© Kim Willis - no parts of this newsletter may be used without
permission.
Hi Gardeners
Winter is making itself known this week. We woke up to about 2 inches of snow Monday
morning although it melted by midday in the nice sun we had. After today however, we probably won’t get
above freezing here for at least a week as a cold front settles in. It’s time to hibernate.
Sunday Steve and I went out to the back of the pasture
and cut a scotch pine down. It’s the
first time we cut a tree off our own land.
We certainly have planted a lot of trees here over the years, including
the parents of these trees but this tree and its relatives along with some
white pines came up on their own. The
trees are various sizes and some are getting too crowded. I chose one between two other trees, got down
on my belly and used my pruning saw to cut it down.
I actually feel a little sad about cutting it. Reading about the way plants communicate
through their roots I imagined it calling help to the pines on either side of
it. But maybe they were happy to see him
go, since it gave them more space. Mr. Scotch
pine isn’t the prettiest tree; he’s very wide at the bottom and has a bare spot
where he was against another tree. But
Steve is all excited about having a real tree again, after using an artificial
one for years. We have so any coming up
in the old pasture that we may be able to cut them for Christmas trees for
several years.
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| Gizzy and Steve with the Christmas tree |
When we moved here some 22 years ago the west fence
line was clear except for a walnut tree at one end and a small oak at the
other. There was a bit of swampy woods
at the back of the property. There were
some mature walnuts and catalpa on the front property line, some cedars on the
west side of the house and a mature scotch pine, red pine and white pine in a triangle
in the back of the house. One young sugar maple stood in the center of the west
pasture. A huge bur oak stood by the
driveway. There were three mature Scotch pines in a circle in the center of the
east side of the property, as well as a slender young silver maple. A huge,
gorgeous blue spruce was at the east corner of the barn, a huge scotch pine on
the west. A tiny blue spruce stood on
the southeast property corner.
That seems like a lot of trees, but in actuality the
property wasn’t very tree covered. The
area around our pond was absolutely bare, grass barely grew there. Large expanses
of the property were mowed/grazed pasture.
An early aerial photo shows quite a difference in how the property
looked then and how it looks now on a satellite view. We planted a lot of trees, fruit trees, paw
paw, maples, chestnut, sycamore, redbud, various types of spruce, fir, cedar,
juniper and more pines. And other trees
sprung up on their own: willows, poplars, cottonwood, dogwood, birch, more
walnuts, and catalpas. The various pines seemed particularly prolific, sowing
seedlings near and far.
Trees have been cut down since then too. The beautiful blue spruce by the barn was cut
down 4 years ago after it succumbed to rhizosphaera. A couple of the pines died and were removed
also. We cut the silver maple down
because it was on top of the septic field, whoever planted it made a mistake
there. Landscapes rarely remain the same year after year. Time marches on and so does how we feel about
the landscape. I’ll try to stop thinking
about cutting a tree down for Christmas and begin planning what new species of
tree I should plant next spring to replace it.
Maybe sassafras.
Garden gifts for kids
One of the things we gardeners need to be doing is
instilling a love of gardening and nature in the next generation. Some kids seem to love gardening naturally; others
need to be tickled, tempted and cajoled into a love of growing things. Christmas is an excellent time to nurture
that gardening bud into bloom.
At one time in my life I was running afterschool
programs for troubled kids. I had a
group of grade school girls for whom I had acquired a community garden spot to
garden in over the summer. I bought
cheap hand trowels at the dollar store and we painted and decorated the handles
so each girl knew which was hers. Then
the next day we went to the garden to plant.
A couple of the girls had to be persuaded to actually use the tools in
the ground; they didn’t want to get them dirty!
At the end of each planting session they would carefully clean their
tools. These girls didn’t have much that
was their own and having something that seemed valuable and useful to them
meant a lot.
But giving kids garden tools that fit their hands and
that are appropriate for their size makes them want to use them in most cases. A gift of garden tools like hand trowels,
rakes and shovels can make them eager to get out in the garden and try
them. (Of course you may have to prevent
them from using them on their little brother while waiting for spring.) Add some paint, stencils or stickers and let
them have a winter project personalizing the tools. Giving them “ownership” of the tools makes
kids even more eager to use them.
