“The weather outside is delightful … but the ticks are oh so frightful …”
The wonderfully warm weather this weekend is going to make it easy to be outside — getting the Christmas tree, decorating the house (without gloves!), or just plain walking through those wonderful carpets of colorful leaves out in the woods.
Just be aware that certain small dangers can make our lives miserable. Many of them follow the weather, just like us — especially ticks. Ticks are somewhat active all winter long, but they are especially active during the kind of warm spells we’re enjoying right now. They can be more aggressive at these times than in the summer.
Please don’t let this keep you out of the woods and local parks on this and other warm weekends. Remember to do a thorough “tick check” when you get home, and maybe run your clothes through the dryer if you were in a lot of weedy, brushy areas.
What are your plants thinking?
Bob in Fairfax sent this telegram of a message on Tuesday: “December 8th. Temps in the 50s. Expected to rise this weekend. What Can the trees & shrubs be thinking?”
Well, they’re probably ‘thinking’ the same thing we are, Bob — that they’re living through the warmest fall in recorded history!
This kind of weather can be tough on some spring bulbs, which might begin to emerge prematurely; On spring blooming shrubs, my forsythia has some “2016” flowers open right now. But there’s really nothing we can do for those kinds of plants other than sit tight. We can protect our other plants by not pruning them during warm stretches; it’s a really bad time of year to stimulate new growth.
Lavender Christmas tree care
Emma down in Stafford writes: “I just bought a little Christmas tree that’s similar to the rosemary ‘trees’ you always speak about, but mine is a lavender tree! How should I care for it? Indoors or out? If I keep it indoors, will it survive planting outdoors after the season?”
Well, first I suggest you quickly move it into a larger pot, as it is probably just as root-bound as those little rosemary trees. (See this previous set of plots for all the details.)
What kind of lavender is it? Is there a plant tag or something with a common or scientific name on it? (If not, see whether you can get the information where you purchased it.)
“English” or “common” lavender is frost-hardy in the ground year round in our region. The most frequently used Latin names for this type are Lavandula angustifolia and L. officinalis, but I’ve also seen it listed as L. spica and L. vera.
“French” and “Spanish” lavender are not reliably cold-hardy in most of our region and, like rosemary, should spend the worst of winter indoors. The Latin names for these types would be Lavandula dentate (the least frost-hardy of this sub-family) or L. stoechas (which is a little hardier, and would likely survive planted in the ground in a protected area, especially in the heat sink of a city). There’s also a hybrid from Australia that goes by the name Lavandula Sidonie. It is not the least bit frost-hardy and would have to be a house plant all winter long.
Lavenders may also be identified by a variety name, such as “Munstead,” “Jean Davis,” “Merle” (presumably the country-western lavender of choice) or “Marshwood.” Searching those names should lead you to which type they are.
No matter what, all lavenders require superb drainage. Heavy clay soil or overwatering will kill the plants dead.
Gift idea: Free tickets to the Philly Flower Show! (Kind of)
Although the world’s largest indoor flower show is held in Philadelphia every March, it’s truly an international event, with visitors from all over the nation and the globe (including a very large contingent from our region, making tickets to the Philadelphia Flower Show an excellent holiday gift).
Here’s an insider tip that makes it a much better gift for little to no extra money. Members of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society get free tickets to the show, plus discounts in the show’s extensive Marketplace area, use of the exclusive Member’s Lounge (where you can take a break and recharge with complimentary coffee and tea) and a subscription to the Society’s award-winning GROW magazine, all for about the same price as the tickets alone. (Example: A $105 “household plus” membership includes four tickets, whose retail price is $27 each.)
Oh, and the 2016 edition of the show even has a kind-of D.C. theme: It’s a salute to our National Parks.
Your WTOP Holiday plant protection tips
- Keep poinsettia, Norfolk pine, amaryllis and Christmas cactus indoors.
- Re-pot rosemary Christmas trees into bigger containers as soon as you get them home.
- Bend the branches and needles of cut Christmas trees, and reject any trees whose extremities are brittle. You want flexible and supple.
- Don’t worry about any dead needles that fall off when you shake the tree; they do not signify freshness or lack thereof.
- Always cut another inch or two off the bottom of cut Christmas trees and sit them in a big container of water for 24 hours before you set them up.
- Then, keep them well-watered and away from radiators and other heaters.
- Getting a truly live tree that you intend to plant outdoors after the holidays? Dig the hole during this wonderful warm spell, and don’t keep the tree indoors for more than a few days.
- Don’t trim hollies and evergreens during this warm spell; wait until the next freeze.
