It’s no surprise that it gets hot in the Alabama summer–at 3am Growers we’re already sweating! Your customers aren’t the only ones suffering, though! Trees also need protection from the soaring temperatures and scorching sun in these months. Customer education will go a long way towards creating and retaining a loyal customer base, so make sure you’re keeping yours up to date on how to care for their trees in the summer.

Moisture is one of the first things to go in the heat. Watering should be done during the early morning and late afternoon when temperatures are cooler and water is less likely to evaporate before it does any good. This will also help to conserve water, especially in drought situations. Make sure customers adjust their automatic sprinklers if applicable. Adjust watering schedules based on the weather–if it’s raining a lot, water less.

Proper mulching helps protect surface roots from sun damage and helps to keep moisture in the soil long enough to get used by trees, rather than sucked back up into the atmosphere. And remember not to encourage trimming, especially in a drought situation. Trimming encourages new growth, and that requires a lot more water.

With proper care and management, trees provide shade that helps keep cooling costs down in homes and businesses. They also provide much-needed sources of food and shelter for beneficial insects and animals, and they look so lovely! Help your customers take care of their trees during the hot summer months and everyone will benefit.

Spring is here! This is a busy time for nurseries, because it’s a busy time for gardeners. While you’re marketing and selling products this season, make sure that your customers are aware of what exactly they should be doing to prepare their gardens and landscapes this spring.

• Tools should be seen to. Does anything need to be sharpened, repaired, or even replaced? Remind customers that the last thing they want is to be stuck halfway through a project without working tools. If your nursery doesn’t sell tools, consider partnering with a local business that does–both businesses can benefit from referrals.
• Soil should be tested and appropriately treated to correct any imbalances. Lawns should be mowed, trimmed, and watered, and emerging weeds should be seen to. This is a good time for your customers to see to any insect problems as well. Make sure your customers also know to look out for lawn fungus and diseases.
• And finally, plants should be cared for. Obviously, this is the time to plant many types of flowers, trees, and shrubs like the ones we stock at 3am Growers. Gardeners should also be trimming, mulching, feeding, watering, pruning, and checking on the health of their existing plants. Prepare your staff to answer many questions about how to care for plants–and not only the ones you sell.

Educating your customers will not only increase your business in the short-term; it will help to increase their satisfaction and long-term loyalty. If customers know they can trust you to give them good information, they’re more likely to come back and to recommend you to their friends!

April isn’t only National Lawn Care Month. It also includes Arbor Day on Friday, April 27th. 3am Growers is celebrating the same way we always do: by providing and caring for the trees that do so much to benefit us and our world.

You don’t have to look far from your front door to see the benefits of trees. They provide shade to our homes and lawns, give a degree of privacy to our lives, and insulate our homes against the noise of the outside world. They also improve quality of life in two very different ways, by providing a peaceful spot to rest under, or an exciting place for adventurous souls to climb!

Trees provide benefits for more than just humans, of course. Wildlife like birds, squirrels, and beneficial insects find homes, food, and building materials in their branches. Trees minimize runoff into water sources like streams and rivers, thus decreasing water pollution, and help prevent erosion if planted thoughtfully. Each tree can absorb thousands of gallons of stormwater, helping protect your home from flooding!

Perhaps their most well-known environmental benefit is the improvement of air quality. Not only do trees recycle carbon dioxide into oxygen, but they store carbon in their trunks and branches, decreasing the impact of global climate change. Trees also impact the temperature–they can reduce temperatures up to 7 degrees.

Celebrate Arbor Day and beyond by making sure your customers have access to a rich selection of beautiful, high-quality shade trees like those at 3am Growers.

April isn’t just the first real month of spring, it’s also National Lawn Care Month. We don’t provide lawn care services at 3am Growers, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know the importance of a healthy lawn. Good landscaping is crucial to healthy trees and shrubs. Now is a great time to educate your customers about the benefits and importance of fertilizing to yield the best blooms in the springtime.

Fertilizer can be tricky to understand, especially for beginners, so helping your customers is important. Your staff should fully understand and be able to thoroughly several important factors, such as:

• How to read the guaranteed analysis and apply it to their soil after appropriate testing.
• What the list of ingredients means, and which sources of nitrogen are best for their soil, climate, and plants.
• What to fertilize, how much to fertilize, and where and when to apply fertilizer.
• What varieties of fertilizer are only available to professionals, and how those can benefit them.
• Applicable state, national, and local laws and ordinances regarding the safe use of fertilizer. This includes any HOA ordinances or guidelines. These can change often, so make sure you are completely up-to-date before you pass on any information!

