Wagner Nursery Inc FAQs

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When should I prune my shrubs?

Generally speaking, spring-flowering shrubs, such as lilac and forsythia, bloom on the growth of the previous season. This is sometimes referred to as old wood. The best time to prune spring-flowering shrubs in Dubuque, IA, is after they have flowered. This allows them the summertime to establish growth needed for blooms in the spring.

Summer-flowering shrubs, such as potentilla and spirea, bloom in summer on the current year's growth, referred to as new wood. Prune summer-flowering shrubs in late fall after a good frost or very early in spring. These shrubs will bloom in summer on the current year's growth.

Prune evergreen shrubs, such as juniper and yew, in early to mid-April before new growth begins. Light pruning may also be done in midsummer.

When is the best time to prune shade trees?

February through March is generally regarded as the best time to prune most deciduous trees in Dubuque, IA. The absence of foliage at this time of year gives you a clear view of the tree and allows the selection and removal of appropriate branches.

Also, the walling-off or compartmentalization of wounds occurs most rapidly just prior to the onset of growth in spring. Oaks are an exception. December, January, and February are the best time to prune oak trees.

Deciduous trees can be pruned at other times of the year with little or no negative consequences. However, if possible, avoid pruning deciduous trees in spring when trees are leafing out and in fall when trees are dropping their leaves.

When is a good time to plant containerized trees?

Spring or fall works equally well for containerized tree planting.

Fall is a great time to plant containerized or balled and burlap (B&B) deciduous trees in Dubuque, IA. Putting trees in the ground in the fall gives them time to recover from transplant shock and establish a healthy root system before dormancy.

Ideally, any tree planted in the ground should go in around Labor Day with frequent and consistent watering through mid-October. By spring they will be comfortable in their new home and weather conditions will promote leaf and root formation in preparation for summer stresses.

When is a good time to plant conifers?

Containerized conifer trees have a limited root system. Their roots have been growing in a circle for a major portion of their lives.

Conifers that are purchased and planted in the fall, especially late fall, do not have enough time to grow their roots in the surrounding soil and become established. This can leave them extremely vulnerable to high winds, heavy snow loads, and winter injury.

Many can enter winter dormancy in a water-stressed state and suffer additional needle injury. Conifers will continue to lose moisture from their needles all winter long even though the tree is dormant.

If the soil is frozen there is no water uptake from the roots and if the air temperature becomes 40 degrees on a bright sunny day, a conifer tree's needles will be losing moisture with no way to replace it, resulting in "Winter Burn."

This holds true for leaf trees in Dubuque, IA, as well - except there are no leaves on the trees so that the impact is less. When planting conifers in the fall, make sure to plant early and water regularly and thoroughly up to the time frost is in the ground.

When should I trim my Knockout Roses?

Knockout Roses grow well in many types of soil in Dubuque, IA. In their first 2 to 3 seasons, shrub roses can be left unpruned. This ensures the pruning of a mature plant.

Young plants need trimming only to remove dead or dying parts. A mature knockout rose should be about 4' high and 4' wide. You can sometimes go a year or two between trimmings to allow the plant time to reshape.

In the late winter or early spring, just as the buds are forming and no new growth has occurred, remove 1/3 (rule of thirds) of the canes. You can cut healthy shoots back by 1/3 to 1/2 of their existing length without damaging the plant.

If you cut the canes back further than that, however, you might stunt the growth of the bush, which will then spend more time producing foliage to replace lost growth rather than putting its energy into flowering.

Be aware of crossing canes and remove one so that they do not rub and open wounds that allow any disease to enter. Remove dead canes, especially those towards the center. This allows better air circulation and reduces disease possibilities.

When do I do major cutbacks on my bushes and shrubs?

Well-maintained landscaping does more than make your yard look great. In fact, according to a report by the University of Vermont, well-maintained shrubs and trees can increase a property's value by up to 14%. You can make major cuts to bushes and shrubs in Dubuque, IA, once they go dormant. This depends on the weather during any given year, but they usually go dormant between the months of October and January.

