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Horticulture Newsletter 2014, No. 50

12/16/2014

Video of the Week:
Low Light Indoors? No Problem!

Upcoming Events:
Great Plains Growers Conference

January 8, 9, 10, 2015
St. Joseph, MO
For more information, go to http://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/

Final Newsletter of the Season

This will be the last issue of Horticulture 2014. The first issue of Horticulture 2015 will be sent
on January 6.

Your current subscription for the newsletter will continue as is, so nothing will be necessary on
your part to continue receiving it. Please tell anyone you know who might be interested in
subscribing that they are encouraged and welcome to do so by sending an e-mail to Ward Upham
at wupham@ksu.edu requesting a subscription.

We have attached a very short survey asking for feedback on the newsletter. This will help us
fine-tune our articles to better meet the needs of our subscribers.

On behalf of all of us at K-State we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. (Ward
Upham)

Miscellaneous:
Care of Fruit Baskets

A holiday tradition is to give gifts of fruits and nuts (along with other products). Usually these are placed in an attractive basket, wrapped with cellophane covering, and brought (or shipped) to your house. It is important that the fruit contained inside is kept in cool conditions to maintain its quality for as long as possible. Thus, it is wise to disassemble the fruit basket as soon as you receive it and place the fruit in refrigerated storage. If all the products in the basket are tree fruits (such as apples, pears, oranges or grapefruit), you can place the entire basket in a cool place- around 40 degrees F for best results. If the basket contains any bananas or other tropical fruits (with the exception of citrus) remove those fruits and store them separately. About 3-4 weeks is about as long as you can expect to store these fruits without some shriveling and loss of crispness. (Ward Upham)

What to do with the Christmas Tree after Christmas

After the holidays, many municipalities allow old Christmas trees to be placed curbside. Trees are then collected and ground up for mulch or burned. If you miss the designated date, or your trash collector doesn't accept trees, there are several options to prolong the useful life of the tree.

An old Christmas tree can be used to benefit birds, fish, and the landscape by placing it in a corner of your deck, and spreading some birdseed nearby, or tying it to a deciduous tree or post near a bird feeder. The birds benefit from having escape cover nearby when hawks or cats threaten, and the dense boughs reduce the windchill on a cold night.

Sinking your Christmas tree in a pond is an easy way to improve fish habitat and fishing. The tree serves as little coral reef, in that the branches provide substrate for water plants to grow, and cover for minnows and other forms of small aquatic life. Larger fish are drawn by the shade and the presence of prey.

How do you sink a tree? Tie the base to a cinder block with a short, stout rope, and toss it in. Just be sure to get permission from the pond owner first! Using the little tree around the landscape requires clipping off all of the branches. Use the boughs to add extra insulation around semi-hardy perennials or to trees and shrubs that were recently planted. The leftover trunk may be used as a garden stake next spring.

Or cut and let it dry for a few weeks, and you will have some easy lighting firewood. Just beware that most conifer species tend to spark and pop more than hardwoods, as resin pockets in the wood make tiny explosions. This can delight the youngsters, but for safety's sake, keep an eye on the fire when burning Christmas tree logs! (Charlie Barden)

Storing Pecans and Other Nuts

During the holiday season, pecans and other nuts are commonly given as gifts or purchased for holiday cooking. Nuts can quickly lose quality if not stored properly. Excessive water loss can lead to shriveled nutmeats, and the fats and oils in nuts can quickly spoil – developing an off-flavor or rancid taste. Store shelled (or unshelled nuts) in the refrigerator, or preferably the freezer. Nuts quickly absorb flavors from other stored products, so store them in a tightly sealed container so they won’t lose water or absorb flavors from other fruits or vegetables. A solid plastic container with a tightly fitting lid is preferred. You can use a heavy grade resealable plastic bag as well. If nutmeats are tightly sealed, they can be stored in a freezer for up to one year, but using them within six months is preferred. (Ward Upham)

Contributors: Charlie Barden, Extension Forester; Ward Upham, Extension Associate

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Horticulture Newsletter 2014, No. 49

12/5/2014

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Video of the Week:
Easy Care Plants: Pothos and Philodendron

Upcoming Events:

Great Plains Growers Conference
January 8, 9, 10, 2015
St. Joseph, MO

For more information, go to http://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/

Vegetables:
Storing Potatoes in Cold Temperatures

Potatoes stored below 40 degrees F will not sprout and will remain firm for long periods. However, such storage will often lead to starches being converted to sugars, which will give tubers an undesirable sweet taste. Placing potatoes at room temperature for 2 to 3 days will allow sugars to be converted back to starches and remove the objectionable taste. (Ward Upham)

Flowers:
Care of Christmas and Thanksgiving Cacti

Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) and Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncate) are epiphytes native to the jungles of South America. Epiphytic plants grow on other plants and use them for support but not for nutrients. Though these cacti are different species, they will hybridize and produce varying stem shapes. Christmas cactus normally has smooth stem segments, and Thanksgiving Cactus has hook-like appendages on each segment.

