care and planting a living Christmas tree

January 3, 2011 at 5:44 am · Filed under Uncategorized

Many people choose the option of purchasing a living Christmas tree with the idea to plant it out in their gardens after the holidays.  Here are some tips for planting the tree.  First remove the tree from indoors as soon as possible and either plant it immediately or locate it in a shady spot out of the wind.  Remember that most of the trees roots were severed and left in the growing field, so it will need a bit of extra care the first year especially, while it becomes established in your garden.  Choose the site carefully before you plant.  You should remember to consider the ultimate dimention the tree will be when mature and allow for that space.  Be sure not to plant under power lines, too close to buildings, roofs, etc.  Make sure the spot is well drained(remember that many of these are forest trees in the native habitat and have excellent drainage where they grow naturally.  When digging your planting hole, remember to do this when the soil is not overly saturated, soggy, muddy.  If the rains have not let up enough, just delay planting if your soil is too wet(but do keep the tree well watered and shaded)

If planting must be delayed, you can keep direct hot sun off the canopy with an old sheet, don’t use a tarp unless it is out of the direct sun as this can heat the tree up unnecessarily.

Make your planting hole wider than deep.  This allows for ample room when backfilling the soil into the planting hole.  You can make a cone/hill in the center of that hole for the root ball to rest on while you check height of the crown of the tree.  You should plant slightly higher than surrounding grade as this will take into consideration the soil settling over time.  When it finally settles completely, it wil be at grade, or just slightly above, which is what you are striving for.

If the tree is very tall, you can stake it.  Use two stakes at each end of the hole across the diameter of the hole.  Avoid piercing the root ball if possible. 

Before you plant, look to see if the soil in the root ball is of a similar type to your soil.  If not, you can semi bareroot the plant.  taking off excess around the soil ball and exposing the roots somewhat.  That rootball probably covered in burlap(which is fine) any organic material is ok, and you need to peel that down around the sides so later when it gets warmer, the material does not wick out soil mositure(that happens if it is exposed to the air, drying out the rootball prematurely, and the plant dries up too!)  Removing string and excess burlap is recommended, but if buried, it will eventually decompose and turn into humus.

As you backfill the soil, you can add a small amount of soil amendment such as fir bark, but not excessivley.  Mix the amendment well before you backfill.  Level the tree so it is straight and at the height you want when planting is complete.  Face the tree to give the best side toward the viewer/landscape.  Begin to backfill soil a little at a time.  You can settle the soil by watering the backfill as you go in intervals.  This is Nature’s way, using water to settle soil and still leave soil structure for air spaces for the roots.  Heavily compacting the backfill soil is bad for the roots.  They need oxygen in the soil to live and grow and heavy compaction destroys soil structure.  Continue backfilling and watering in until you have reached soil grade.  You do not need to form a basin, just place a slow running hose at the base above the root ball to water when it is needed and the soil dries out a bit.  If the rains stop and weather turns warm and dry, do spray the tree with water in the morning and evening to provide extra humidity for the foliage. (think snow/rains in the mountains where they grow wild, at this time of year)

The tree will not need excessive amounts of water, but be sure to water deeply when you do, making sure the root ball is well watered each time it dries out somewhat.  Do not over water.  Just test this by sticking your finger deeper into the planting area to check for moisture.

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winter bloomers continued

January 3, 2011 at 5:22 am · Filed under Uncategorized

While most people consider the garden to be dull and gloomy at this time of year, that need not be the case if you choose to plant some of these choices.  The nursery has year round flowering pretty much and there are also a lot of unusual things which give never ending interest to even the most seasoned gardener.  Camellias have been previously mentioned and there is a great wealth of early blooming types as well.  I like camellias with more interest than just blossoms, but early blooming (now) cvs. are cherished when the weather is cold and rainy.  C. Japonica has around 1,000 cvs. but not all are in cultivation.  From among that great selection, we can choose excellent cvs. that are early blooming.  Jean Clere, Margaret Davis, Grace Albritton, Tama no Ura, Kakure Iso, Tama Americana, Tama Peacock, Tama Vino are among the many choices with a bordered or picotee edging to the petals.  Fragrance is a nice quality to have and the modern hybrids as well as many species are fragrant.  Koto no Kaori, Minato no Haru, C. lutchuensis, C. transnokoensis, C. tsaii, are some of the choice selections and there are many more that begin blooming later than this early season.  Unusual camellias with interesting foliages such as Black Magic, Elegans Splendor, Elegans Supreme, Elegans Champagne all have serrated foliage giving a distinct holly leaf like apperanace to the bush.  Nokogiri ba is sawtooth margined, Yuri ba and Hakuhan Kujaku/Kujaku Tsubaki have very narrow leaves, they almost look lily like while the many variegated leaf forms offer additional colorful interest in their leaves.  Benten Kagura, Debutante Variegated, Kin Sekai, Reigyoku, Taiyo, are just a few of these.  The black and very dark flowered cvs will always be attention getters.  Black Magic, Black Opal, Kuro Tsubaki, Night Rider are some of these.  The dwarf forms are very charming and fit into any landscape situation.  Baby Bear is a wonderful gem here.  Contorted forms such as Unryu, Egao Corkscrew, and there is a new red dbl …which I forget the name just now are extremely unusual and never cease to get a gardener’s attention.  There are weepers as well, Kujaku Tsubaki/Hakuhan Kujaku, Shin Akebono, Kegon no Taki are a few of these.

