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Thursday, December 5, 2013
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Living Christmas Trees
I thought today I would righteous choice. One day
revisit an old column on a friend challenged me with
living Christmas trees his perspective that growers
(the kind you plant after of cut Christmas trees were
the holidays), but was sur- just as much a part of the
horticulture industry as I (a
nursery manager) was. Cut
trees were well cared for,
lovingly sheared to perfect
their shape and contributed
to the global balance while
alive. The growers were
essentially farmers, harvest-
ing a portion of their stock
each year for market.
So I have purchased both
cut and live trees, but still
find myself looking at
live trees for the choice of
genus and species is usually
greater though not all are
adaptable to Oklahoma's
harsh summers.
By far the most common
potted evergreens available
in Oklahoma are junipers.
They are tough, adaptable
and big strides have been
made in breeding selections
that have more to offer than
the local, overpopulated
juniper known as Eastern
Red Cedar. I have never
however met a juniper that
wasn't prickly to the touch
and for me this is a deterrent
for planting one. Although
not the classic Christmas
tree with strong, horizon-
tal branches suitable for
ornaments, junipers can
be decorated with ribbons,
popcorn, garlands, etc.
A few pines are fre-
quently found in the potted
tree selections. Pines grow
fast but have a few more
diseases to watch out for
once planted in the yard.
Excellent drainage, wise
positioning of sprinklers
and proper fertilization will
help pine purchasers from
having buyer's remorse.
Also, be aware that most
pines (save Loblolly and
Swamp) prefer a slightly
cooler summer. I do think
it is relatively safe to plant
pines and pray we don't
have 115 ° summer.
Those wanting a live
tree have to reduce its time
indoors to a minimum.
Seven to ten days is pre-
ferred, not to exceed two
weeks. Of course as with
any tree or plant, position
it away from a heat vent or
sunny window for its indoor
stay. Indoors, live trees
lose moisture through their
needles quickly; excessive
water to the roots does little
to help. Lightly misting the
tree is a better solution, but
one would need to forego
the lights and certain deco-
rations to mist.
Soon after the celebrat-
ing is finished, the live tree
needs to be reacclimated to
the outdoors. If the days
are a moderate 500-60 °
that is not a problem; if the
temperatures are freezing
or below, the tree should
adjust slowly. Consider
moving it into a garage or
unheated porch to help with
the transition.
Plant the tree shortly after
the New Year (assuming
the ground is not frozen)
and, be aware of what you
are planting. Potted trees
may be B&B with soil or
mulch spread over the top
of the ball. Often the soil
within the burlap ball is
heavy clay. If the burlap
is removed completely the
clay will fall free and pos-
sibly break the few roots
contained therein.
To plant these B&B, I like
to dig the hole wider but not
deeper than the bali's size.
Remove the root-ball from
the container and loosen
the burlap from around
the trunk of the tree. It
should unfold to a square.
Use the four comers to lift
and lower the root ball into
the hole. Cut away excess
burlap from the sides and
refill the hole with ½ plant-
ing mix or compost and ½
of the original soil. When
watering, remember B&B
trees will establish feeder
roots along the soil surface
the first year of growth;
deep roots regrow, but not
as quickly.
prised to find I had never
broached the subject in
thirteen years of garden
columns. I'll change that
today, for it is a subject
close to my heart.
In case you haven't fig-
ured out, I love trees. I love
selling them, pruning them,
removing weed trees, plant-
ing unique trees; evergreen
or deciduous I am hard
pressed to think of a tree I
consider worthless. Yes, I
do my share of tree clear-
ing but I try to balance it
by planting others. I love
the beauty of sawn lumber
but have been arrested
and fined for protesting
the logging of old growth
redwoods: I guess I'm as
contrary as vegetarians
wearing leather, and yes, I
ride both sides of the fence
when it comes to Christmas
trees.
I used to be a purist--only
living Christmas trees
would do; be they potted
or ball & burlap (B&B),
whether one foot tall or
eight, live was the only
Some companies grow
evergreen trees in root-
control bags. Be aware,
the open-topped, dense,
poly fabric is not biode-
gradable. Use a razor knife
to cut and remove the bag
completely before planting.
Do not break the roots up
further. Simply place the
tree into a hole slightly
larger than the ball, and
backfill maintaining the
same soil depth.
My love of trees is
trumped by my love of
cozy Christmas lights. One
year, deciding not to deco-
rate, my father purchased
me a 2' fiber-optic tree
with bendable branches. (I
think he got a 2 for 1 deal
from a mail order house.)
I scoffed in my heart, but
for more years than one
plugged that little tree
imposter in and enjoyed it
for the season. Whichever
tree you choose to express
your holiday joy this year,
please be safety minded
and, be blessed!
Proper care of your poinsettia will keep it colc,rt00al all winter
Fe'ffi;figs Signal the from the store. Keep your that, they start dropp]ng so that it runs out of the
holidays like the presence
of poinsettias. This exotic
import (from Mexico) is as
common to Christmas as
.... :' ' By Keith Reed
turkey is to Thanksgiving.
With proper care, your
poinsettia can not only
provide beautiful color
through the winter, it can
also make a statement in
your outdoor garden next
summer.