Both of these cacti prefer bright indirect light. Too much sun can result in the leaves turning yellow. Common household temperatures are fine. Soil should be kept constantly moist but not waterlogged. Give them a light fertilization every other week. Blooming will normally cease in late winter to early spring, but continue to keep them moist and fertilized until fall. During the fall, stop fertilizing, and give the plants only enough water so the stems do not shrivel in order to encourage flower bud formation. Though these plants seem to flower best if kept a little pot bound, flowers will diminish if they are too crowded. If you haven't repotted in several years, or if you notice a decrease in flowering from the previous year, move the plant to a larger pot in the spring. If possible, move the plants outside for the summer. Choose a shady spot because these plants will not tolerate full sun. Leave the plants outside until frost threatens.

Normally, the plants will have received enough cool nights in the 50- to 55-degree range that flower buds will have formed. However, if they haven't, subjecting the plants to nights greater than 12 hours long and temperatures between 59 and 69 degrees can also generate flowers. Twenty-five consecutive long nights is enough for flower initiation. Place the plants in an unused room or cover them with a dark cloth or cardboard box to insure that they receive uninterrupted darkness. After the flower buds have formed, it takes an additional nine to 10 weeks for flowers to complete development and bloom. (Ward Upham)

Ornamentals:
Choosing and Caring for your Christmas Tree

If selecting a cut tree, watch for these signs that the tree is too far gone.

          - Needles are a dull, grayish-green color
          - Needles fail to ooze pitch when broken apart and squeezed
          - Needles feel stiff and brittle
          - Needles pull easily off tree

Once you have your tree home, recut the trunk about one inch above the original cut. This will open up clogged, water-conducting tissues. Immediately place the trunk in warm water.

Locate the tree in as cool a spot as possible. Avoid areas near fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, heat ducts and television sets as the heat will result in excess water loss. Make sure the reservoir stays filled. If the reservoir loses enough water that the bottom of the trunk is exposed, the trunk will need to be recut. Adding aspirins, copper pennies, soda pop, sugar and bleach to the water reservoir have not been shown to prolong the life of a tree.

If you choose a living Christmas tree, be sure to dig the planting hole before the ground freezes. Mulch the hole and backfill soil to keep them from freezing. Live trees should not be kept inside for more than three days. Longer periods may cause them to lose dormancy resulting in severe injury when planted outside. You may wish to tag the tree at the nursery and then pick it up a couple days before Christmas. After Christmas, move the tree to an unheated garage for several days to acclimatize it to outside temperatures. After planting, water well and leave some mulch in place to prevent the soil water from freezing and becoming unavailable for plant uptake. (Ward Upham)

Firewood

Not all firewood is created equal. Some species of trees are able to produce much more heat per cord of wood. A cord is the amount of wood in a well-stacked woodpile measuring 4 feet wide by 8 feet long by 4 feet high.

Following are heat values (in million BTU’s) per cord for various species of tree. The higher the value, the better the wood.

Ash, Green                            22.8
Cottonwood                          15.9
Elm, American                     19.8 Difficult to split
Elm, Siberian                        20.9 Difficult to split
Hackberry                              21.0
Honeylocust                          25.6
Locust, Black                       28.3 Difficult to split
Maple, Sugar                          24.0
Maple, Silver                          18.9
Mulberry                                 25.3
Oak, Red                                24.0
Oak, Bur                                24.9
Oak, Post                                 25.6
Osage Orange (Hedge)       32.6 Sparks, do not use in open fireplace
Sycamore                                19.5 Difficult to split
Walnut, Black                        21.8

The Kansas Forest Service has a publication titled “Managing Your Woodland for Firewood” that is quite helpful. See http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/mf773.pdf .

Remember to obtain firewood locally. Emerald Ash Borer is now in Kansas because of transported wood. (Ward Upham)

Contributors: Ward Upham, Extension Associate

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Horticulture Newsletter 2014, No. 48

12/1/2014

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Video of the Week:
Moth Orchids: Easy to Grow

Ornamentals:
Controlling Volunteer Trees

Though trees are a vital part of our landscapes, there are situations where volunteer trees need to be controlled. This is often a case of the wrong plant in the wrong place. If the tree is a desirable species, you may want to consider transplanting in the spring. If it is not, active control measures would be in order.

Most trees resprout after cutting though some don't. Cutting those that don't resprout is an effective control method. For example, eastern redcedar is a very common species that will not resprout after cutting. Those that do resprout include Siberian elm, hackberry, osage orange (hedgeball), oak, ash, aspen, cottonwood, maple, sycamore, willow and many more. These trees will either need to be dug out or the cut stump treated with herbicide after cutting.