For a slightly older child who already has an interest
in gardening you may want to give him or her tools like pruning shears or a
folding pruning saw, tools they associate with experienced gardeners and which
make them feel included in that group. (You
have to know your child for these gifts. If you have a suspicion they may saw
the legs off the coffee table better think twice.) Gardening gloves are a great
gift for kids of all ages.
A gift certificate to a garden catalog can give a child
hours of fun looking through the catalog and picking out seeds and plants they’d
like to grow. (This was a favored
activity of my afterschool groups. They were given a budget and told to agree
on and pick out things to buy within their budget. I used it to teach math,
planning and cooperating skills as well as inspiring an interest in gardening.) Make sure you have a catalog to present with
the gift certificate so they can get started quickly. Encourage them to read the catalog, not just
look at pictures, and explain to them about things like zone hardiness and
light requirements but let them order what they want. Sometimes experience is the best teacher.
How about giving your kid the gift of a living
plant? I have found even rambunctious
boys like plants such as Venus Fly Traps that require the feeding of dead
flies. When I wanted to get boys
interested in houseplants I gave them “spider” and “snake” plants, plants with
tough sounding names. Some kids are
fascinated with cacti. “Stone” plants,
resurrection plants, sensitive plants and air plants (Tillandsia) also fascinate
kids. Tillandsia can even be worn on a special hat. Girls may like frilly blooming African
Violets. Older kids may like the
challenge of a bonsai plant or an orchid.
Make sure to give the child a care sheet for the plant.
Kids like starting seeds but giving them seeds at
Christmas time does have challenges.
Seeds started inside too early may die before they can be planted outside.
Some kids can wait to plant seeds until closer to spring, others will lose
interest. Carefully chosen seeds
however, things that come up relatively quickly but that can grow well inside may
work. Bulbs like amaryllis or spring bulbs
that have been pre-chilled could be planted.
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| Get kids gardening early |
Many children who had no interest in plants will gain
one when they are allowed to put together a terrarium or themed dish garden,
like a fairy garden. Give them a nice
container for a terrarium or dish garden, some good potting mix and a selection
of small plants and then a gift certificate or allowance for adding figurines or
other touches. (Once again you have to
know your child and decide if you can be cool if that allowance is spent on a
live lizard for the terrarium.) Encourage the child to source some natural
materials, moss, pieces of natural wood, rocks, shells and so on. That gets them outside as well as involved
with plants.
While not technically garden supplies, bird house and
bird feeder kits that a child that likes to work with his or her hands can put
together and decorate make a good gift.
Bat houses and various bee houses are also good gifts. An older child who has expressed an interest
in bees may like a beginning beekeeper set.
Some children will appreciate books on identifying
wildflowers, insects, birds, and other things.
Garden books that feature theme gardens like sunflower “huts”, pizza
gardens and “3 sisters” gardens are often a hit.
Give your child a gift that grows this Christmas and
grow a gardener.
December almanac
This month’s full moon is called the Full Cold or Long
Nights moon and occurs on December 13th. This is the final supermoon of the year. There are two meteor displays that may be
visible in December. On the 13th and
14th there is the peak of the best regular meteor event, the Geminids meteor
shower. Some meteors may be visible from the 4th through the 17th. But on the peak days around 120 meteors or
shooting stars may be seen per hour. The
best viewing is after midnight. On December
21st – 23rd will be the peak of a lesser meteor shower, the Ursids meteor
shower, which typically produces about 10 meteors per hour at its peak.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at 5:45 am (EST Flint MI.)
is the winter solstice. It marks the longest night of the year and the
beginning of winter. At this time the
sun is at its farthest point in the southern sky and lowest point on the
horizon. (For an interesting site that
will show you where the sun and moon are in the sky at the exact time you
access the site go to this site and choose your closest city) http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/usa/
You’ll notice that the earliest sunset and the shortest
day are not the same. The earliest
sunset occurs December 5th (yesterday) when the sun sets at 5 pm in
the Flint MI. area. And the sun will set
at that time until December 14th – when it gains a minute. It’s the day break
time that makes the difference in day length.
On the solstice the sun rises at 8:03 am and sets at 5:03pm in the Flint
area.
