Where To Recycle Your Christmas Trees & Holiday Lights This Year by Vicky Spelman

Many municipalities across Colorado have free tree recycling or composting programs for holiday pines that have served their festive purpose.

What happens to the trees? In most cases, the trees are chipped and made into a mulch which is usually made available, free to city or county residents. 

Norfolk Island Pine by Nancy Shepard

Norfolk Island Pine, Getty Images

Norfolk Island pines are popular during the holiday season and while sometimes used as a substitute for a Christmas tree, they are not really true pines. While my childhood home in San Diego, CA has a huge 20-foot one in the backyard, here in Colorado and other colder zones they are treated like a houseplant. 

Native to an island off the coast of Australia and New Zealand, Norfolk Island pines (Araucaria heterophylla) are actually not pines at all. They're a tropical plant that loves the balmy weather of the South Pacific. The Norfolk Island Pine thrives when it has conditions similar to what it would find on its home island, which means lots of bright indirect light, high humidity, and routine watering. In warm climates, the outdoor plant can reach more than 100 feet tall! Of course, when you keep them in your home, they top out around 6-feet-tall, making them a reasonably-sized tabletop or floor plant for any bright room in your house. 

When it comes to decorating your Norfolk pine for the holidays, stick with lightweight Christmas decorations that won’t weigh down their slender branches. Lights are fine, too, but use LEDs, which don’t generate as much heat as traditional incandescent bulbs. After the holidays, remove the decorations and enjoy this handsome houseplant throughout the year!

High humidity is a must for the Norfolk Pine to thrive. When the humidity is not up to the  Araucaria heterophylla's standards, the tips of the branches may become brown and dry. This is a houseplant that will definitely benefit from a pebble tray or placement near a humidifier.

Norfolk Island pines need at least two hours of bright, indirect sunlight daily to maintain their bright green foliage color. To ensure symmetrical, upright growth, rotate the plant weekly to keep it from permanently bending toward the light source. Temperatures of 60-72°F during the day and slightly cooler at night are optimum.

Brown branches at the bottom of the tree are normal, especially as the tree grows taller, and can be removed. Any brown branches throughout the rest of the tree are an indication that the humidity is low, or the plant needs more consistent watering.

It is possible to propagate Norfolk Island Pines from cuttings, but only cuttings taken from a terminal lead will grow in the symmetrical form that these trees are known for. Also note, that new growth will not emerge from an area that is trimmed.

Sources:

https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/houseplants/1321-norfolk-island-pine/

https://www.thespruce.com/grow-norfolk-island-pine-indoors-1902627

https://extension.psu.edu/norfolk-island-pines

Do’s and Don’ts of Having a Live Christmas Tree

Luan Aikin and certified arborist Mike Landers share the do's and don'ts of having a live Christmas tree including how to bring it into the house for a brief time during the holidays and then successfully planting it.   See video link below. (Originally recorded in 2012.)

https://youtu.be/-YFJTi1cdq8 

Amaryllis Bulbs for the Holidays by Vicky Spelman

Courtesy Home Depot

Amaryllis - another fun bulb to have blooming during the Holidays.  

Amaryllis, freesia, and paperwhite narcissus are three bulbs that don’t need to go through a chilling process to bloom.  When growing amaryllis from bulbs, select large and healthy bulbs – the larger bulbs will produce more stalks and larger blooms.  The bulbs should be firm and dry with no signs of mold, decay or injury.

Bulbs in soil:
Plant the amaryllis bulbs in containers that have a hole for drainage and are deep enough to allow for good root development.  Select a container that has a diameter  about 1-2 inches larger than that of the bulb. This may seem small, but amaryllis bulbs prefer a smaller container. Select a potting medium that has a high organic matter and drains well. The bulb should be planted so that one half of the bulb is above the surface of the potting medium. 

