher. If planting these types, and soil pH is less than 6.6, add 9 lbs (9 cups) lime within the expected mature tree drip line (minimum 3 ft by 3 ft) and incorporate to a depth of 6 to 8 inches prior to planting.
  • Black walnut and Kentucky coffee tree grow best at pH 6.8 or above. If planting these types and soil pH is less than 6.6, add approximately 9 lbs (9 cups) lime within the expected mature tree drip line (minimum 3 ft by 3 ft) and incorporate to a depth of 6 to 8 inches prior to planting.
  • Blueberries require acidic soils. Michigan State University Extension recommends the soil pH be between 4.5 and 5.5. If you plant blueberries in the neutral soils (soil pH 6.5 to 7) favored by most plants, the plants will be yellow and grow poorly if they grow at all. Most people do not have soil that is naturally that acidic, and so often their blueberries fail if they do not use a soil amendment.
  • Black-eyed Susans, day lilies, mums, lavendar, asparagus, tomatoes, pole beans, beets, brussel sprouts, kale, spinach, crookneck squash, and peas all love soil between 6-7.5.
  •  Azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons and blueberries are just four of the plants that love to sink their roots in acidic soil. Gardeners label these plants “acid-loving," but it's not really acid these plants seek. Rather, they crave the nutrients that low-pH, acidic soil provides. 
  • Holly plants are one of the most recognizable symbols of Christmas and they grow best in well-drained and moist soil with a pH level between 5.0 and 6.0. 
  • Hydrangeas are one of these plants that will keep surprising you. If you provide them with acidic soil, they will bloom blue, but if you add a bit of lime, they will change the color to a more pink one 
  • Adding large quantities of organic amendments to the planting hole is usually not a good practice. If soils are ‘heavy’ and have poor drainage, the extreme textural and soil structural differences between the hole and the area surrounding the hole may inhibit roots from extending beyond the altered area. It is best to plant trees and shrubs in existing soil, even if it is not ideal. Choosing a species that can adapt to these less than ideal existing conditions may be more practical.


Ask us for a soil test bag and we will help you get the testing process started!


SOURCES: UW SOIL & FORAGE LAB, https://uwlab.soils.wisc.edu/resources/tree/, BackyardSidekick.com, Pennington.com

Ask us about soil testing

Aside from proper watering, knowing the soil composition and pH will help you make smarter choices when planting your trees and shrubs.

Request a soil test

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