December 6, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

 © 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. 

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.

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 13^th.  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 5^th (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.

 

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. 

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.

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.

 http://secure.kinsail.com/partners/parks.asp?p=huron&pt=parks

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:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118847598146598/

An interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/623997204362467/?fref=nf

Here’s a seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/

Newsletter/blog information

If you would like to pass along a notice about an 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 you’d like to share, send it to me or you can comment directly on the blog. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly note if you email me. You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do reserve the right to publish what I want.

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 you are on my mailing list and at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive a notification by email when a new blog is published have them send their email address to me.  KimWillis151@gmail.com