First of all, avoid expos-
ing the plant to cold tem-
peratures or drafts. This
includes bringing it home
plant away from excessive
cold or hot locations, such
as near appliances, fire-
places, ventilating ducts, or
near doors. If possible, the
plant should be kept at tem-
peratures between 68-70 ° F.
In other words, those plants
located just inside a breezy
door of a retail outlet might
not be your best choice to
begin with.
Poinsettias like bright
light and need at least six
hours of indirect light per
day. When they don't get
leaves, which makes them
unattractive and harder
to keep alive. If you find
your poinsettia beginning to
wilt (and you've ruled out
a water issue), take care not
to overreact to a low light
situation by overdoing it
and placing them in direct
sun. Compare thiS to our
winter skin being exposed
to a hot July sun; it's simply
to intense a change for the
plant to adapt to.
Proper moisture is the
third key to keeping your
poinsettia from premature
death. Your plant should
not be waterlogged or
allowed to completely dry
out. Poinsettias will wilt
and drop leaves at either
!i! 5 iiiiii::ii:iii i i ii:/i/il i :
extreme. The soil (techni-
cally incorrect as there is
zero "soil" in the container)
being used for containers
these days is extremely
lightweight and can dry
quickly so consistency is
an important component of
watering.
Water the plant when the
surface is dry to the touch.
Put enough water in the pot
bottom, but do not allow
the plant to sit in water for
longer than a few minutes.
We will follow up after
the first of the year with
some tips on successfully
transitioning your poinset-
tia to the outdoor garden
when spring arrives.
For more information of
this or any other horticul-
tural topic, you can contact
Keith Reed, the Horticul-
turist in the Payne County
Extension office. Keith
can be reached via email
at keith.reed@ okstate.edu,
phone at 405-747-8320,
or in person at the Payne
County Extension office,
located at 315 W. 6 th in
Stillwater.
Tips for keeping your pets safe this holia, y season
By Trisha Gedon
The ornaments are
coming out of storage.
Christmas carols are waft-
ing through the house. The
smell of the live Christmas
tree fills the air.
The holidays bring out
much anticipated excite-
ment for everyone in the
household. Unfortunately,
all of the merriment may
be a health risk for your
pets.
Dr. Elisabeth Giedt,
director of Continuing
Education, Extension and
Community Engagement
at the Center for Vet-
erinary Health Sciences at
Oklahoma State University,
said there are a number of
things pet owners need to
keep in mind in order to
help assure a safe holiday
for the furry members of
your family.
"It can be a lot of fun to get
ready for the holidays, but
all of the new things now
in your home can be of
great interest to your pets.
Ribbons, Christmas trees,
strings of lights, ornaments,
tinsel, candles and holidays
plants such as mistletoe and
poinsettias can pose a threat
to your animals," Giedt said.
"You can still put these
things out for the holidays,
simply use caution, just
as you would when baby
proofing a home."
For many families, the
Christmas tree is the cen-
terpiece of holiday drcor.
It is important to keep your
pet from chewing on a live
or artificial tree because the
needles are sharp and can
cause irritation in the pet's
mouth. The needles also
can disrupt the digestive
system.
It is not just the needles
that can cause problems.
The water in the tree stand
can contain toxic chemicals
such as fertilizers, insecti-
cides and flame-retardants
that were used on the tree
prior to harvest. Use a tree
skirt to help keep your pets
away from the tree stand.
The bright lights and
shiny ornaments also can
be hazardous to your pet's
health. Inquisitive pets can
pull the light strings off the
tree and become entangled
in the wires. Another hazard
is a pet that chews on the
wires. This can result is
problems ranging from
burned mouths to death by
electrocution.
"If your furry friend won't
leave your tree alone, con-
sider using some sort of pet
barricade or gate to block
access," she said. "You
may even consider putting
the tree in a child's play-
pen. Something else you
can want to think about is
actually securing the tree to
the wall. If your pet would
happen to jump on the tree,
this would prevent it from
falling over."
While festive ribbons
and bows make beautiful
presents under the tree,
they definitely can pose a
problem for pets. Curious
pets may eat the package
decorations, which can
cause an intestinal obstruc-
tion that may require sur-
gery to remove.
Be sure to keep candles
and potpourri pots up high
and out of reach of pets.
It is not just holiday
decorations that can cause
health risks for pets during
the holidays. Many holiday
foods can be dangerous as
well.
"Chocolate, especially
dark or baking chocolate,
can be dangerous, or even
deadly, for your pets,"
Giedt said. "Chocolate
contains toxins that cause
issues ranging from mild
stomach upset to seizures
and death. Other foods
to avoid include grapes,
raisins and macadamia
nuts. In addition, rich fatty
foods can cause your pet
mild stomach irritation to
a severe condition known
as pancreatitis. This often
requires hospitalization
and can cause death."
For families who like
to include their pets in
gift giving, make sure the
gifts are appropriate for the
animal. Avoid toys with
squeakers or bells inside
because some pets will
tear the toy apart and could
easily ingest these tiny parts.
Again, this could cause an
intestinal obstruction.
"Our pets are such a big
part of our families and
it's understandable want-
ing to include them in all
aspects of your holiday
celebration," Giedt said.
"However, just as you take
precautions with small chil-
dren in potentially danger-
ous settings, it's imperative
you do the same for your
pets."
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