Even if you do all the landscaping services for your customer base, a little extra education never hurt anyone. In fact, it’s often beneficial. If your customers trust that your staff are knowledgeable, friendly, and open to sharing, they’ll feel secure in their decision to entrust their home and business landscaping to your care.

Spring is finally here to stay, and that means it’s time to highlight some of the best plants for the season. Let’s talk about one of our favorites here at 3am Growers: the Cleopatra Camellia shrub!

Like its name would suggest, the Cleopatra Camellia is absolutely lovely. Its flowers are showy and abundant, with a rich rosy-pink color, and its foliage is rich, glossy, and evergreen. Your customers will be delighted by the combination of colors and will love how low-maintenance these shrubs are. These shrubs are not as popular as other types of camellias, which makes them a unique, fresh addition to any garden.

Cleopatra Camellia shrubs don’t need much to thrive. Give them acidic, moist soil with good drainage, shade or partial shade, and some shelter from urban pollution for best results. These showy shrubs don’t require a lot of pruning, though they will need thick mulching around the roots in the summer and the winter, especially when first planted. They are excellent for planting under power lines because they only grow to about six feet high. Because they thrive in shade and tend to be more compact than other camellias, they can even be potted and planted inside!

All of our shrubs are great for the environment as well as for landscaping aesthetics, and Cleopatra Camellia are a truly splendid specimen. Your customers will love this low-maintenance addition to their spring landscaping. Contact 3am Growers today to order for your nursery, or to answer any questions you might have about selling these pretty shrubs!

Spring may seem like it’s still a long way away, but from a lawn care standpoint, it’s right around the corner. February is a great time to start preparing your yard – and maybe even taking a look at some of the new trends in landscaping. Check out the 3AM Growers Lawn Care Checklist to see if you’re on track for a healthy spring lawn!

• • Get it Tidy! First things first: is there junk on your lawn? Leaves, debris, pine straw, residual snow or ice – all these things will contribute to mold, mildew, and lawn disease if left for too long. Regular raking will clean all this up so your yard looks and feels healthier. It will also help to keep your grass from getting trampled.
  • Check Your Soil. Most lawns need to be fed in the early spring, so have your lawn checked for nutrients and pH balance. The earlier you know what the issues are, the better chance you have of correcting them before spring.
  • Stay Sharp. Did you know your lawn mower blades need to be sharpened every year? If it’s been a while, now is the time to get on that. While you’re at it, take a look at all your gardening tools and see if any need repair or replacement.
  • Fight the Weeds. Pre-emergent herbicides are obviously best applied before the weeds appear. If the weather is nice enough, a little old-fashioned weeding is also a great excuse to spend some time outside.

With a little work now, your lawn will give you plenty of enjoyment and pride in the spring and beyond. Contact 3AM Growers with questions!

Now that February is here, it’s time to get busy planting! This is a great time to plant almost everything, so at 3AM Growers we’ve put together a guide to planting trees and shrubs.

A Guide to Planting Trees and Shrubs

First of all, make sure you select the right tree for your lawn. This decision is crucial, so don’t neglect proper research! You’ll want to take soil conditions, space, climate, and underground conditions into consideration. A tree or shrub with a wide root system shouldn’t be planted near your septic system, for instance, unless you want to deal with costly and time-consuming repairs down the line. Similarly, tall trees shouldn’t be planted under the electrical wires. The experts at 3AM Growers can help you pick the tree or trees that will best suit your needs.

Once you’ve planted your tree or shrub, your job isn’t quite done. New plantings need extra care, especially watering. Drought shock is common in new trees, even in precipitation-heavy climates. That being said, overwatering is also a problem. If in doubt, dig down to the roots with a trowel and see if the soil is damp before watering. You’ll also need to protect new plantings from deer, weeds, and even grass. It’s best to keep a few feet of vegetation-free space around new trees so that established plants don’t steal all the water and nutrients.

Speaking of research, remember that all types of plants and shrubs are slightly different and will need their own specialized care. When in doubt, contact 3AM Growers and benefit from our experience and know-how!