Courtesy Cornell Cooperative Extension

Bulbs that are Waxed:

Waxed amaryllis bulbs are a newer trend.  When the bulbs are waxed, the roots are removed a wire is inserted in the bottom to add stability.  Then it is sealed in wax - and since it is sealed in wax, it doesn’t need to be watered or placed in soil.  Just enjoy the blooms.  

Courtesy Holland Bulb Farms

https://tinyurl.com/Illinois-Ext-waxed-amaryllis

Bulbs in Water:
You can also grow the amaryllis bulbs in just water.  Choose a vase – not too big around, and around 6 (+/-) inches tall, or you can get a vase especially designed for bulbs.  Add pebbles (or glass marbles, etc.) not only for decoration, but to help stabilize the bulb.  Trim off any dead roots, place in vase and slowly add your decorative rock. You don’t want your bulb actually touching/sitting in the water.  Water as needed.  

https://tinyurl.com/amaryllis-bulbs-in-water

See also:  
https://tinyurl.com/amaryllis-in-water

Fun Fact... To keep the stems 1/3 shorter: 

1.  start bulbs in plain water 

2.  when roots have formed and the stems are 1-2 inches tall

3.  drain the water and replace it with a solution of 1-part hard liquor (gin, vodka, etc.) to 7 parts water.  

Nothing will be affected except the stem heights.  
Using Liquor:  https://blogs.cornell.edu/hort/2009/11/10/picklin...

For more on Amaryllis: 
CSU: https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/houseplants/1303-amaryllis/

Cornell Cooperative Extension: https://warren.cce.cornell.edu/gardening-landscape/warren-county-master-gardener-articles/forcing-bulbs-indoors

Sweet Potatoes, Yams, and other Thanksgiving plants by Vicky Spelman

Courtesy Iowa State University

Are sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?  No, sweet potatoes and yams are different plants.  

Soldiers Gardening During Wartime by Nancy Shepard

 

Ukrainian soldier planting potatoes in a trench in the 2022 war zone. Photo: Pravda Gerashenko 

This Friday, November 11^th, is Veteran’s Day for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. I found a Jeffco CMG blog written in 2010 by Elaine Lockey that featured a book, “Defiant Gardens: Making Gardens in Wartime” by Kenneth Helphand. In the book, gardens prove to be an invaluable inspiration for people in war time. Besides the highlights of the ghetto gardens and the barbed-wire gardens of the prisoners of war and internment camps in the World Wars, soldiers themselves planted gardens in conflict war zones: the trench gardens built during WWI, Gulf War gardens built in Saudi Arabia, a base camp garden in Baghdad, Iraq, and now in in the trenches of Ukraine.

Leave Ornamental Grasses Alone Until Spring by Nancy Shepard

 

Ruby Muhly Photo: Plant Select

As we see plants in our garden die off, some of us might have the urge to tidy everything up. One of the plant categories that can benefit most from a hands-off approach are the ornamental grasses.

Dying, off-color pine needles normal in autumn by Colorado State Forest Service

Courtesy of Colorado State Forest Service

Although thousands of evergreen trees in Colorado’s high country, foothills and communities are beginning to display dying yellow or brown needles, most are simply going through a natural shedding process – they are not being damaged by bark beetles or any specific tree insect or disease. (Courtesy of Colorado State Forest Service) 

Protecting your Pumpkin Masterpieces by Vicky Spelman

Pexels

Getting ready to carve your pumpkins?  Here are some tips to help your pumpkin masterpieces last for Halloween or your special event.    

Fall Maintenance of Garden Tools

 

Photo: Pexels: Buntysmum

While making plans to build a garden shed and taking inventory of what we want to put into it, I realized that in the twenty-plus years we’ve been in this house, I’ve always stored my garden tools outside. They have a bit of rust and the wooden handles have taken a heavy beating. Time to rescue them!

Introducing New Staff Members by Vicky Spelman

We would like to introduce two of our new staff members. 

