It’s OK to prune hollies and evergreens for cuttings
Yes, I’m always telling you not to prune anything in the fall — and I’m
always
right! But this is WINTER weather, and now that we’ve had a couple of hard
frosts, I can relax my rules for those of you who want to prune some of your
hollies and evergreens to make holiday decorations.
- The best time to do this work is in the middle of a cold spell.
- The worst time is in the middle of a warm-up, when you might stimulate
new growth. - So be patient and wait to perform this fun and festive activity until
it’s been cold for at least a day with a cold day predicted to follow. - Then do your pruning at the very end of the day.
- Try and remove branches that are too low, crossing each other or
otherwise in a place where you’d want to remove them anyway.
Do NOT spare that tree (the one the kids want)
Tired of dropped needles mulching the carpet under your cut Christmas tree?
Get thee to a Christmas tree farm and “cut your own.” (Don’t worry; most
places will cut it for you. Your big job is to get the family to agree on the
best tree — which, come to think of it, may be harder than being a
lumberjack.)
Anyway, it’s a great family outing; there’s almost always cookies and hot
chocolate for the kids (and maybe you, if you behave); you’re buying local
and helping preserve farmland — that’s more mitzvahs than I can count!
Just make sure that wherever the tree comes from, you continue to read until
you get to (and then follow!) my directions on preparing the tree for a
needle-free floor before you set it up.
Christmas tree farm lists for Maryland and Virginia
Note: We list two directories each for Maryland and Virginia. You should check
both of the lists for your area, as some farms only appear on one list. You’ll
also find other lists online — the ones we’re presenting here were chosen for
their information content and locational help. Some sites that we didn’t
choose only list farms alphabetically, which is not that helpful. If you find
a list you think is better than these, send it to MikeMcG@ptd.net.
Northern Virginia:
Here’s a
great
list from the ‘pick your own’ network, and here’s the
listing for the VA Christmas Growers Association.
Maryland:
Here’s the ‘pick
your own’ list for our portion of Maryland, and here’s one from the Maryland
Christmas Tree farm Network.
Here’s the real recipe for a guaranteed fire-proof tree
Whether you get your tree from a Christmas tree farm or some guy on a dimly
lit street corner, have a bow saw handy when you get it home. This is an
inexpensive and essential landscape tool. And, more importantly, one that
carries a risk of personal injury. In other words, you have to have one!
- Use your bow saw — carefully — to cut another few inches off the
bottom of the trunk when you get the tree home. - Then stand the freshly cut tree in a bucket or tub of water for 24
hours so it can fully hydrate. Be prepared for that sucker to soak up gallons
of water! - Then put your now-dropped-needle-proof tree in its stand and make sure
that stand never runs dry. And that’s it: A fresh cut and a fill-up before you
set up is the secret to cut-tree success.
Street corner tree? Feel it up first
The longest-lasting indoor Christmas trees are the ones cut fresh for you at a
local tree farm (while your children wail that you picked the wrong one).
If you instead choose to buy a tree off a street corner that Charlie Brown
might have turned down, feel it up carefully before purchase. Some pre-cut
trees were felled long ago in a land far away, so make sure the branches bend
easily and the needles feel supple.
If they have a tree shaker at the point of purchase, make sure they use it to
remove old needles and such. If you do the shaking, do it sideways. Do not
bang
the bottom of the stump on the ground.
Then recut that stump, hydrate the tree as per the instructions above and make
sure it stays well-watered. Most garden centers carry cool devices (such as
“Santa’s Magic Water Spout”) that allow you to water the tree from above —
unless you like crawling on the carpet.
‘Tis always the season for lawn-care questions
Allan in Silver Spring writes: “I’m trying to redo my lawn. I followed your
advice and planted fescue in August, and so far it’s doing great. But I still
have some dead spots and want to replant those areas come spring. Can you
suggest any varieties for spring planting that will hold up to D.C. summers?”
No, Allan. The soil is much too cold for germination at first, and then
summer
is much too hot for survival of a cool-season grass like fescue. That’s why we
always try and hammer home that mid-August through the end of September is the
only time you can sow cool-season grass seed in our region without trying to
roll a five. (See “rules of crap games.” And if five is your point, you should
no longer be allowed to touch the dice.)
Anyway, just be ready to cut what you have to three inches in height with a
sharp blade that returns the clippings to the lawn. Then next August, spread
topsoil or compost and sow matching seed in any bare spots that remain.
Warning: Make sure the new seed matches your existing grass or you’ll have a
patchwork quilt for a lawn.
So if you don’t know what kind of seed was used in August, find out now.
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