Feb 182013
 
FTR-causes-love
Fundraising that Rocks is simple.

Every time you shop at The Rock Pile, we’ll donate 5% of your purchase amount to your favorite organization*. And when I say “we donate”, I mean we don’t give them your money, we give them our money.

Why?

We love our customers and our community. We also want to support the causes that our customers love.

How does it work?

Organizations sign up with us, then they tell their supporters, “Hey, when you shop at The Rock Pile, they give us money!” Then, the supporters (you) shop at The Rock Pile and say, “I’d like to support [fill in your organization's name]” and that’s about it! (There’s a little more to the process, but it’s handled by the handy-dandy computer and that part is a little boring.)

Our current partner organizations include:

 

Alzheimer’s Association, Cleveland Chapter

Avon Choir Boosters

Avon Garden Club

Avon Lake After Prom

Avon Lake Band

Avon Lake City Schools Foundation

Avon Lake Drama Boosters

Avon Lake Kiwanis Club

Avon Lake Lacrosse Club

Avon Lake Presbyterian Church

Avon Lake Soccer Organization

Avon Lake United Church of Christ

Avon Little League

Avon-on-the-Lake Garden Club

Avon Montessori

Avon PTA

Avon Senior Center

Barons ’02 Youth Hockey Team

Bay Village Relay for Life

Bay United Methodist Church

Bay Village Garden Club

Bay Village PTA Council

Bethesda on the Bay

Big Brothers and Big Sisters

Blessing House

BNI Northcoast

Boy Scouts – Troop 153 (North Ridgeville)

Camp Imagine

Cathedral of Life

Christ Lutheran Church

Church on the Rise

Community Foundation of Lorain County

CRS Avon / Avon Lake Community Resource Services

Craig Collins Charity

Cornerstone Among Women

Elyria City Health District

Endowment Fund of the Educational Service Center of Lorain County

FAITH House

Faith Lutheran Preschool

Family Promise of Lorain County

First Baptist of Sheffield Lake

Friendship Animal Protective League

Friends of Murray Ridge

Fusion Competitive Twirling

Garden Club of North Ridgeville

Genesis House

Girls with Sole

Habitat for Humanity

Holy Spirit Catholic Church

Holy Trinity School

Home Front Moms Chapter of Blue Star Mothers

HUGS Foundation

Jeremy Cares

Journey of Hope

Lake Erie Nature and Science Center

Lake Ridge Academy

Lake Shore United Methodist Church

Lakewood – Rocky River Rotary

Lorain County Metroparks

Lorain Palace Civic Center

Love-A-Stray

Lutheran High West

Menlo Park Academy

Mighty Goliath Productions

The Nord Center

North Olmsted Schools

North Ridgeville Band

North Ridgeville Amature Soccer League

North Ridgeville Office for Older Adults

Our Savior Rocky River Lutheran Church

Park Place Learning Center

Prayers From Maria

Redwood PTA

Rockport Early Childhood Center

Ruffing Montessori

Smiles for Sophie Forever

SPCA Northeast Ohio Shelter

St. Christopher Church

St. Joseph Church (Avon Lake)

St. Raphael’s Parish

Team Lorain County

The Bridge Ave School

The Foundation of the Lorain Public Library System

The Gathering Place

TrueNorth Cultural Arts of French Creek

U11 Travel Baseball Bay Village

Westshore Montessori School

YoungLife Scotland

Nov 272012
 

We now have Lorain County Dog Licenses at The Rock Pile!

You have your choice between the regular license and a special license. The “Special” licenses are heart-shaped and a portion of their purchase price goes toward medical care of dogs at the pound.

Be sure to get yours before January 31st to avoid penalties!

