Our gardeners continue to endeavor to provide the level of care and nourishment required by a first-rate Japanese Garden. The Nutrient Management Program we have developed is based on proven organic supplement technology that provides both immediate and long-term nutrition appropriate to each plant. While our applications are customary for any typical organic & sustainable garden, we are also creating ground-breaking techniques and results, putting the Portland Japanese Garden at the forefront of Nutrient Management Technology within our industry and most especially the world of public Japanese gardens.
Recent high temperatures and intense sunlight have caused us to delay the Nutrient Management Program for some weeks. Now, with a milder climate in the forecast, it is essential we resume—successful nutrient management is time-sensitive, requiring consistent levels of nutrition which aid in plant growth and pest & disease resistance.
Our program includes:
- Spraying applications of organic fish and mint oil solution, for foliar nutrition. (In warm weather, aroma dissipates within a few hours.)
- Embedding special blends of dry organic supplements in the pines’ feeding zones, to nitrify the soil.
- Introducing inoculations of soil microbes, including beneficial nematodes, in designated areas.
- Releasing a variety of beneficial insects throughout the garden:
- Ladybird Beetles (common “ladybugs”)
- Green Lacewings (a ferocious insect predator)
- Microscopic Trichogramma Wasps (no human threat)
- Praying Mantis (our best defense against the Northwest Pitch Moth)
Thank you, visitors, for your patience and understanding as we continue to implement a program which has already proven successful and highly beneficial to our Garden.
