The Holidays are very nearly upon us and this seems like the perfect time to round up some last-minute seasonal suggestions, tips and ideas for garden gurus and landscape lovers, including a create-it-yourself wreath. Plus – once again – I will bust a Christmas plant myth that seems to surface every year. Read on!
TLC for your Christmas tree
If you have yet to buy your Christmas tree, don’t feel bad: you might have done yourself a favor. Why? The shorter amount of time that a tree spends inside your warm, dry house, the fresher it will stay and the fewer needles you will have to sweep up.
Naturally, you need to make sure you’re buying a fresh tree in the first place. There a few quick ways to tell if you’re buying a fresh tree.
Firstly, and most obviously, look for a tree that still looks fresh and green. Run your hands over the branches to see if the needles are still flexible. Now lift the tree up by its trunk and tap it against the ground. Some older, brown needles from close to the trunk might fall off and that’s not a problem. But if you see more than a few green needles falling away, the tree is already drying out and will not be the one you want.
While you’re at it, look down at the base of the trunk. Picking a tree with a fairly straight, non-crooked, trunk will make for a much easier job when you start the job of putting it in its stand.
By now, you will probably be putting up the tree as soon as you get home. If for any reason you need to wait for a day or so, store the tree in a cool, sheltered place such as a garage.
Remember to saw off a few inches at the base of the tree. Since the tree was harvested, it will have formed a gummy resin across the original cut which will inhibit the tree’s ability to absorb the water it needs to stay fresh. Be sure that water remains in the stand while the tree is indoors or the resin will re-form and the tree will dry out. Top up the water level as necessary.
For a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about selecting and caring for Christmas trees, go to http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/trees/treecare.html and you can click on a direct link to that and other resources when you find this column at my Web site, www.landsteward.org
Yuletide trivia
Amaze your friends and family with some of these little-known Christmas tree facts:
An acre of Christmas trees produces enough daily oxygen for 18 people.
There are 30 to 35 million “real” Christmas trees sold in the United States every year.
The average growing time of a tree for “retail height” (6 to 7 feet) is about seven years.
Need more? Go to http://www.christmastree.org/facts.cfm and again there’s a direct link from my Web site.
Poinsettia poison? The truth!
Are poinsettias poisonous for pets and children? NO! This is a myth that surfaces every year and it just isn’t true. The myth has a fascinating origin and has become an urban legend. For the full story go to http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/p/poinsettias.htm
The ASPCA Animal Poison Center in Urbana, Illinois says it regards poinsettias as having such low toxicity risk that it doesn't even recommend decontaminating animals that may have ingested them.
Get creative
Why buy a Christmas wreath when you can create your own? You can buy a bare frame at a craft store and use greenery, berries and other bits and pieces from your own garden. If you’d like me to e-mail you some simple step-by-step instructions, simply send a message to steve@landsteward.org with “wreath” in the subject line.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org. For resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free weekly e-mailed newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org
