Bringing Christmas Trees in the House

For those that like to shop for Christmas trees when it is below freezing, please remember that trees even though they have been cut can go into shock. When this happens it takes about a week and then the needles will fall off the tree like blizzard in Kansas.
In order to stop this from happening you ought to transition the tree into a garage for 4-8 hours. This way you are not having a 60 to 70 degree change for the tree. The transition will allow the Christmas tree to last through the Christmas instead of two weeks.

Poinsettia Care

Poinsettias are looking great this year.  There are a couple of things to remember about taking care of these beautiful plants.  Poinsettias need bright light and the ideal temperatures are in the 60's.  The cooler temperature prolongs the color but understand that under 50 Degrees they will not last.  When the surface of the soil is dry to the touch water thoroughly but do not leave it sitting in the water.

If you are looking for long term maintenance use a complete fertilizer with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium every two weeks.

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Christmas Trees

     As we look forward to the wonderful world of Christmas it time stop some of the myths around.  One we constantly here is we are saving trees by using a fake one.  In truth Christmas trees like the Noble fir can be considered a crop.  They are planted for a 6 to 10 years out for harvesting, in addition many of the areas in Washington and Oregon the trees are planted in areas that cannot be used for much else due to the rocky terrain they are in.  Did you ever ask yourself if the fake tree is to help "save a tree" then why are they packaged in cardboard and shipped from across seas?  Did you know there are roughly 1/2 a billion trees in rotation on tree farms for Christmas.  Did you know roughly 28% of home fires at Christmas time are due to fake trees catching on fire?      Another common myth is all Christmas trees can easily catch on fire.  Well there is some truth to this, you need to look at the source of the tree, if it is a long needled tree such as an Oregon Douglas Fir, or even the Noble fir being a short needled tree if the tree is brittle of course it can catch fire by a spark.  But if you buy a tree from an independent retailer who gets them direct shipped then you have a fresh tree and should not catch fire even if there is a spark in a light strand.  A couple of fantastic trees that are fire retardant naturally are the Nordman fir and the Concolor fir, the Fraser fir does extremely well at staying fresh even in Colorado's low humidity.  A couple of ways to help the longevity are
             1.  Close all vents near your tree both floor and ceiling
             2.  Place the tree in a north or east facing room and away from fireplaces
             3.  If you have an extra humidifier place it in the room the tree and get an extra 4-5 days out of it.
             4.  Get a fresh cut on the tree at least 2" up from the bottom
             5.  If the temperature is near freezing then bring the tree into a garage until the branching drops.  Rapid temperature changes are harmful.
     One other item which I guess is not a myth but our culture of thought, Christmas trees make such a mess.  NO THEY DON'T.  If you buy a fresh tree not from a grocery store or a box store then you don't have all the needles dropping if you follow the steps listed above.  If you are worried about the needles dropping and having to vacuum them up ask yourself do you vacuum the floor anyway?  Does the dog shedding make more of a mess or even the kids coming in out the dirt and snow and leaves from the yard. 
     You can't beat the smell of a fresh tree it is relaxing and peaceful like the woods. Don't get spooked by the media or friends.  You buy a tree from the right place and the trees will last and you will have a fantastic Christmas once again.

Wonderful Indian Summer of Colorado

     Color is all around from the Purple Ash to the Autumn Blaze Maple in a brilliant red. You can't forget the brilliant yellow of the Spring Snow Crabapple or the Ginko Biloba or the fiery red of the dwarf burning bush.  Colorado has always had a varying coloration in the fall and can change daily or weekly.  The dogwoods are alive with reds and the butterfly bush are shutting down for the year. 
      With the changing weather in Colorado many people tend to think in terms of pruning roses and trees and winterizing the lawns.  Which is great but a little early in general, if your grass is still green and growing be patient and wait till Halloween for winterizing your lawn.  For your tree pruning in March or Late February is fantastic but please stay away from the tree pruning paint. 
      Bulbs are a great way to bring your yard to life early spring or late fall, such as crocus that will start blooming in February and Alliums that will bloom into June or July.  Ornamental grasses will give you winter texture and fall plumes, but very little in early spring or until the heat arrives next year.