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Prices:

Regular Licenses

$12.75 (dog owners age 65 & over)

$14.75 (dog owners age 64 & under)

Special Heart-Shaped Licenses*

$17.75 (dog owners age 65 & over)

$19.97 (dog owners age 64 & under)

*$5.00 goes to the dog pound for better medical care of dogs

Jun 132012
 

Grub Life Cycle

The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, is the most abundant and important landscape pest in Ohio. This pest was detected in New Jersey in 1916, having been introduced from Japan. It is common for this pest to be abundant in one part of a town and not others. The adult beetles eat the leaves and flowers of over 300 plants by eating the tissue between the veins, a type of feeding called skeletonizing. The larvae, called white grubs, feed on plant roots and organic matter in the soil, especially under turfgrass. This feeding may result in dead patches of turf that can be picked up like a loose carpet.

from Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

Grub Life Cycle (OSU Ext)

Note: The following is a condensed version of The OSU Extension Fact Sheet on Control of Japanese Beetles. I wanted to simply highlight the most important information and leave out the more detailed, scientific parts. For more information please click on the link above for the full article.

The arrival…

The adult beetles normally emerge during the last week of June through July. The first beetles out of the ground seek out suitable food plants and begin to feed. These early arrivals begin to release an aggregation pheromone (odor) that attracts additional adults.

Control Strategies

Adult Control

Option 1: Cultural Control – Hand Picking

Kill off the first adults to arrive (these are the scouts that attract additional pests). The adults are less active in the early morning or late evening. They can be destroyed by dropping into a container of soapy water.

Option 2: Cultural Control – Plant Non Attractive Plants

Plant things they don’t like. The adults do not like to feed on ageratum, arborvitae, ash, baby’s breath, garden balsam, begonia, bleeding heart, boxwood, buttercups, caladium, carnations, Chinese lantern plant, cockscomb, columbine, coralbells, coralberry, coreopsis, cornflower, daisies, dogwood (flowering), dusty-miller, euonymus, false cypresses, firs, forget-me-not, forsythia, foxglove, hemlock, hollies, hydrangeas, junipers, kale (ornamental), lilacs, lilies, magnolias, maple (red or silver only), mulberry, nasturtium, oaks (red and white only), pines, poppies, snapdragon, snowberry, speedwell, sweet pea, sweet-William, tuliptree, violets and pansy, or yews (taxus).

Option 3: Cultural Control – Trapping (not recommended)

Several traps using a floral lure and sex attractant are available. These traps are not recommended for general use unless special conditions can be met. The traps have been demonstrated to be effective in reducing damage and populations only when landscapes are isolated from other Japanese beetle breeding areas or when mass trapping (everyone in the neighborhood) is used. In most urban areas, traps tend to attract more beetles into the area than would normally be present. In this situation, adult feeding and resultant grub populations are not reduced.

Option 4: Chemical Control – Insecticide Spraying

The adults can be controlled by spraying susceptible plants with insecticides. There are several over-the-counter pesticides available at The Rock Pile. Applications of imidacloprid (Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Concentrate) generally need to be made 20 days before anticipated Japanese beetle adult activity. During the heavy adult activity periods, sprays may be needed every 5 to 10 days.

Grub Control

Option 1: Biological Control – Bacterial Milky Disease (milky spore)

The bacterial milky diseases, Bacillus popilliae Dutky, has been quite effective at controlling the grubs in certain areas of the eastern United States. The spore count must build up for 2 to 3 years to be very effective and during this time you should not use an insecticide against the grubs that are needed to complete the bacterium cycle. In Ohio and Kentucky, test trials have not produced satisfactory results. Additional experiments are needed to determine the lack of efficacy of milky disease in these soils.

Option 2: Biological Control – Entomopathogenic Nematodes

Insect parasitic nematodes have recently become commercially available. Products that contain strains of Steinernema carpocapsae (Biosafe, Biovector, Exhibit, Scanmask) have been marginally effective against white grubs in turf. Preparations containing Heterorhabditis spp. seem to be more effective. Apply the nematodes when the white grubs are small. Irrigate before and after applying the nematodes.

Option 3: Chemical Controls – Insecticides

The grubs are best controlled when they are small and actively feeding near the soil surface, usually late July to mid-August. However, with the development of new grub control chemistry (e.g., imidacloprid [Merit] and halofenozide [MACH2]), applications in June and July have sufficient residual activity to kill the new grub populations as they come to the soil surface in late July through August. Control of grubs in late-fall or early-spring is difficult, at best, because the grubs are large and may not be feeding. Only trichlorfon (Dylox) and carbaryl (Sevin) formulations are available for such rescue treatments. The key to good control is to make an even application and water thoroughly.