Many people including myself consider the Winter
Solstice to be the end of the old year. The sun turns or changes direction. Now the days will be getting longer, if only
by seconds at first. Re-birth, renewal, the conquering of death, the return of
the sun are symbolized in the solstice. It’s a time for celebration as it was
for our early ancestors. Christmas is
celebrated near the solstice because people already celebrated re-birth and
promise at this time and early Christians frequently borrowed old rituals. Burn some oak wood at midnight and make a
wish for what you desire as you look into the fire. Take some time to reflect on what you could
have done better last year and decide your path for the new year.
December’s birthstone is turquoise. The December birth
flower is oddly enough the narcissus.
This may be because it was associated with death, (its poisonous) by the
ancient Romans and Greeks but now it is often used as a symbol of hope. We are entering the time of the death of the
old year but still, it seems odd. In
flower “language” narcissus is said to mean “you are the only one” or
alternatively faithfulness, respect and modesty.
Recently holly has been favored to replace narcissus as
the December birth flower and to me seems more appropriate. Holly is a symbol of domestic happiness in
flower language. Orchids are also listed as the December flower in some places.
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| Holly |
Things to celebrate in December besides the solstice
and Christmas include National Mutt day the 2nd , Pearl Harbor Day- the 7th and Poinsettia day on the 12th, also on the
12th its Gingerbread house day and National cocoa day, National Bake Cookies
day, the 18th , Look for Evergreens day the 19th Besides being Christmas Eve the 24th is
National Chocolate day and National Egg Nog day. December 31st is World Peace
Meditation Day as well as New Years eve.
December is National Bingo month, National AIDS
awareness month, National Buckwheat month and Universal Human Rights month.
House
plants for holiday decorating
If
you want to know about caring for typical holiday plants amaryllis, Christmas
cacti, and poinsettias see the articles to the right of this main blog.
Combine your love of gardening with holiday decorating
by using live potted plants as part of the decorations. Forget the difficult to save poinsettias and
use plants meant to survive in the house for holiday decorating. You’ll love the results. You can use nice
potted plants that you have around the house or use holiday decorating as an
excuse to buy more exotic house plants.
Potted plants also make great Christmas office decorations and
gifts.
Common houseplants like Boston Ivy, palms, ribbon
plant, ferns, philodendron, spider plants, Norfolk Island Pine and Jade plants
make excellent decorations in pretty pots with ribbons. Pots of the herb rosemary make excellent
holiday plants, fragrant when brushed.
Sometimes you can find them sheared into a Christmas tree shape.
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| Frosty Fern |
A less common plant called Frosty Fern is available
only near the holidays. This lovely
plant looks like the tips of its fronds are frosted white. Frosty Fern, Selaginiela krausianna variegatus is actually a club moss, a fern
relative. It tolerates the low light
decorative plants are often subjected to and looks lovely in a red pot. Rabbits Foot fern is also a good decorating
choice.
Other great choices for exotic potted plant decorations
include blooming orchids, gardenias, tropical hibiscus, and potted citrus or
pomegranate trees. Miniature roses can
often be found in stores. These tiny
roses can bloom all winter in a sunny window.
Almost any green plant can be made festive by adding a
brightly colored pot, a bow or even tiny decorations. Wrap pots in colored foil and tie with a
bow. Or use gift bags with the plant
peeking out the top. Plants will need to
be watered so if the item you wrap the plant in could be damaged by water, put
the pot in a plastic bag or waterproof container first.
You could add artificial birds, or put tiny elves in
the pot. Spray a few twisted branches with fake snow and insert in the pot. (Don’t
spray fake snow on live plants!) Try setting the potted plant in a bowl that’s
larger than the pot and filling the bowl with glass Christmas ornaments.
You can insert a smaller pot into a clear glass vase or
jar and totally surround the pot with tiny glass ornaments or even beads in
your color scheme. Plastic confetti,
tinsel, or plastic ribbon shreds could also fill the clear container. There is glittery plastic snow that you
scatter on Christmas displays that could fill a container or even dust the top
of a pot.
A clever party favor would be to glue a small wood
square on the bottom of large glass Christmas balls to make them sit upright.
Then remove the top of the ball which is usually a piece of metal held in place
with tiny spring wires. Fill the ball
with water and insert starter plants such as a small spider plant, which will
grow in water for a while.
Don’t us lights or heavy ornaments on green
plants. Keep them away from candles,
heaters and fireplaces or anything that gives off excessive heat. Don’t use spray on flocking or “snow” on
live plants, it will discolor the leaves and may kill the plant.