Hania Oleszak

Please welcome Hania Oleszak as our new CSU Extension Agent for Horticulture, Plant Pathology and Food Systems. Hania has her Bachelors in biology from Boston College and her Masters in Soil Science from CSU. While she has previous experience working at Cornell Extension on vegetable pathology and plant breeding research, she's excited to delve deeper into the horticultural field in this position. Hania’s also passionate about sustainable food systems and regenerative agriculture, so she's especially looking forward to exploring and contributing to Jefferson County's food system. When Hania’s not at work, you're likely to find her skiing or rock climbing, tending her house plants or her cat, or cooking something up in the kitchen!

Garden Successes and Failures by Sue Zirbes

Photo:  Sue Zirbes

We asked our Master Gardeners to share what successes and failures they’ve experienced in their gardens this year....

Garden Successes and Failures by Sally Blanchard

Scarlet Runner Beans
Baker Creek Seeds

We asked our Master Gardeners to share what successes and failures they’ve experienced in their gardens this year....

Extending Your Tomatoes at the End of the Season

Photo taken October 25, 2014 by E.J. Bennet

We’ve had several Master Gardeners in the past few years give us tips on extending and preserving the last crops of tomatoes. Their advice is still sound and worth trying. Thanks to E.J. Bennet, Joyce D’Agostino, and Carol King.

Speed Ripening

If you want to maximize your tomato output through the first frost, follow these steps in late August or early September to speed-ripen them on the vine:

Time to Divide Your Iris by Vicky Spelman

Photo:  Pixabay

It’s hard to beat Iris in your landscape with the numerous species and cultivars in almost every shade of color imaginable.  Plus, the foliage adds texture and interest to garden spaces even when the flowers aren’t in bloom.  

Growing Your “Third Season” Crops By Joyce D’Agostino

Leafy Greens Photo: Colorado State University

By now, many gardeners are enjoying the bounty of their warm season vegetables such as tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers. However we do know that these vegetables do not tolerate frosts well and their production will be done in the fall.

If you would like to continue to harvest into the fall, there is still time to plant a few hardy garden crops. Many of these vegetables are very nutritious and will help extend your garden harvests even after some frosts.

My Vegetables Are Too Hot! by Nancy Shepard

Shade screen over vegie garden. Photo by Nancy Shepard

With recent hot weather hitting 96 degrees before 10 am, I knew my vegetable garden would struggle. I remembered a presentation on growing vegetables in Colorado by Darrin Parmenter with CSU Extension in La Plata County several years ago. I was surprised to learn that tomato plants fail to produce if daytime temperatures get above 90 degrees by 10 am. He said the blossoms would abort their attempt to produce fruit. He also said that peppers were similar to tomatoes with mild peppers' optimal temperatures between 65-90 degrees and hot peppers' optimal temperatures between 75-90 degrees. And even my heat-tolerant lettuces will start to bolt and become bitter when temperatures are above 80 degrees.

What’s Eating my Potted Flowers? By Vicky Spelman

A favorite morning ritual is to head outdoors with my coffee and check on the garden and the potted flowers.  It’s comforting to look at the plants and see everything growing.  What’s not comforting is to find part of the garden or potted flowers have been munched on.  

Slow the Flow by Nancy Shepard

Photo: Peggychouair Pixabay

Last year when I was researching how homeowners could get help replacing their thirsty lawns, I came across Resource Central located in Boulder. They have several conservation programs for residential homeowners: Garden in a Box, Lawn Replacement Service, Slow the Flow and more.

Tips for Heat Stress in the Garden by Vicky Spelman

Heat stress in cucurbita moschata
Photo:  iStock

Whew... it is hot in our area (Denver Metro).  Are you seeing heat stress in your plants?  Different plants can have different reactions.  Here are a few signs to look for and some tips to manage it. 

