DECEMBER
An early freeze in October and then snow in many parts of the state already in November? Does this mean winter arrived early and will leave early, or does it mean we have more to come? Who knows?!
As gardeners we need to pay attention to the weather and be prepared for whatever comes our way.
In spite of the early cold, many of the deciduous trees put on a delayed fall display, and many still have color. My oaks are almost bare, but the red and Japanese maple leaves are persisting and showing off with better fall color in late November than earlier.
◼️ Frequent rain means a lot of wet leaves to rake. The moisture is good for our plants, helping them be fully hydrated as they head into dormancy.
◼️ If you have large shrubs or small trees that you need to transplant, now is a great time to do so.
◼️ Cleanup continues in the garden with many spent perennials, summer annuals and summer vegetables that need to be cleaned out. There is still time to plant winter annuals and spring-flowering bulbs. If you already planted your winter annuals, don't forget to fertilize periodically to keep them blooming their best.
◼️ If you purchase or receive a poinsettia, remember to keep it evenly moist — not wet — and give it bright sunlight during the day. The colorful part is actually a modified leaf and will hold its color for months with proper care. Poinsettias come in a wide range of colors from the traditional red to shades of pink, purple, white, speckled and even some orange varieties. Each year we seem to find new color choices.
◼️ Holiday plants are everywhere. In addition to poinsettias, holiday cactus plants are also available and can rebloom annually with minimal care. Other plants that can add easy color include amaryllis bulbs, paperwhite narcissus, bromeliads and cyclamen. Norfolk Island pines are often used as miniature Christmas trees.
◼️ A flowering plant can be the gift that keeps on giving.
CHRISTMAS TREES
Christmas trees are going up in houses all across town. The season seems to begin earlier and earlier.
If you are using a real tree, choose the freshest tree you can find and give it plenty of water.
Always make a new cut at the bottom before you move it indoors into fresh water. This will open up the vascular system and allow for good water movement up the tree. You will always find that during the first few days they take up a lot more water than after a week indoors. When you do add to the water reservoir, use warm or hot water to break up the gummy residue that is sealing the trunk end.
While there are many home remedies out there for tree preservation, fresh water seems to work just fine.
Regardless of how well you take care of the tree, consider it like a cut flower bouquet on a grander scale — it isn't going to stay fresh forever. Use common sense to keep it from being a real fire hazard.
Read Janet Carson's blog at arkansasonline.com/planitjanet.