 

Jun 072012
 

MilorganiteThis time of year brings about an almost universal source of extreme stress to those living in the suburbs of northeast Ohio: Deer. (OK, deep breath everyone!)

Due to declining habitat area for these suburban deer, they have been forced to change and adapt in ways that most likely not pleasing to them and definitely not pleasing to homeowners. Plants, shrubs and trees that deer used to turn up their noses at have now become their Spam® (they may not like it, but it’s the only thing left in the cupboard so they’re going to eat it).

There are several Deer Repellents on the market that are effective in deterring deer and we’ll be highlighting a few of them here over the next few days. To start out, let’s look at Milorganite.

Milorganite is one of the world’s largest recycling efforts and while it is marketed as a fertilizer it is an excellent Deer Repellent. It will not say so on the bag, though because it is not registered as a “pesticide.”

To use: broadcast at 5 pounds per 100 square feet. Re-apply every two weeks or as needed. It can also be put in sachets and hung from landscape plants.

“I have used this product for years and the results have been astounding,” says Jamie Haas, Manager of The Rock Pile. “Before using Milorganite, my hostas, Asiatic lilies, coneflower, delphinium, roses and day lilies were all at the deer’s mercy.”

Milorganite

What is Milorganite?

Milorganite fertilizer is one of the oldest branded fertilizers on the market today.  It is derived from heat-dried microbes that have digested the organic material in wastewater.  Milorganite is manufactured by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.  The District captures wastewater from the metropolitan Milwaukee area, including local industries such as MillersCoors.  This water is then treated with microbes to digest nutrients that are found in it.  Cleaned water is then returned to Lake Michigan.  The resulting microbes are then dried, becoming Milorganite fertilizers.  The Milorganite program is one of the world’s largest recycling efforts.

How Do We Make It?

Wastewater enters the Jones Island water reclamation facility, where all solid materials such as sand, boards, shop rags, etc. are removed.  Microbes are added to the leftover water during the activation process, which serves the same purpose as adding yeast to bread.  Oxygen is pumped in to create an ideal environment and the microbes digest the nutrients in the water.

When all the nutrients have been consumed, the microbes die.  Agents are then added to begin clumping the microbes together.  This process of settling and coagulating takes place in quiet sedimentation tanks.

After settling, the clumped microbes are removed and sent to the Dewatering and Drying building where moisture is removed using belt presses.  This produces a semi-solid form similar to wet cardboard that is subsequently dried in twelve rotary driers at temperatures ranging from 900⁰ – 1200⁰F.  Any surviving pathogens are killed from the extreme hot temperatures.

The product is sampled thoroughly in our testing process, including over 20 tests per day, which guarantees Milorganite complies with standards for protecting human health and the environment.  It is then ready to be packaged for homeowners, landscapers and golf course superintendents throughout North America.
~ from Milorganite.com

How to Use Milorganite

To use: broadcast at 5 pounds per 100 square feet. Re-apply every two weeks or as needed. It can also be put in sachets and hung from landscape plants.

May 312012
 

House Wren

A plain brown bird with an effervescent voice, the House Wren is a common backyard bird over nearly the entire Western Hemisphere.  Listen for its rush-and-jumble song in summer and you’ll find this species zipping through shrubs and low tree branches, snatching at insects.  The House Wren has one of the largest ranges of any songbird in the New World. It breeds from Canada through the West Indies and Central America, southward to the southernmost point of South America. Easily attracted to nest boxes.  In spring, the male chooses several prospective nesting cavities and places a few small twigs in each.  Female inspects each, chooses one, and finishes the nest building.  House wrens tend to brood 2-3 times a year!

A prolific songster, it will sing from dawn to dusk.  Both males and females sing. Males often sing 9-11 times per minute during breeding season. Songs are a long, jumbled bubbling introduced by abrupt churrs and scolds and made up of 12-16 recognizable syllables. Females sing mainly in answer to their mates shortly after pairing up; their songs can include high-pitched squeals unlike any sounds males make.  Listen to these unique songs in the morning and see if you can spot these singers in your yard!