It’s Time to Arm Yourself Against Yellowjackets by Joyce D’Agostino

[Originally published June 2017]

Recently I assisted another Master Gardener at an information table at a public event. One of the people attending the event stopped by our table and saw materials about bees. She stated that she didn’t like bees and wanted none of them in her garden. One of her friends told her she was very mistaken, we all need bees to help with pollinating our gardens. This person insisted that the “bees” were very bothersome and she was concerned she could get stung. After talking with her for a few moments and asking her to describe what she was seeing, her description matched the Western Yellowjacket (Vespula spp.) Despite me telling her it wasn’t a bee, she still felt that it was part of the “bee family” and she wanted no part of any bees around her garden.

Summer Solstice by Vicky Spelman

Courtesy Pixabay

Hello Summer and the longest day of the year! 

Summer Solstice 2022 in the Northern Hemisphere arrives at at 3:13 AM on Tuesday, June 21st in Denver.  In terms of daylight, this day is 5 hours, 38 minutes longer than the December solstice.   

I'll take that house by the Native Mason Bees & Vicky Spelman

Mason bee moving in May 27, 2022
All Photos: Vicky Spelman

Recently, I found an abandoned mud dauber’s nest that I sat down on a work/storage table under the covered patio. A few days later, I noticed a lot of activity around this mud nest.  The mason bees were moving in – ready made housing for them.  

Building Berms: Lessons Learned by Nancy Shepard

2022 front yard with berm, four years after installation. Photo by Nancy Shepard

When we replaced our front yard landscape in 2018, I wanted to make our yard a little more private. We live on a corner and even though the traffic is minimal, it made sense to not only create a bit of privacy, but also give the yard a bit of visual dynamic. 

Organic Gardening in a Nutshell by Amy Norwood

Organic lawn fertilizer with an OMRI logo, Photo: Amy Norwood

Gardening season is here. If you're reading this blog post, chances are that you're a gardener who cares about the impact your garden has on nature and you want to minimize the impact. Learning about organic gardening practices and including them in your gardening routine can move you toward that goal. But what exactly are organic gardening practices?

My Winter-Time Master Gardener Work by Ed Powers

One of the African Violets grown in the winter enclosure.
We did lose some of the violets due to the moisture level
but most of them made it.

Every late fall and winter are an interesting time for me as a Master Gardener at 8,000 feet.  I enjoy gardening during the late spring and summer.  My question after summer is what is next.  

Hardening Off and Transplanting Seedlings

 

Photo by Brooke Coburn

It is time to begin to transplant tender seedlings outdoors, and seedlings that have grown indoors up to this point need special treatment before being planted outdoors. These seedlings are used to lower light levels, protection from the elements, and ample water. So they will need to adjust gradually to the outdoor environment, a process called hardening off.

Drip Watering Pots and Plant Containers by Gardener Dave

Some years ago I swore off clay pots in my landscaping layout. My reason for this is:  In our dry climate, small clay pots dry out “before you can put the hose away” – especially the unglazed ones.  Glazed pots fare a little better, but beware of the darker colors as they absorb radiant heat and can cook plant roots if they are in full sun all day.

I still like the look of unglazed clay pots, especially in groups with the largest in the center, or large-to-small arrangement. The “Italian style” pots with the thicker rounded rims are my favorites.  Hmmmm… now I’m talking about “my favorite unglazed pots”!  What convinced me to use them again after I had sworn off?

Watch Out for Hail Season! by Joyce D'Agostino

 

Photo: Joyce D'Agostino

For many of us, having to deal with hailstorms is a reality. In this area of Colorado, we are in a hail zone meaning that we can experience more than the average hail events, and some of them can wipe out your garden in minutes.

Earth Day 2022 by Vicky Spelman

“This is the moment to change it all — the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. Now is the time for the unstoppable courage to preserve and protect our health, our families, and our livelihoods.”