Take good care of your green decoration and it will
survive the holiday. Try to place the
decoration in good light or keep it only a few days in poor light
situations. Water the pots when they are
dry. Keep them out of cold drafts. Keep brown leaves pulled off and browned tips
of leaves trimmed off. When the holidays are over remove fancy coverings and
place the plant where it gets the proper lighting for its species.
Norfolk Island Pines
Around the holidays stores often feature Norfolk Island
Pines for sale as they look like miniature Christmas trees. The Norfolk Island pine, (Araucaria heterophylla) however, is a
houseplant, despite its name for most of us. It can be grown outside in zone 8
and above. This beautiful tree will continue to grow well indoors long after
the holidays if it’s given the correct care.
Norfolk Island pines have soft, dark green needles and
a pyramidal shape of drooping, whorled branches. They are best used as specimen
plants with space around them to show off their beauty. There is no pine scent. Norfolk Island Pines are hard to propagate
from seeds or cuttings and you will want to start with a growing plant. Look for one with dark green needles and
branches that go well down the main stem.
In a frost free climate the Norfolk pine can grow
outdoors quite well - and up to 100 feet tall. In the home it grows more slowly
and its size is limited by the container it is grown in. Most Norway pines in
the house get to 5’ to 6’ if well grown. The stately pine shape is a nice
contrast to other houseplants.
Norfolk
Island pine care
While they are often included in dish gardens for
texture and height, the Norfolk Island Pine does best when placed in its own
pot. Use a good houseplant potting
medium, not garden soil in the container.
Make sure that the container drains well. You can repot the pine each spring if you
want it to grow larger. Use a pot just 2
inches wider and deeper for best results.
Once the Norfolk Island pine is about the height you want it to remain
stop repotting and let it get root bound to help restrict growth.
Keeping your Norfolk Island pine in bright light will
keep it dark green and full and keep the bottom branches from dying and falling
off. Keep your Norfolk Island pine in an
east, west or north windowsill any time of the year. Keep the Norfolk Island
pine in a south window during the winter months or 12” away from a south window
in late spring and summer. You could also use a grow light “spot light” over
the Norfolk Island pine.
Norfolk Island pines enjoy a summer outside but should
be put in light or partial shade when outside.
Put them outside after the danger of frost has passed and bring them
back inside before it frosts in the fall.
Crowding the Norfolk Island pine will make it lose its
bottom limbs and it doesn’t show the plant to full advantage. Make sure you leave enough space around the
pot for the limbs to expand and droop gracefully. To keep growth natural
looking and symmetrical don’t crowd the plant with other plants or by placing
it too close to the window. Turn the pot from time to time so the tree doesn’t
lean to the light.
Norfolk Island pines need to be kept moist but not
soggy wet most of the year. In the dead
of winter in areas where it is gloomy and cold let the pot dry slightly before
watering. Use room temperature distilled or rain water if possible. Water until
water drains from the bottom and empty drained water from trays promptly.
Fertilize Norfolk Island pine once a month in the
spring with houseplant fertilizer mixed according to label directions if you
want growth. If you like the plant the size it is, don’t fertilize it.
Keep plants between 40º and 85ºF. Norfolk Island pines
prefer cooler temperatures and do well when night temperature in the home is
lower than the day temperature. Drafts
of cold air or warm air blowing from a furnace vent may cause needle drop. When humidity is low in the home needle drop
can occur. Occasional misting in dry conditions will help.
Prune off any dead branches with pruning snips. Once
branches drop or are pruned off they do not grow back. Do not prune the top of Norfolk Island pine
to limit its size. This makes the tree
look unnatural and it will continue to get taller anyway.
Norfolk Island Pines rarely have insect or disease
problems. If you get one with Christmas
decorations on it remove them as soon as possible. Don’t use heavy Christmas decorations on your
Norfolk Island pine as this may damage the shape of the plant or cause loss of
limbs. If your plant comes with a fancy
foil pot cover make sure you punch a drainage hole in the bottom or remove the
foil.
With good care your Norfolk Island pine will live for
20-30 years or longer. Each year it will
become more beautiful. For bringing the
feel of nature indoors you can’t beat a beautiful Norfolk Island pine.
Poisonous Holiday plants
This
article is a repeat from last year but the information could be helpful as a
reminder or to new readers.