Note that when we say volunteer trees, we mean those that come from seed rather than suckers that originate from the roots of an existing tree. The recommendations given in the remainder of this article are designed to kill these volunteer trees. Using herbicides on suckers will damage and very possibly kill the original tree. Trees that commonly produce suckers include tree of heaven, honeylocust, black locust, hackberry, western soapberry, cottonwood, aspen, poplar, willow and boxelder. It is also possible for larger trees of the same species to be root-grafted. Even though root-grafted trees are not suckers, they do share materials between the individual
root systems and therefore herbicides used to treat one tree can be passed to its neighbor.

Let's say we have a tree we want to control that is a volunteer and there are no other trees of the same species close enough to be root-grafted that we do not wish to harm. What do we do? If the tree is any size, you probably do not want to dig it out. That leaves using a herbicide on the cut stump. Basal treatments are also possible but that is beyond the scope of this article. First decide what herbicide to use.

Triclopyr and glyphosate are the herbicides most commonly available to homeowners. Triclopyr is found in many brush killers and glyphosate is found in Roundup as well as numerous other products. Read the label before purchasing to make sure that a cut stump treatment is listed. Most often the undiluted product is applied to the stump immediately after cutting. A paint brush is often used for the application though some people will dip their pruning shears in the products immediately before cutting. Regardless, it is important that the stump is treated immediately or at least within 5 minutes. Note that a paint brush with foam rather than bristles is less likely to drip.

Trees do not need to be actively growing to be controlled. Actually this time of year is a very good time to treat as long as applications are made when the temperature is above freezing. (Ward Upham)

Flowers:
Poinsettia Care

Modern poinsettia varieties stay attractive for a long time if given proper care. Place your poinsettia in a sunny window or the brightest area of the room, but don't let it touch cold windowpanes. The day temperature should be 65 to 75 degrees F with 60 to 65 degrees at night. Temperatures above 75 degrees will shorten bloom life, and below 60 degrees may cause root rot. Move plants away from windows at night or draw drapes between them to avoid damage from the cold.

Poinsettias are somewhat finicky in regard to soil moisture. Avoid overwatering because poinsettias do not like "wet feet." On the other hand, if the plant is allowed to wilt, it will drop leaves. So how do you maintain proper moisture? Examine the potting soil daily by sticking your finger about one inch deep into the soil. If it is dry to this depth, the plant needs water. When it becomes dry to the touch, water the plant with lukewarm water until some water runs out of the drainage hole, then discard the drainage water. (Ward Upham)

Miscellaneous:
Ice Melters

There are five main materials that are used as chemical de-icers: calcium chloride, sodium chloride (table salt), potassium chloride, urea, and calcium magnesium acetate.

Calcium chloride is the traditional ice-melting product. Though it will melt ice to about -25 degrees F, it will form slippery, slimy surfaces on concrete and other hard surfaces. Plants are not likely to be harmed unless excessive amounts are used.

Rock salt is sodium chloride and is the least expensive material available. It is effective to approximately 12 degrees F, but can damage soils, plants and metals. Potassium chloride can also cause serious plant injury when washed or splashed on foliage. Both calcium chloride and potassium chloride can damage roots of plants.

Urea (carbonyl diamide) is a fertilizer that is sometimes used to melt ice. Though it is only about 10% as corrosive as sodium chloride, it can contaminate ground and surface water with nitrates. Urea is effective to about 21 degrees F.

Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), a newer product, is made from dolomitic limestone and acetic acid (the principal compound of vinegar). CMA works differently than the other materials in that it does not form a brine-like salt but rather helps prevent snow particles from sticking to each other or the road surface. It has little effect on plant growth or concrete surfaces. Performance decreases below 20 degrees F.

Limited use of any of these products should cause little injury.

Problems accumulate when they are used excessively and there is not adequate rainfall to wash or leach the material from the area. Since limited use is recommended it is best to remove the ice and snow by hand when possible. When they are applied, practice moderation. Resist the temptation to over apply just to make sure the ice and snow melts. Keep in mind this can damage concrete surfaces as well as the plants and grass growing along the walks and driveways. These problems are normally latent and do not show up until spring or summer. (Ward Upham)

Compost Pile Maintenance

Compost piles should be turned about once per month even during the winter months. This will insure the composting process continues and that all materials are equally composted. A compost pile is “turned’ when uncomposted material is moved from the sides and tops of the pile to the center where it provides “fuel” for the
microorganisms that break it down. Water may need to be added if the material you move to the center is dry. A tree root feeder is an easy way to add water to a compost pile as the needle can be used to “inject” the pile. Check the moisture content by squeezing a fistful in your hand. It should feel moist but no excess water should drip out. Compress the material as best you can as excess air can slow the composting process. (Ward Upham)

Using Old Garden Seed

Seed catalogs seem to come earlier every year, and many gardeners already have begun to receive them. Garden seed can be expensive, and you may want to consider using seed from previous years. Seed stores best if kept in a cool, dark, dry location. Try a zip-locked plastic bag or a plastic jar such as a reused peanut butter jar to keep seed dry.