“For Earth Day 2022, we need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably). It’s going to take all of us. All in. Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. A partnership for the planet.” ~EarthDay.org

Cheap Versus Expensive Seeds by Nancy Shepard

Seeds can cost from $1.00 to $5.00 a packet or more. Are expensive seeds that much better? Turns out that less expensive seed must meet the same minimum germination standard as expensive seed, but that’s not the whole story. Federal and state laws ensure that all commercially available farm and garden seeds are properly tested for purity, noxious weed seeds, and germination rates. The 2017 Colorado Seed Act “prevents the distribution and use of poor quality seed through the regulation of labeling, labelers, and the sellers of seed for propagation.”  https://ag.colorado.gov/plants/seed

April Fools' Day gardening... by Vicky Spelman

 Some fun April Fools' Day gardening pranks...

image courtesy of Mr. Plant Geek 

Power-flower – the USB sunflower

A press release issued by Thompson & Morgan’s horticultural innovators in 2014 was about the amazing FlowerPower product, which could charge an iPad or mobile phone and had a waterproof USB port in its stem.  Of course, it was a prank, but would have been neat and useful if real.

A Different Approach to Growing Basil by Amy Norwood

 

Photo: Amy Norwood

Basil is a wonderful herb for the summer garden because it pairs so well with tomatoes and other summer garden veggies!  Left to its own devices, the basil plant will produce a spike of small flowers on the end of each stem.  The flowers eventually become seeds.  The conventional wisdom for growing basil is to pinch off the flower spikes when they appear.  If you want to eat the basil, by pinching the flowers you encourage the plant to put its energy into growing leaves, not making seeds.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day by Vicky Spelman

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Tis a grand day to be Irish!
My wish for all of you!
May green be the grass you walk on!
May blue be the skies above you!
Pure be the joy that surrounds you!
True be the hearts that love you!
☘🍀☘🍀☘
May all your gardens be healthy
May all your gardens have wonderful veggies!
☘☘☘☘☘.

What Do Our Master Gardeners Grow? Part 3

We polled our Master Gardeners, and this is what they said....

Plants I'll Always Plant:  Verbena bonariensis

Plant I'm Itching to Try:   Salvia Dorris (Desert Sage)

Forget About It:  Hibiscus - I’ve tried about 6 times!
~Master Garden Cherie

What Do Our Master Gardeners Grow? Part 2

 

From Master Gardener Pam:

Plants I'll always plant:  Perennials, low water, deer and rabbit resistant, attract pollinators and hummingbirds. Butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa,) Hyssop (hyssopus officinalis,) Caryoperis, Lavender cotton (santolina chamaecyparissus,) Kannah Creek buckwheat (eriognum umbellatum v. aureum,) Penstemon, Sedum, Yarrow (achillea,) Lavender, Tickseed (coreopsis,) Salvia, Rudebeckia, Pincushion flower, Blue fescue (Festuca glauca,) Dwarf fragrant sumac (rhus aromatic,) Lemon lace elderberry (sambucus racemosa,) Hostas, Sweet woodruff (gallum ororatum,) Roses – I usually look for zone 4 or Canadian.  Morden Sunrise and Dainty Bess from Hi Country Roses are favorites.

Plants I'm itching to try:  Salvia ‘maraschino’, Lead plant (amorpha canescens),  Englemann’s daisy (englemannia peristenia)

Forget about it:  Oregano,  New Mexican privet 

What do our Master Gardeners grow? Part I ~your Blog Team

We polled our Master Gardeners, and this is what they said....

Plants I’ll Always Plant:  Gwen's Buffalo Currant (Ribes aureum), Serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis), Ninebark (Physocarpus monogynus), Blue Flax (Linum lewisii), Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleome serrulata)

Plants I’m itching to try:  Dwarf Leadplant (Amorpha nana), Dotted Blazing Star (Liatris punctata), Dwarf Rabbitbrush (Ericameria viscidiflorus)

Forget About It????  NO! - I WON'T forget to leave a dead tree or 2 for the woodpeckers, who make holes for nesting habitat for over 30 species of birds.  And I WON'T be keeping my garden tidy.  Insects and birds need a messy habitat full of seeds, plant stems, leaf matter and hiding places!