Plants have been brought into the home to decorate it
around the winter solstice for hundreds of years. They have become part of the tradition and
lore of the holidays and the practice persists even today. But not all holiday plants are safe for
children and pets and knowing which ones are poisonous is important for a happy
holiday.
The poinsettia
has long been listed as a poisonous plant but as toxic plants go, it’s probably
not that harmful. Yes if someone ate a
lot of poinsettia there could be serious consequences but that scenario is
unlikely. The sticky white sap of the
poinsettia is unpleasant tasting enough that even the naughtiest dog probably
wouldn’t eat enough to get more than a stomach ache. It would take eating several large plants to
be lethal to a pet or child, if that.
Mistletoe
on the other hand is extremely poisonous and just a few of the berries dropped
on the floor and eaten by a pet or child could cause death. All parts of the
plant are toxic, dried or fresh. Mistletoe is a plant that does not belong in
homes where children and pets are present.
Holly
is often used in decorating for the holidays but all parts of the plant are
poisonous. The leathery leaves would be
unlikely to be eaten but the bright red berries that some holly has would be
attractive to children and pets.
Another very poisonous plant that is sold around the
holidays as a potted plant is the Jerusalem
Cherry. The plant is a compact
bush-like house plant with glossy green leaves and bright orange-red
berries. All parts of this plant are
poisonous.
In fact around the holidays many plants with red or
orange berries are sold. Some of these
are new to the trade and little is known about their toxicity - whether they
are poisonous or harmless. It’s a good idea
to place any of these attractive plants out of the reach of children and pets. Always keep a plant label with a plant so if
any part is ingested you can tell poison control what it is.
Amaryllis
bulbs are often sold around the holidays either in bloom or as kits that you
add water to and watch it grow. They are often sold as a bulb in fancy
pots. They have long strap-like leaves
which appear after the bloom stalk. The
amaryllis bloom is trumpet shaped; there may be one or several blooms on each
tall stalk. It comes in red, white, pink
and other pastel shades. All parts of the
plant are poisonous.
Another bulb often given as a gift kit is the narcissus or daffodil bulb. The common one sold is called paper white
narcissus. They are often set in gravel
and water to grow roots and bloom. They
have flat, grass like leaves, and the typical daffodil flower of a “cup”
surrounded by a ring of petals. They are
white or yellow and have a strong fragrance.
All parts of the plant are quite poisonous as is the water surrounding
the bulb and if the blooms are cut and put in a vase of water, that water is
also toxic. Narcissus and daffodils
should never be put where children or pets might taste them or drink the water
they are in.
Yews
are not used as often as some evergreens for holiday decorating but they are
sometimes used in floral arrangements and unsuspecting homeowners may bring
branches inside for decorating. They
have soft, flat dark green needles and are often sheared into hedges around a
home. The yew is an extremely toxic plant with only a bite of the plant causing
death to a pet. It sometimes has fleshy
red berries with a hard seed inside that attract children and pets. The soft part of the berry is harmless but a
few swallowed seeds can be deadly. A
mouthful of the plant can kill a grown cow.
It is not a plant that should be brought into the home.
Sweet Annie or other kinds of wormwood (artemisia) are
often used in wreaths and other dried arrangements. While unlikely to be eaten in quantity, these
plants are also poisonous and munching should be discouraged. Since wreaths,
dried arrangements and fresh floral arrangements can have all sorts of exotic
plants tucked in them and might be sprayed with chemicals, it’s a good idea to
keep them out of the reach of children and pets.
Preventing
Evergreen theft
Every year around Christmas time some rural property
owners find that evergreens on their property have been damaged or even stolen
by people illegally harvesting Christmas greens or getting a free Christmas
tree. And it’s not just country people who have problems, every year law
enforcement offices get calls from suburban and city property owners who have
had landscape trees damaged or stolen. What can you do to stop inconsiderate
people from stealing their Christmas greens from your property?
You might feel like a grinch but people who steal
greenery often make a mess of trees they cut from. Most thieves don’t know much about tree
growth and care. Evergreens may never look good again or even die after
improper cutting. People sometimes cut
the top of a tree off to make a reasonable sized Christmas tree thinking the
tree will re-grow and be fine but evergreens don’t recover well from losing
their tops like this.