Seed will be viable longer if kept between 40 and 50 degrees F. Temperatures a bit lower than 40 degrees are fine as long as they are not sub-freezing. Therefore a refrigerator is a better choice than a freezer which can prove detrimental to seed longevity if there is too much moisture in the seed. Seed that has 8% or less moisture can be frozen without harm and will actually store much longer than seed stored above freezing. Seeds dried to 8% or less
moisture will break instead of bending when folded. Those that have a hard seed coat such as corn and beans will shatter rather than mashing when struck with a hammer.

If your seed is not dry enough for freezing, what should you do? The easiest answer is to store your seed under cool (not freezing) conditions. Drying seeds is a rather involved process and beyond the scope of this article. However, if you would like to try, an excellent reference on an effective procedure is given in the book “Seed to Seed” by Suzanne Ashworth.

Crop groups vary in seed longevity. Use the following as a guide for seed stored under cool, dry conditions.

Crucifers (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli): 4 to 5 years
Corn: 2 to 3 years
Lettuce, endive: 4 to 5 years
Spinach, beets, carrots and chard: 2 to 3 years
Cucurbits: Squash, melons (including watermelon): 4 to 5 years
Tomatoes: 4 years
Peppers: 2 years
Onion, parsley, parsnip and salsify: 1 year

If you are unsure of viability and have plenty of seed, there is an easy method of determining how good your seed is. Place 10 seeds on a paper towel moistened with warm water and cover with a second moistened towel. Roll up the towels and place inside a plastic bag with enough holes for air exchange but not so many that the towels dry quickly. Place the bag in a warm place such as the top of a refrigerator. Remoisten towels with warm water as needed. After
the first week, check for germination. Remove sprouted seed and check again after another week. Add these numbers together to determine the percent germination. (Ward Upham)

Contributors: Ward Upham, Extension Associate

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Horticulture Newsletter 2014, No. 50

Video of the Week:
Low Light Indoors? No Problem!

Upcoming Events:
Great Plains Growers Conference

Final Newsletter of the Season

Miscellaneous:
Care of Fruit Baskets

What to do with the Christmas Tree after Christmas

Storing Pecans and Other Nuts

Horticulture Newsletter 2014, No. 49

Video of the Week:
Easy Care Plants: Pothos and Philodendron

Upcoming Events:

Vegetables:
Storing Potatoes in Cold Temperatures

Flowers:
Care of Christmas and Thanksgiving Cacti

Ornamentals:
Choosing and Caring for your Christmas Tree

Firewood

Horticulture Newsletter 2014, No. 48

Video of the Week:
Moth Orchids: Easy to Grow

Ornamentals:
Controlling Volunteer Trees

Flowers:
Poinsettia Care

Miscellaneous:
Ice Melters

Compost Pile Maintenance

Using Old Garden Seed

Authors

Subscribe to the newsletter by entering your e-mail and clicking the link below

Archives

Categories

Horticulture Newsletter 2014, No. 50

Video of the Week:Low Light Indoors? No Problem!

Upcoming Events:Great Plains Growers Conference

Final Newsletter of the Season

Miscellaneous:Care of Fruit Baskets

What to do with the Christmas Tree after Christmas

Storing Pecans and Other Nuts

Horticulture Newsletter 2014, No. 49

Video of the Week:Easy Care Plants: Pothos and Philodendron

Upcoming Events:

Vegetables:Storing Potatoes in Cold Temperatures

Flowers:Care of Christmas and Thanksgiving Cacti

Ornamentals:Choosing and Caring for your Christmas Tree

Firewood

Horticulture Newsletter 2014, No. 48

Video of the Week:Moth Orchids: Easy to Grow

Ornamentals:Controlling Volunteer Trees

Flowers:Poinsettia Care

Miscellaneous:Ice Melters

Compost Pile Maintenance

Using Old Garden Seed

Authors

Subscribe to the newsletter by entering your e-mail and clicking the link below

Archives

Categories

Video of the Week:
Low Light Indoors? No Problem!

Upcoming Events:
Great Plains Growers Conference

Miscellaneous:
Care of Fruit Baskets

Video of the Week:
Easy Care Plants: Pothos and Philodendron

Vegetables:
Storing Potatoes in Cold Temperatures

Flowers:
Care of Christmas and Thanksgiving Cacti

Ornamentals:
Choosing and Caring for your Christmas Tree

Video of the Week:
Moth Orchids: Easy to Grow

Ornamentals:
Controlling Volunteer Trees

Flowers:
Poinsettia Care

Miscellaneous:
Ice Melters