When can I trim spring flowering shrubs and still have flowers that will bloom the following season? 

Spring flowering shrubs in Dubuque, IA, like lilacs, rhododendron, and azalea, can be trimmed immediately after they bloom. You will still get flowers the following year, as you usually have 3 to 4 weeks before the plants start to form the buds for the following year.

When should I trim evergreens and broadleaf evergreens such as boxwoods and yews?

You can trim them in early spring after freezing temperatures have passed but before new growth starts to appear. This is usually March through April. You can also trim evergreen trees in Dubuque, IA in late summer through mid-autumn, after they are done growing for the year.

When do I cut back my perennial plants?

Perennials in Dubuque, IA can be cut back in early spring (March-April) or in late autumn once the perennials are dormant for the year. You can also do it anytime throughout the winter. This excludes coralbells, geraniums, grasses, creeping phlox, thyme, and groundcovers.

When do I cutback ornamental grasses?

You can do this in early spring, March through April. The dry blades of your ornamental grasses make a great addition to your compost in Dubuque, IA. Contact us to learn more.

When is the best time to plant Trees, shrubs, perennials, etc?

Spring is a great time to plant, usually March-May. Try and avoid the hot months of summer. Another good time to plant is in the Autumn, usually September-November. If neither of these times are available for you to plant, then you can also do it once the shrubs go dormant during the winter months. 

When is the best time to fertilize trees, shrubs, and perennials?

Immediately when planting the new specimen. If it is an existing specimen then early Spring, usually March-May, is the best time to fertilize because this is right before everything starts to need and use a lot of energy to grow for the year. Always avoid the hot months of summer or just use a very weak fertilizer during this time. Autumn is not the best time either because shrubs are beginning to go dormant. If you do fertilize in the fall use a dormant fertilizer or a slow release fertilizer, this will suffice.

How do I fertilize my trees, shrubs, and perennials?

If it’s a new planting use soil amendments including Wagner’s soil mix. Pair this with a slow release fertilizer tab or a nutri pak. If it’s an existing specimen, then use the appropriate amount of fertilizer stakes that you pound into the ground for a direct specific application. If you want to go indirect then you may use a granular fertilizer such as milorganite that you just spread all around the area on top of the ground.

How often should I water newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials?

You have to be proactive when considering when and how often you should be watering. Every variety of tree, shrub, and perennial requires a different amount of water as well as how often they need it. Best rule of thumb is to always keep your eye on the specimen and if it is wilting or looks droopy then it is telling you it needs water. Soak it in very well if it gets to that point. After soaking let the specimen dry out and then soak again, repeat until its root system is fully established. Arborvitaes require a large amount of water and they will not tell you when they need a drink by looking at the foliage. By the time an arborvitaes foliage shows stress it is usually too late.

What is the best way to water trees, shrubs, and perennials? 

The goal is to acquire a deep root soaking for the plant and very minimal water run-off and waste. To do this use a garden hose or watering can with a very slow trickle of water coming out. Tree watering bags, made specifically for trees, take all the guesswork out of the equation. You can also use a bucket that is filled with water. Drill a small hole or two in the bottom of the bucket and set next to the specimen that is to be watered. Natural gravity will do the rest of the work for you. Just refill the bucket when necessary.

How often should I water established or mature trees, shrubs, and perennials?

Only water if the specimen is wilting or we go 2 weeks without water in the midst of drought conditions.

How do I prepare trees and shrubs for winter, newly planted or mature?

You need to deep root water the specimens before freezing temperatures become regular. Another thing to do is to spray evergreens and broadleaf evergreens with “Wilt Proof”. Apply this to the foliage, it will hold in moisture over the winter months’ n help prevent winter burn.

When is the proper time to trim shade and ornamental trees?

Winter or mid-summer is the recommended time frame, preferably in the winter. Doing it in the winter will cause the least amount of stress to the tree.

