Horticulture Hotline 11/12/18
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
Another year has almost gone by. What a year! Snow, dry when
grass was coming out of dormancy, wet, dry, army worms, sod webworms and large
patch / brown patch on our turf. Does anyone / everyone have moles? Mole
Crickets? Fire Ants?
This week I started seeing tents going up in parking lots
and people wearing Christmas Hats, so I figured it was time for the yearly
Christmas tree article. I saw a tree in the back of a pickup truck yesterday. I
was over at a friend’s house and his family already had their tree decorated,
so I guess he figured if you are going to pay for a tree, might as well enjoy
it for Thanksgiving too.
I’m looking forward to my trip through the Festival of
Lights at James Island County Park. I’m sure I will be treated to another
outstanding display of lights this year, plus the sand castle, train, walk
around displays, shops and all the “fair food!” If you’re a kid, does Christmas
still seems like it takes forever to get here? It sure comes up quick to
me!
I wanted to get this yearly Christmas Tree article out
early, so you could make plans to go to a local Christmas Tree Farm, find a
local source for a cut tree, or use a live tree that you could use in your
landscape after the holidays, if you were so inclined.
After Thanksgiving, many of you will be searching for a
Christmas tree. If you are going to buy
a cut tree, consider buying it from a local business that is here year-round
like an independently owned garden center.
If you buy it from a tent, or a temporary site, look for one that is run
by the Exchange Club, Optimist Club, Rotary Club, a local church, a local
school club, a local landscaper or another local organization. Many local organizations that sell trees give
a portion of the profits to local charities such as Camp Happy Days.
There are some people from out of state that set up tents in
grocery store parking lots. They take their profits out of state when they
leave. If you support our local businesses, then you keep our money in our
local economy and maybe save a local job. Very important to always keep profits
local, especially these days.
Many of the local garden centers offer great Christmas gifts
along with trees this time of year. They
have purchased many seasonal items that would be a great present for anyone.
Gift certificates are usually available for the hard to shop for gardener. I
know I felt like a professional athlete, signing Possum gift certificates last
week. Shopping at a garden center is a great way to avoid long lines. The parking is free and plentiful this time
of year.
Have you ever considered a live tree? Different Hollies
(right now you can tell the females with beautiful berries), Eastern Red Cedar,
Little Gem Magnolias, Osmanthus, Deodara Cedar and many more make great trees
and after the holidays you can plant them in your yard instead of throwing them
to the curb. Leyland Cypress have been removed from this list.
Local tree farms are also an option. A ride in the country
is always a good family event (young children, “how much longer will it take to
get there?”). Lebanon Christmas Tree
Farm in Ridgeville and Toogoodoo Tree Farm on the way to Edisto are some local
tree farms. Picking out your own tree is
fun for the whole family and usually involves hot chocolate and hay rides. You
know you are getting a fresh tree when you cut it yourself.
If you go with a traditional cut tree, make sure it is in
water at the place you buy it (unless it is coming fresh off of the truck), and
make sure it stays in water until you take it to the curb after the holidays. Once you bring the tree home, cut an inch off
of the bottom of the tree, and place the tree in a five-gallon bucket of
water. While the tree is still outside,
consider spraying the tree with Transfilm, Cloud Cover or Wilt Proof to keep
the water loss through the leaves at a minimum. If you notice any insects on
the tree, blast it with a strong stream of water or consider an insecticidal
soap. Let the tree dry before bringing it into the house.
Locate your tree within your house away from heating ducts
and the fireplace. A stand that can hold
a lot of water is a big plus because a fresh cut Christmas tree can drink 1-2
gallons of water per day. Have one
responsible adult in charge of watering the Christmas tree daily to avoid
ruining the carpet or floors. If you
can, fill (2) one-gallon milk jugs each day and let them sit for 24 hours, this
will allow the chlorine to evaporate out of the water. Letting the chlorine evaporate from the water
you water your plants is a practice you should use when watering all house
plants.
There are many secrets to keeping a tree fresh. Having a fresh cut and keeping water above
this cut at all times is the most important thing you can do for the tree. The water conducting vessels quickly close up
if the tree does not have constant water.
Using a drop of Super Thrive in each gallon of water will help the tree
stay fresh. Many people use 7-up and an aspirin in the water. You might want to
save the aspirin if you drink Uncle Joe’s egg nog.
Thank you for shopping at Possum’s Landscape and Pest
Control Supply and for all of your letters, questions and for reading The
Horticulture Hotline!
Always read, understand and follow product label. The
product label is a Federal Law.