A tree takes many years to grow and removing good sized
trees from a location sets a reforestation project back years. And replacing larger trees in a landscape
planting is quite expensive. Yes trees need to be thinned, trimmed and
otherwise managed but that work should be left to the owner of the property.
If your property has nice looking evergreens that can
be seen from a public road make sure that you post no trespassing signs and
check early in December to make sure that the signs are still up and
visible. It’s illegal to harvest greens
or trees from any property that you don’t own or have written permission from
the owner to harvest. Public property
and road rights of way are included in the ban. Marking your property reminds people that
someone owns the trees.
Talk to your neighbors and ask them to call you if they
see any suspicious activity around your trees.
If you are going to allow someone to harvest trees or greens make sure
you let the neighbors know that too.
This reminds the neighbors that you don’t want just anyone cutting trees
or greens if they need a reminder. If
you feel the neighbors may have been the ones harvesting greenery in the past
enlisting their help watching the trees makes it less likely they’ll do so this
year.
Make sure gates to access roads are closed and
locked. Block trails with brush or piles
of soil. Most people don’t want to carry harvested greenery too far. Electric fencing is relatively cheap and if
the charger is just turned on in December it won’t cost much to run. If you have very nice trees in a location
easily seen from a road you may want to light the area at night if possible, at
least through the month of December.
If you have had problems with people harvesting
greenery from your property in the past and/or your property has places where
trespassers are not likely to be seen you may want to take tree protection a
bit further. Products are sold that when
applied to trees give them a very unpleasant smell, (but the smell wears off by
spring). You can buy these from nursery
supply catalogs.
Sprays that hunters use like fox urine can be bought in
sporting goods stores and the smelliest ones applied to trees. Some people mix
their own smelly mixtures with manure or rotten eggs. Make sure anything you mix up is harmless to
the trees. Even if the thief goes ahead
and cuts the tree and brings it home, he or she will surely regret moving it
into the house where warmer air gets the scent wafting through the house. Maybe they won’t be back next year.
Tags which have the danger symbol and the words-
hazardous chemicals applied - can be attached to each tree, even if not sprayed
with anything but this takes a bit of work.
Some people use a very bright temporary paint to spray on trees. If it lasts a month it will probably work.
You just need to mark a big x on one or two sides. A piece of yellow caution ribbon like police
use could be wrapped around choice trees to give thieves a second thought.
One property owner who wants his evergreens for
wildlife habitat just cuts a limb out of the tree here and there so that the
tree isn’t a good Christmas tree candidate but still works fine for
wildlife. This isn’t the best tactic for
trees you want to look nice in the landscape though.
If you do catch people on your property stealing trees
or greenery try to get photos and a car license plate number before confronting
them. Call your local law enforcement agency and get them on the way. If the trespassers give you any resistance,
leave enforcement to the professionals.
Don’t threaten people with weapons, which may get you in more trouble
than they are in.
Not only can people be fined for illegally cutting
trees or greenery they can be charged with larceny which can be a misdemeanor
or felony depending on the value of the trees they damaged or stole.
If you do sustain landscape damage from thieves you may
want to check with your home insurance company to see if the damage is
covered. You’ll need to make a police
report and document the damage.
Just recognizing that your trees may appeal to greenery
thieves and a little extra vigilance may keep your landscape intact this
holiday season and let you enjoy your trees for years to come.
Get a fresh cut Christmas tree from a
National Forest
You can have a great family outing and get a low cost,
beautiful fresh cut Christmas tree if you are willing to do a little work for
it. Most people don’t realize that many
National Forests can be the source for Christmas trees. You’ll need to cut your own tree and
transport it back to the car. Each
National Forest will also have a fee for a “tree tag” which you’ll need to
purchase before going out to hunt for the perfect tree. These tags usually cost $5-$10.00. (In Michigan tags cost $5). Some National Forests also require that you
have a permit to enter the park. You can
usually buy a day permit.
Here’s what you need to do if you’d like to take the
family into a National Forest to cut a fresh Christmas tree. First locate a National Forest near you. Most maps show where National Forest lands are. Then you’ll need to find out whether they
issue permits for Christmas tree cutting and where you go to purchase the
permit. If time allows permits can be
purchased on line. Often permits will
be purchased through your states Department of Natural Resources offices. You can often buy more than one tree tag.
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| USFS picture |
In Michigan we have one National Forest in the Lower
Peninsula, the Huron –Manistee National Forest.