When is the best time to trim fruit trees and small fruit?

Winter is the best time but you can also do it in early Spring before everything starts to bud out. 

What is the best time of day to fertilize your lawn?

Late afternoon is the best time to do this.

How much does it cost for a landscape design?

It depends on a variety of factors such as the size of the project and how many labor hours it will take to come up with the design. As well as the specifics of each individual design and what the client all wants out of it such as all the details. Pricing is figured on an individual basis so just call us to set up an apt!

Is there a warranty on your tree and plant stock that you sell?

Yes, there is a 1 year guarantee on everything we sell with no questions asked as long as we installed the job or if the client purchased the proper material to install it with. Ex- Wagner’s soil mix, compost, peat moss, fertilizer tabs or packets, nutri-paks, mycorrhizae, or planta gel. If none of these things were purchased to install with the specimen, then some questions may be asked before replacing the specimen for free.

Where do your trees, shrubs, and perennials originally come from that you sell at Wagner Nursery Inc.?

Everything comes from northern growing nurseries where the trees, shrubs, and perennials are specialized for our growing zone and climate.

What is the best time of the day to water?

The best time of the day to water is in the early morning or late in the afternoon.

How do I protect my investment (new tree) in general or from a rabbit or deer?

You can purchase a mesh tree guard or a roll of tree wrap from us for the trunk. You can purchase mulch from us for around the base of the tree to hold in moisture and to keep the mower and weed whacker away from the trunk to avoid scarring and damages. You can purchase liquid fencing from us to keep unwanted animals from eating it. If you have bad wind issues you can purchase a tree staking kit from us. 

How do I insure my new or existing tree, shrub, or perennial is going to do its best, as far as growing and health goes?

Use at least one of the following items, preferably a combination of some of these items as well as proper watering- Wagner’s soil mix, compost, fertilizer stakes, peat moss, fertilizer tabs or packets, nutri-paks, mycorrhizae, or planta gel. 

Do you transplant trees?

We can give you an estimate to transplant a tree or trees as long as the trunk of the tree is no larger than 3.5 inches wide measured 6” from top of root ball.

After purchasing sod from Wagner Nursery Inc. how long do I have to wait before I can mow it?

Usually you must wait about 2 weeks. The best way to tell is to pull up on the sod and see if it is rooted in yet or not. You want to mow after it has rooted in.

Should I fertilize the new sod I have just purchased?

Yes, you should fertilize the new sod. Make sure to apply the fertilizer onto the ground before you install the new sod. Any starter fertilizer is suitable, we carry triple 13 or 12-25-13 or anything with a large middle # in the sequence. The middle # is phosphorus which helps root growth. 

What do I do about the brown spots in my yard?

Remove the dead or dying grass and replace it with fresh grown sod from Wagner Nursery Inc. You can also regularly fertilize and it will eventually fade with new grass creeping in and taking over its spot.

How do I plant a potted tree, shrub, or perennial? 

Remove the pot from the root ball, break apart and bust up the root ball so roots are not going around in a circular motion, dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball, make sure the hole is no deeper than the depth of the root ball, and as you start backfilling the root ball with excavated dirt add water to eliminate air pockets until the specimen is firmly planted in the ground. 

How do I control weeds in my existing landscaping beds without having to pull them every few days?

Get on a regular maintenance plan that includes regular pre-emergent applications that will eliminate weed seeds before they germinate. Do this 4 times a year starting in the early spring and then every 2 months after. The pre-emergent will not eliminate weeds 100%. To take care of anything that sneaks through use a weed spray to spot treat and kill small weeds that appear. Stay on top of it because if they get out of control it’s a nightmare trying to regain this control.

When I plant a fruit tree can I plant just one or do I have to plant two of them?