Click below to hear the House Wren.

 

Mar 172012
 

Congratulations to Kristin Sparks of Avon! She will get to choose from 13 different types of mulch. She can get it delivered or pick it up, it is up to her! Stop in and see our wonderful selection today!

Stop into The Rock Pile and enter our drawing for FREE MULCH! The winner of the drawing will receive $150 off their mulch order. That’s like getting 5 cubic yards of Double Shred FREE! Use your winnings on any type of mulch you like. You can pick it up yourself or get it delivered. Either way, take $150 off your order! It’s that easy.

The winner will be drawn on April 15th, so hurry in and enter today!

Jun 232011
 

Love-A-Stray Dogs Need Your Help!

When it rains it pours and Love-A-Stray is raining dogs.

Join us at The Rock Pile on Saturday, June 25 from 1-3pm for our Adoption Event.

Refreshments!

Love-A-Stray has exhausted their available foster home network and has to rely on sponsors to help us during this emergency situation. We need your help! It is very difficult for us to turn away a dog in need due to “No Vacancy”. If you are willing to foster a dog until it finds a forever home, please email Love-A-Stray at lasvolunteer [at] yahoo [dot] com“>lasvolunteer [at] yahoo [dot] com. If you cannot foster, please consider sponsoring a dog waiting for a home. Your donation will go directly to the care of one of our dogs in need. Every dog that comes into their system gets completely vetted and receives quality dog food, supplies and training before it is adopted out to a loving, forever home. We currently have 29 dogs and 4 puppies in our system and that is a LOT for a small rescue group to handle. Join The Rock Pile and help support Love-A-Stray!

Mar 302011
 

Stop by for a Seminar Saturday, April 2nd at 10am!

 

By Bernie Car

Have you ever had a “sick tree” and the advice you got was “Let’s fertilize it and see what happens”? Or, your trees and shrubs had various insect or disease problems, and the advice was to “spray the bugs”. On the surface, these seem like reasonable, common sense approaches. But they are the horticultural equivalent of “Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.” Simply put, this approach is about treating the symptoms without addressing the underlying problem. It’s like turning up the radio to drown out the loud clunking sound coming from underneath your hood!

At Organic Air Tree and Shrub Care, we get to the root of the problem. Literally. This is because most problems visible above ground, whether dying branches or attacks from pests, are the result of a root-related disorder. Once that disorder is addressed, the tree can begin its path to recovery.

Root disorders generally fall into two categories: stem-girdling roots, and general root dieback due to lack of available oxygen in the soil.

A stem-girdling root is like a noose that eventually “chokes” and kills a tree. It most often forms when there is excessive soil or mulch piled against the trunk above the root flare. The flare is that outwardly curved region at the base, that many of us used to accentuate in our childhood tree drawings. Now, most newly planted trees go straight down like telephone poles, and the flare is buried. This is bad.

In other words, most new landscape plantings start out with trees and shrubs that are planted too deeply, and eventually lead to plants dying prematurely. Furthermore, once the tree is placed in the planting hole, the original soil from the hole is commonly piled back on top of the ball against the trunk, and then mulch is added. The end result is a root flare that can be four to twelve inches below the soil line. These trees become “time bombs” waiting to die, and the property owner eventually has to bear the expense of planting a new tree.

With regard to root-available oxygen, this is the single most-limiting factor in root development. Roots won’t grow where oxygen is lacking. Soil compaction after construction, naturally heavy clay soils, and deep planting, all affect root-available soil oxygen. As roots die, the plant becomes stressed because the supply of water and nutrients to the canopy is reduced. Much like a malnourished or stressed-out person, a malnourished or stressed-out plant falls prey to attacking organisms (insects and/or fungus).

Organic Air can repair soil oxygen issues and stem-girdling roots with a specialized tool called a Supersonic Air Knife. By using compressed air, soil can be taken away from the base of the trunk so we can surgically remove any malformed roots. Air is then injected deeply into the ground, typically 18 to 24 inches down, to expand pore spaces in the soil (think of a new sponge expanding when put in water). It truly is like a breath of fresh air to a struggling root system.