~Colorado Master Gardener Molly  

Science Idea for young gardeners - beans sprouting by Vicky Spelman

Do you have some old CD cases around?  They are perfect for a science experiment to show beans sprouting with some potting soil.   No CDs around – use a glass jar, and some cotton balls or crinkled up paper towels.  Beans are easy to sprout and will benefit from presoaking for several hours – or overnight (up to around 12 hours).

Weather – Workin’ the Swing Shift by Patti O’Neal

 [Republished from February 2011]

What is a plant to do?  It’s February and all but a few plants should be peacefully enjoying the delicious dormancy of winter.  In the restful sleep of hibernation each plant sends good thoughts to its root zone where precious nutrients are stored to be called on when the sunshine of spring and early summer tease them to life by warming the soil and sending messages of new growth.  That’s in a perfect world.  But this year as well as others we are experiencing anything but perfect. 

Early Tree Sales are Starting Up by Nancy Shepard

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese proverb

Burr Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)  Photo: Arbor Valley Nursery

While it’s still only February, some Colorado communities are taking early orders for trees they provide to citizens free or at a low cost. Arbor Day is Friday, April 29^th and here are just a few examples of where you can get trees. Check with your local County or City for information specific to your area.

Grow This Cuke! by Amy Norwood

Salt and Pepper Cucumbers

Several years ago, I went to a local garden store in May looking for cucumber starts.  The store had two shelves full of cucumber plants, one shelf labeled “slicing” and the other labeled “pickling.”  I wanted to grow cucumbers for salad, so I grabbed some plants from the slicing shelf and bought them.

When I got home, I looked at the plant tags more closely and discovered they were pickling cucumbers, a white-skinned variety called “Salt and Pepper.”  Aaaaargh!  Why were pickling cucumbers on the slicing shelf? 

This is the 'Year of Salad Greens' - by Vicky Spelman

National Garden Bureau

Ready to plant a salad?  The National Garden Bureau has some great suggestions for salads.  This is the ‘Year of the Salad Greens’.

Get creative using the greens! Most greens can be served raw, wilted, blanched, sautéed, or grilled.

Basic Types and Variety Names...

Gardening Infographics by Nancy Shepard

The Ever Blooming Flower Garden by Lee Schneller 2009

When I was working in the technology industry, I saw firsthand how showing people information in a visual form was so much more powerful than looking at plain numbers and text. Now as a Master Gardener, I am thrilled to see artists interpret gardening and horticultural data into easy-to-understand graphics or what’s better known as infographics. Here are just a few I have come across and I’m sure you've seen great examples too.

2022 Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference by Nancy Shepard

 

This year’s Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants conference is being held on Saturday, February 26^th and runs 9:30 AM to 4 PM. I attended the conference last year and found it to have very valuable information and I plan on attending again. The Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference promotes the inclusion of native plants in our landscaping to benefit pollinators and songbirds, save water, and restore the beauty and health of nature in the places we live, work and play.  

Pantone's Color of the Year by Vicky Spelman

Sapphire Indigo Clematis
Courtesy Star Rose and Plants

Pantone, a globally recognized color institute, has created Very Peri (Pantone 17-3938) as its Color of the Year for 2022. 

It encompasses the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time possesses a violet-red undertone for a joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages lots of creativity and imaginative expression.  ~Pantone

We gardeners would call it periwinkle.  Look for this color to show up at your local nurseries.  Here are some plant ideas for incorporating this color in your garden/yard.

Garden Benefits of Snow By Joyce D’Agostino

Photo: Joyce D'Agostino

We’re all aware that getting a good soaking rain or bountiful snowfall helps to relieve drought conditions throughout the year and also helps to keep the field crops and gardens well hydrated and healthy. In addition to the moisture, there are some additional benefits from winter and spring snowfall.