It all depends on the variety and species of the fruit trees you will be planting. Some do need a pollinator and some don’t. As a good rule of thumb always assume they do need another pollinator. This pollinator tree with be of the same type of fruit as the first tree but will need a be a different variety. Ex- If planting a honey crisp apple then plant a pollinator tree that may be a red delicious apple. By doing this it insures that you get bountiful fruit and ample harvests every year because proper pollination has occurred. 

Why is my evergreen tree killing all of the grass around and under it?

This happens mainly because evergreen trees create a lot of acidic byproducts as a result of their natural life cycle. This is shed from the tree in forms of needles and dust etc. Grass typically does not like or thrive in acid environments and that is why it dies. Another reason could also be from the shade that the tree causes. Most grass varieties do not like to be in the shade. 

Do you sell perennials and ornamental grasses?

Yes

Do you sell large trees and shrubs?

Yes

Do you sell sod?

Yes, we sell sod. It is 20”W x 40”L

Do you sell soil, compost, manure, planting amendments, landscaping materials, mulch, decorative rock, and boulders?

Yes

Do you sell any native species?

Yes, we do. A few examples are oak, red bud and maple trees, cedars, a few different grasses, gooseberries, grapes, and yucca just to name a few.

Do you install any of the following- lighting, irrigation, patios, walls, ponds, water features, softscapes, hardscapes, shrubs, trees, perennials, sod, rock, mulch, soil, drain tile, hydro seed?

Yes, we install all of the above.

Do you sell potted material as well as field grown?

Yes, we do.

When do you spray fruit trees and what do you use?

In the spring when buds start to swell spray with dormant oil and lime sulfur. After they bloom spray with fungicide and orchard spray. 

Do you deliver and if you do what do you all deliver?

Yes, we deliver. We will deliver anything and everything we sell here at Wagner Nursery Inc.

Do you have soil treatments?

Yes, we have many different types of soil additives. They range from Wagner’s soil mix, peat moss, cotton bur, compost, vermiculite, perilite, mycorrhizae, planta gel, phosphate, and much much more. Many of these items are also OMRI approved! 

Can you service any of the following? Lighting, irrigation, trees, shrubs, perennials, ponds, water features, landscaping, walls, and patios.

Yes, we can and do service all of the above.

Can I buy a tree from you that doesn’t seed out?

There are trees that seed less than others on an average basis but when mother nature puts stress on a tree during a particular year any and all trees will seed out. 

What shrubs/perennials do you sell that will bloom for most of the season?

Hydrangeas, Rose of Sharon, Dianthus, Daylilies, Geranium, and Sonic Bloom Weigela just to name a few.

Are there any evergreen trees that can tolerate a lot of moisture?

Arborvitaes

Will your company take a look at my property to see what I need done?

Yes, we do free site analysis. 

What is better, sodding or seeding?

At the end of the day when everything is said and done if you can afford to sod this is a much better route to go, not to mention much easier and less time consuming. Also over the long run it is cheaper to do as well. 

Do you sell indoor plants?

We do not sell traditional indoor plants that you may be accustomed to. All the plants we do sell could be trained for indoors and kept inside if that’s what you wanted to do. With proper care and maintenance they would work perfectly!

Where are you located?

We are located just inside of Asbury city limits coming from the North-West Arterial. Go past the Asbury welcome sign 2 blocks and turn right onto Hales Mill Road. We will be on your left hand side, you can’t miss us!

What is your experience in in this industry?

Well to start our business is family owned and operated and has been around for 71 years and 4 generations of Wagner’s. If you take the combined experience between all working family members and main “family like” employees the # would sit at over 200 years! 

What hours are you open?

Our hours are seasonal and always change so just check our home page and you will see the current hours of operation there.

How can I get a deal if I buy or go through you for all my landscaping needs?

We do run some annual sales at certain points of the year. We also do offer some bulk purchasing discounts on certain goods, we will work with good people. 

Do you have different prices for contractors and landscapers? 

Yes, we do.

Do you sell annuals or vegetables?

No, we do not sell either of those items.

How late or early in the season can you plant trees, shrubs, and perennials?