Aerating is not only good for roots, but it increases the activity of beneficial soil organisms, which also require oxygen. Earthworms and good bacteria and fungi help release vital minerals, such as calcium, iron, and manganese that plants need for proper function. When organic fertilizers are used in conjunction with well-oxygenated soils, the microbe populations explode, bringing even more nutrients to plants. This is different from conventional fertilizers, which focus on nitrogen as the primary nutrient. Most people know that fertilizers can “burn” plant roots if too much is applied. Products such as urea, which is a common source of nitrogen in synthetic fertilizers, can cause dehydration in the soil. That dehydration may also interfere with populations of soil organisms, ultimately having a negative effect on nutrient availability to plants. As microbes fade away due to the continuous use of synthetic fertilizers, there becomes a greater reliance on chemicals to keep plants healthy. Going organic can help break that cycle.

In the end, the secret to healthy plants lies in healthy roots and soil. Organic Air’s combination of Air Knife services and Organic Tree and Shrub Care are unique in the Lorain County and Western Cuyahoga County region. Watch a video of the Air Knife at our web site, www.organicairtsc.com, or call us at 419-668-3457 for a free consultation.

Below is a listing of specifications used by many Northern Ohio municipalities for all new city tree plantings. It is provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry. Note emphasis of removing burlap, twine, and wire basket.
Planting Balled and Burlapped Trees:

1. If not readily apparent, locate root flare by removing twine, burlap, and excess soil.
2. Dig tree hole at least two times wider than the tree ball, with sides sloped to an unexcavated or firm base. Dig hole to a depth so the located root flare, at the first order lateral root, will be at finished grade.
3. Lifting only from the bottom of the root ball, position tree on firm pad so that it is straight and top of root flare is level with the surrounding soil.
4. Remove all twine from the root ball. If present, remove and discard at least the top one half of the wire basket. Burlap shall be removed from the top to a point halfway down the root ball and discarded.
5. With clean, sharp pruning tools, prune off any secondary/adventitious, girdling, and potential girdling roots.
6. Backfill planting hole with existing unamended soil, and thoroughly water.
7. Mulch the entire planting surface with composted bark applied no less than two inches (2″) deep and no more than three inches (3″) deep, leaving three inches (3”) adjacent to the tree trunk free of mulch.

Bernie Car is an ISA Certified Arborist and the owner of Organic Air Tree and Shrub Care. He also serves as a member of the Norwalk Tree Board.

Jan 012011
 

Right now you can save on our Suet Special! Choose between three great flavors (Berry Treat, Nutty Treat & Seed Treat) and when you buy one suet cake at regular price, you get one FREE! That’s right! Buy One, Get One FREE! Mix and match flavors and save on your bird’s favorite treat! Limit 6 free suet cakes per visit.

Buy One, Get One Free!*

*on selected varieties

Dec 152010
 

Fundraising that Rocks Participant? Click here for downloadable artwork!

Fundraising that Rocks is a wonderfully simple year-round program that donates back to the local organizations that our customers care about. Whenever a customer shops at The Rock Pile, they can have us donate to their organization simply by telling us where they’d like that donation to go. A total of 5% of every retail priced purchase (pre-tax) (includes sales prices) will be donated to the cause or organization of our customer’s choosing. There are no additional costs to the customer!
* See store for complete details.

Call us for more information 800.448.3478

or

Fill out the form below to have someone from The Rock Pile contact your organization.

Who’s raising money with Fundraising that Rocks?

 

Fundraising that Rocks Participant? Click here for downloadable artwork!

Fill out this form to sign up or get more information on Fundraising that Rocks:

Your Name (required)

Your Organization (required)

Contact Name (required)

Contact Phone

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Your Email (required)

Mailing Address for Organization

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Oct 272010
 

We’ve been a bit busy around here… we’re always looking for great new stuff that we think you’ll love!

Check out some of the new things we’ve added to our Wild Republic line (they’re the folks who make the Audubon birds that our customers love so much.

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  • Clasp Purses
  • Owls
  • Owls with glow-in-the-dark eyes
  • Frogs

Great Stocking Stuffers!!!

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