It extends east from Hartwick Pines State Park to the Lake Huron
shoreline. There is also the Hiawatha
National Forest in the UP. For people in
other states you can link to many National Forests at the bottom of this Huron
National Forest site.
If you are not familiar with your National Forest lands
when you get your tree tag get a map that will show you where you can and can’t
cut Christmas trees, where park boundaries are and where access roads are
located. These maps are usually
available where you purchase your tree permits.
When you get your tree tag you’ll probably be given a
set of regulations on Christmas tree cutting.
Read them before you hop in the car to search for a tree. There are generally hours when tree cutting
is permitted. These are generally set to
make sure people are out of the forest before dark. In some states you won’t be able to use a
chain saw for tree cutting. Some
National Forests may restrict the size of tree you can cut. And most National Forests don’t allow
“topping” or cutting just the top of a tree off. Pets may also be restricted if you are
thinking about including them in the outing.
Things
you’ll need
With tree tags in hand and maps and rules read, it’s
time to do a little more preparation. A
hand saw is the preferred cutting tool for a tree. It should be sharp. Since blades can break a back-up blade or saw
is a good idea. Axes are hard to use
when a tree has branches close to the ground and more dangerous than a
saw. Chain saws, if they are permitted,
are heavy things to carry when trekking through the woods, and even heavier on
the way back when you are carrying a tree.
They are also dangerous tools to use when medical help can be a long
hike back to a car and miles to emergency treatment.
You’ll want a tarp and ropes to tie the tree on the car
or at least to wrap it for the back of a truck or van. A sled or wagon can be handy for transporting
a large tree back to the car. And you
may want a measuring tape to check to see if the tree will fit your car and
home before you cut it. Trees look
smaller out in a forest than they do in the living room.
Depending on the weather you may need a four wheel
drive vehicle to get down access roads.
Most National Forest roads are not plowed or sanded in winter. Everyone in your tree cutting party should be
dressed appropriately for a day in winter weather. Even if you are in a warm
weather area you’ll want heavy gloves for handling the tree. Your car should have blankets, food and water
and other emergency supplies should something happen. Take your cell phone, but realize you may be
out of a signal range. It’s a good
idea to bring a compass or a GPS device.
Carry something to start a fire should an emergency situation occur.
Make sure to tell someone where you are going- at least the general area and
when you expect to be back.
Be practical and careful in hunting for a tree. Don’t go so far into the forest that after
cutting a tree and heading back it will be dark. Keep track of where you are going so you
don’t get lost. Respect your exercise
and strength abilities and those of the weakest member of your party. Stop before everyone is overly tired as this
is when accidents happen. A tree can be
very heavy even if you are dragging it. Don’t cross ice covered water unless
the ice is 2 inches thick and even then use extreme caution and cross one
person at a time.
Tree
Tips
Look for a full symmetrical tree but realize that
National Forest trees are not pruned into shape the way trees on commercial
Christmas tree farms are pruned. Look at
the tree trunk to make sure it’s straight and not oddly shaped. A tree may appear to be straight but the
trunk may have an odd angle that will make inserting it in a stand and keeping
it upright hard. Leave a long “stem” on
the tree because you need to do a second cut across the stump before you put it
in the stand. This makes sure the tree
can take up water. And make your cut as
straight across the trunk as possible.
After the tree is cut give it a few quick bounces on
the ground to dislodge loose needles.
Make sure to attach your tree tag to the tree before you begin to
transport it to the car. The easiest way
to carry the tree back to the car is to wrap it in a tarp. It protects the tree
and makes it easier to handle. If the
tree is to ride home on top of the car it should be wrapped in a tarp or
blanket and the top of the tree should point to the front of the car. Secure it tightly with ropes or bungee cords.
If there is a National Forest near you your family can
have a fresh Christmas tree and a family outing to make memories for less than
$20.00 (not counting gas and supplies).
Why not check it out?
Cookies and cocoa
sound good tonight, how about it?
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
And
So On….
Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share? Post them here by emailing me. You can also
ask me to post garden related events. Kimwillis151@gmail.com
Find
Michigan garden events/classes here:
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interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
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educational event or a volunteer opportunity please send me an email before
Tuesday of each week and I will print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion
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I write this because I love to share with other gardeners
some of the things I come across in my research each week. It keeps me engaged
with people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If
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