Technically you can plant at any time of the year. The best times of the year are in Spring and Fall. 

Do you do free estimates?

Yes, we do.

What zone is our area or territory?

We are in zone 4. Zone 4 plants and below will work here and are very hardy. Zone 5 plants may work here for a while but when a very hard winter hits they usually die unless they are well established or are very protected.

How long has the Wagner Nursery Inc. been around for?

71 years and counting. The nursery is presently in its 4th generation of Wagner’s, father to son handed down through the generations.

What does your schedule look like?

Give us a call and we can better answer this question because it all depends on what you want.

How long will it take until my newly planted tree, shrub, or perennial will grow and fill in?

3 to 5 years.

What is wrong with my tree, shrub, or perennial? Fungus, disease, insects, deer, rabbits, etc.?

You can take pictures and bring in samples to the Nursery so we can try and analyze it for you. Then after we pinpoint what it may be we will point you in the right direction on what to treat it with or what you should do to fix the issue.

What is better, sodding or seeding?

At the end of the day when everything is said and done if you can afford to sod this is a much better route to go, not to mention much easier and less time consuming. Also over the long run it is cheaper to do as well.

Do you sell indoor plants?

We do not sell traditional indoor plants that you may be accustomed to. All the plants we do sell could be trained for indoors and kept inside if that’s what you wanted to do. With proper care and maintenance they would work perfectly!

Where are you located?

We are located just inside of Asbury city limits coming from the North-West Arterial. Go past the Asbury welcome sign 2 blocks and turn right onto Hales Mill Road. We will be on your left hand side, you can’t miss us!

What is your experience in in this industry?

Well to start our business is family owned and operated and has been around for 71 years and 4 generations of Wagner’s. If you take the combined experience between all working family members and main “family like” employees the # would sit at over 200 years! 

What hours are you open?

Our hours are seasonal and always change so just check our home page and you will see the current hours of operation there.

How can I get a deal if I buy or go through you for all my landscaping needs?

We do run some annual sales at certain points of the year. We also do offer some bulk purchasing discounts on certain goods, we will work with good people. 

Do you have different prices for contractors and landscapers? 

Yes, we do.

Do you sell annuals or vegetables?

No, we do not sell either of those items.

How late or early in the season can you plant trees, shrubs, and perennials?

Technically you can plant at any time of the year. The best times of the year are in Spring and Fall. 

Do you carry any park grade or discounted items such as trees, shrubs, or perennials? 

Yes, you are more than welcome to come check out the inventory because it is constantly changing and updating.

When is the proper time of the year to sow grass seed?

Mid-August to mid-September in Iowa is the best time of the year. You can also do it in the spring from April to mid-May but you won’t have as good of luck as you will in the fall.

When is the proper time of the year to install sod?

You can install sod at any time of the year you just have to make sure you keep it wet and cooled down to have the best results. During the hot summer days, it is much harder to achieve wet and cool sod but it can still be done with due diligence.

When is the best time of the year to transplant?

The best time of the year for everything is in April. Some things can be transplanted at other times as well but you know you are safe when it’s done in April no matter what it is you are transplanting.

Do you sell gift certificates?

Yes, we do sell them. You can stop in and pick one up or call us by phone to pay for one with credit card and then we will mail or email the gift card to you or someone of your choosing.

I have a small yard, what kind of tree can I plant that won’t get to big? Small shrubs as well?

We offer many different types of ornamental trees and low grow shrubs. They have all been genetically modified to stay much smaller than your traditional trees and plants. Some of the varieties we carry are just naturally small growers as well. We also sell trees on a STD. This is a unique method of grafting and modifying. All the STD trees stay small as well and would be perfect for these scenarios. Feel free to stop on out to Wagner Nursery Inc. and check out our huge selection!

What is the difference between an annual and a perennial?

An annual is planted and only survives one year or season. When a perennial is planted, it grows and lives for many seasons and years. It comes back spring after spring adding a lot more value than an annual would.