The many species camellias offer quite a varied array of textures.  I particularly like the fine leafed species that bloom in great profusion.  C. assimilis, C. lutchuensis, C. salicifolia, C. fraterna, C. rosiflora, C. nokoensis, C. transnokoensis, C. forrestii, C. tsaii are some favorites.  many are fragrant and cluster blooming.

My two favorite shrubs are wintersweet (chimonanthus praecox and paperbush(edgeworthia papyrifera) and are in bloom now, just beginning actually and will go on for at least 2 months.  Wintersweet is extremely sweetly fragrant and difficult to locate.

Much hybridizing work has been done with the hellebores (helleborus spp.)  We now have distinct colors, doubles, new colors, and upward facing flowers from which to choose.  These are easy care plants, particularly nice for shady areas, but fine in more sun, just water a bit more.  Winter blossom stalks are coming now and there are fine whites, deep purples, pinks, bicolors, and yellows.  Single and double selections as well as groups of hybrids are now offered.

Species cyclamen as well as several hybrid strains abound at many nurseries.  Many of the small flowered strains are profuse blooming and some are fragrant.  Also notice the foliage as many have silver variegated leaves in various patterns.

The autumn and winter flowering cherry is showing blooms as well.  Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ makes a flat topped crown to perhaps 30 ft tall and as wide in many years.  The bonus is that blooming starts in fall, continues during winter, and the main blossoming is March into April.  The fall and winter flowers are smaller, but they come regularly, the spring show is very profuse with double pink flowers, the narrow petals giving a ‘frilly’ effect to the blooms.  Easy care, cherries need excellent drainage.  This one make excellent cut material as well, since those branches cut will open buds for an extended period in the vase indoors.

Not forgetting the various annuals, Iceland poppies need this cold to set petals into their buds(if its too warm, the petals abort leaving just empty buds that never bloom), violas and pansies are also good flower producers in winter, they bloom more as weather warms in spring.  Cinerarias are tender things, but offer the blue/purple color range in their profuse blooming clusters of daisy flowers.

Winter flowering currant, Ribes sanguineum glutinosum is a wonderful native, and is beginning to bloom now.  Rounded maplelike leaves and pendant flower clusters in white, pinks, red, are all presented on an easy care shrub.  If the blossoms set fruit, they produce edible currants later.  R. speciosum is a spectacular shrub.  Hanging crimson scarlet lantern blooms with very long red stamens automatically draw hummingbirds, but the plant is equally appealing to gardeners as well.  Just be careful of it as it is armed heavily with spines.  (makes a wonderful barrier plant)

Early forsythias are showing buds now.  They are common easy care shrubs which offer bright yellows when they bloom.  Besides the regular types which are floppy shrubs in habit, there are neater dwarfs, and variegated leaf forms.  I have an unusual fringed leaf form which gives later spring, summer and fall interest with those heavily serrated leaves which are very attractive. 

Acacias are another large group of shrubs and trees, many of which bloom in winter and are fragrant in most cases.  Plant these young as many resent transplanting root disturbance.

The winter blooming honeysuckle shrubs are also in bloom now.  Lonicera fragrantissima, L. standishii, and their hybrid L. x purpusii are all blooming now.  Small creamy white blooms (just like the honeysuckle vine) profusely cover the branches and their scent permeates the surrounding air for a good distance and is also carried on the breezes.  These shrubs make excellent cut material for the vase as well, since the branches live several weeks in water.

The old fahioned hollies are also providing color, not blossoms, but berry and foliage color.  You don’t see them much anymore, but they have excellent merits for the garden, the variegated forms being especially showy, regardless of fruit set.

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