Time to take down the Christmas tree

      Christmas is over and you need to take down your Christmas tree. If your Christmas tree comes out of a box, you can put it back in the box until next year. But if you have a live tree, please do not just toss it in the trash. It deserves better than that and certainly has many uses after you take it out of the house!

But before you begin the recycle process be sure to remove all lights and ornament.

     Here are some ways you can recycle your Christmas tree and keep it from going to overflowing landfills:

If you have a chipper, run the tree through it.  The chips make great mulch and smell good while being chipped

 

OR you can cut off the boughs and place them on the ground around your plants.   Save the trunk for a use in your garden as a trellis for peas, beans, or cucumbers or even used to make a “bottle tree.” 

Move the tree in its stand outdoors for the winter where it can provide food and shelter for birds.

The trees could be used as artificial fish attractors in ponds or lakes

If you are in a hurry, just pile the trees in fields and forests for use as wildlife cover.   The trees will eventually decay and be recycled naturally.

Reuse your tree any way you can.  Remember it took 5 – 10 years to grow this tree.  Do not waste all of Mother Nature’s time for a few weeks of your pleasure.

Just remember, whatever you do, do not put the tree trash.

Keep Your Poinsettia Looking Great!

 

Many homes will decorate with poinsettias during the holidays. It just does not seem like Christmas without this wonderful plant. But poinsettias are picky about their growing environment.  Here’s the quick guide of how to care for your poinsettia:

• Protect them from chilly weather. Just letting them get chilled on the way from the store to your house can be enough to shock them!
• Poinsettias prefer a daytime temperature between 65 & 75F and the night time temperature from 60 to 65F.  Keep them away from drafts, air vents, and space heaters.
• Place the poinsettia in a bright location in the home where it can receive indirect light. Although it can withstand direct sunlight, watering requirements will increase and the flowers will not last as long.
• Avoid letting the bracts touch cold windowpanes because the outdoor temperatures can cause damage.
• Do not let the plant dry out. If the plant wilts, just once, it will start to shed leaves and the colorful bracts.
• Overwatering is a major cause of early leaf and bract drop in poinsettias, so keep the plant moist but not soggy.  If the poinsettia came with a plastic decorator wrap, punch drainage holes so water will not accumulate.  Check the soil regularly. When it is dry to the touch, water them.  If damp, do nothing.

Follow these simple steps and your poinsettia will look good all through the holidays! 

 

National Poinsettia Day

  Today is National Poinsettia Day. The date marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American botanist, physician, and Minister to Mexico who in 1828 sent cuttings of the plant he'd discovered in Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina.

    In July of 2002, the House of Representatives created Poinsettia Day, passing a Resolution to honor Paul Ecke Jr. who is considered the father of the poinsettia industry. It was Paul Ecke's discovery of a technique which causes seedlings to branch that allowed the Poinsettia industry to flourish. Every year, Poinsettias contribute upwards of $250,000,000 to the U.S. economy-at the wholesale level! Poinsettias are the best selling potted plant in the U.S. and Canada.

   In Mexico the plant is called La Flor de la Nochebuena or, Flower of the Holy Night and is displayed in celebration of the December 12th, Dia de la Virgen. Use of the plant to celebrate Christmas in Mexico dates back to the 17th century.