Monthly Gardening Advice

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• December

December

• HO HO HO: Most garden activities center around the holidays. It is time to select a Christmas tree and decorate the house.


• CHRISTMAS TREES: When selecting a tree, make sure that it is fresh. Cup your hand at the base of a branch and run it down the length of the branch. If the needles have a healthy green color, are soft and hold fast, the tree is fresh.


• MAKE A FRESH CUT: Make a fresh cut on the bottom of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. If you have to cut off any branches, use them to decorate and provide a refreshing evergreen fragrance around the house.


• TREE STANDS: Christmas tree stands should be large enough to hold one gallon of water. Replenish the water as needed, never letting the water level drop below the bottom of the trunk.


• LIVING CHRISTMAS TREES: Selecting a tree that can be planted after the holidays is a sound environmental decision, but make sure that you give it a little TLC while it is in the house. Move the tree from the outdoors to a garage or protected porch for a day or two, then move it into the house. Leave the tree in its original container. For best results, use ice cubes to water the roots and keep the tree in a semi-dormant state. Do not leave the tree indoors for more than two weeks. Before planting the tree, reacclimate it to the outdoors by first putting it in a garage or on a protected porch for a few days.


• HOLIDAY PLANTS: Keep holiday plants such as poinsettias and Christmas cacti away from drafts and direct heat sources like heat vents or fire places. Keep the soil uniformly moist but not soggy.


• DECORATE WITH NATURE’S BOUNTY: To save time and money, use the plants in your yard to decorate your home. Boughs of hollies, magnolias, pines and boxwood are traditional holiday favorites. Nandinas also provide vivid holiday color.


• CAMELLIAS: Many camellia sasnquas bloom around the holiday season. A favorite is called ‘Yuletide’. It has bright red blooms with dark green leaves and yellow stamens…a real treat for the holidays.


• DISCARDING YOUR TREE: When the holidays are over, discard your Christmas tree responsibly. Take it to a collection site to be recycled into mulch or place it in a wooded area. Birds, small mammals and even deer often use the trees for shelter, bedding and protection.