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Where to find blooms in Yolo County
Summer is right around the corner, and many of us are looking for ways to immerse ourselves in all its glory. For some, summer means sipping wine at a local [...]
Adopt an Elder
Listed under: Seniors
Whether cut or potted, these tips will help your evergreen stay fresh
Someone who shopped at The Plant Foundry snagged a tree named after Grogu, the "baby Yoda" from "The Mandalorian." Keeping it as green as its (shorter) namesake requires watering and proper placement. Kathy Morrison
How do you help your Christmas tree stay healthy, merry and green?
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the answer is water.
Make sure your real tree has its trunk in a sturdy stand that can hold plenty of clean water. Check the water every day and replenish as necessary so the tree is standing in at least 2 inches of water.
Firs and other popular Christmas trees need about 1 quart of water per inch of trunk diameter, says the association.
And keep the water clean; added preservatives and home remedies such as aspirin, bleach, corn syrup or sugar have little impact on extending the tree’s freshness.
Daily watering is important, say the experts. If the trunk dries out, resin forms that can block the uptake of more water – and the tree dries out much sooner.
Keeping the stand’s basin full should help the tree – which likely was harvested before Thanksgiving – hold its needles through Dec. 25. Holiday evergreens stay fresh looking and hold their needles about four to six weeks after harvest, says the association.
Position your real tree away from windows or heater vents; both light and heat prompt the tree to need more moisture. It will last longer in a cool corner.
What about potted living Christmas trees? They have to have a spot next to a sunny window and as much light as possible. Because these trees really don’t like being in your living room and want outside ASAP.
Give the tree as much light as possible, but keep it away from heat. It doesn’t want a spot next to the heater, either.
Although a potted tree is appealing (it’s reusable!), evergreens aren’t meant to grow indoors; there’s not enough light. Once your celebrating is done, get your tree or other potted evergreens outdoors as soon as possible to limit their stress. Otherwise, they’ll start dropping needles en masse – just like a cut tree without water.
While it’s indoors, make sure the living tree stays watered. Keep the soil moist, not soggy. Check the soil moisture daily and remember that 1 quart per inch of trunk diameter guideline.
When transferring outdoors, move the plant back into full sun gradually. Let it acclimate on a semi-shaded patio for a few days as the tree re-adjusts to outside temperatures and light. The shock of cold temperatures and full sun may be too much – and your living Christmas tree won’t be around for next year.
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Garden Checklist for week of May 19
Temperatures will be a bit higher than normal in the afternoons this week. Take care of chores early in the day – then enjoy the afternoon. It’s time to smell the roses.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. If you haven’t already, it’s time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters.
* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Don’t forget to water. Seedlings need moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants.
* Add mulch to the garden to help keep that precious water from evaporating. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.
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