News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Hydrangeas line the shelves of the Netta’s Nursery greenhouse in Posen on Tuesday.

POSEN — Netta’s Nursery, a local nursery for plants, flowers, and trees, shared information for home gardeners to prepare greenery for the fall season.

Stacey Malocha, daughter of Netta and Dennis Taratuta and a worker at the nursery, said the information may not be everyone’s preference in preparation of colder weather, but the tips she gives are some of the nursery’s ways to adjust between seasons.

One of the first things Malocha recommended for home gardeners is to cover the roots of plants with mulch. For smaller evergreens in high-wind locations, she recommended people use burlap fabric to cover the base of the tree.

The other major first step to winterizing your garden is to cover plants with guards, sprays, and more to prevent insects and other wildlife from harming or eating them.

“Earwigs, worms, they can all lay down eggs in preparation for the spring season and spread disease to your plants,” Malocha said. “Using a dormant oil spray will get the insects right when the season changes. Gives you a chance to make sure none of that makes it to your plants next year.”

Plastic guards are best on fruit trees when the rabbits try to eat around the base, according to Malocha. In the fall season, wildlife will eat any flowers, greens, or plant life that will give them energy for the winter. Malocha said sprays can help prevent those creatures from eating them.

One of the final tidbits Malocha shared is to sanitize garden supplies.

“A lot of people don’t do that, but any alcohol-based products will work,” Malocha said. “Get your hoses, shovels, and trowels, because they might have diseases on them that you don’t want to spread to other plants.”

Dennis Taratuta, co-owner of Netta’s Nursery, said the nursery stops fertilizing its plants after Sept. 1. He recommends no granular or liquid fertilizer, but said compost-based material is still good.

He also said that, if you plan to transplant a plant to a new pot or ground location, it is best to do so after the first frost or when all leaves have fallen.

Taratuta said that, when the COVID-19 pandemic happened at the beginning of 2020, he noticed a younger gardening population coming to the nursery.

“There was this influx in common gardening, and it was a lot of younger folk realizing how much fun they can have at home,” Taratuta said. “We still have a large retired population, but it’s nice to see more younger folk coming in.”

The Taratuta family has become familiar with helping gardeners through phone calls and emails that include photos. One of the latest ventures they’ve gone into is through Corey Taratuta, son of Dennis and Netta Taratuta, and his YouTube videos.

With 268 videos, the channel Netta’s Nursery and Northern Garden with Corey has about 7,500 subscribers and shares previews, vlogs, and guides with its audience.

Malocha said that, if there are any questions gardeners have about their plantlife, they can call the nursery at 989-766-2299 or email nettanursery@gmail.com.