Colorful Plants That Say Happy Holidays
Jerusalem cherries are one of the most colorful holiday plants you can
buy. When purchased, it is covered with small, round, brilliant-red fruit.
Give bright light and hold as cool as possible (45 to 50 degrees F. at
night) for extended display. Keep the soil evenly moist because leaves
and fruit drop rather quickly if the plant wilts. The fruits are supposedly
poisonous. This plant is seldom worth growing a second year.
Another very colorful and attractive plant for the holidays is the
Christmas Pepper. It holds up quite well even at ordinary room temperatures
and fits beautifully into the holiday color scheme.
Give good light and cool temperatures whenever possible. This annual
is sold in full fruit and should be discarded when no longer attractive.
Insufficient watering causes loss of leaves and rapid disintegration
of fruit. The miniature peppers can be dried for condiment purposes.
But use cautiously - they are very hot.
Source: PENpages News, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences
Winter Effect
As you travel this holiday season keep an eye out for plants with striking
winter effect. This could include plants with red or yellow stems such
as redtwig dogwood, barberry or yellowtwig dogwood and plants with fruit
that remains on the plant well into the winter. As you note these plants,
be thinking how you could incorporate them into your own landscape design.
Would they look good against a stone wall or the white side of a building?
There are many evergreens with yellow, blue or green needles that come
in many sizes so its not too hard to find one that works well in any location.
If you already have the redtwig and yellowtwig dogwoods, but the colors
are not as bright as in past years, you may need to prune out the old
wood. Stems more than two years old tend to darken and lose the bright
color that the plant is noted for. Remove these stems in late winter.
Some other plants with winter effect are: Holly, River Birch, Washington
Hawthorn, Crabapples, SedumAutumn Joy and many ornamental grasses.
Source: PENpages News, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences
Snow Pros and Cons
Snow can serve as an important insulator for plants in the winter. Snow
will moderate the temperature around the plant - at least up to a point.
Extremely low temperatures maintained for long periods may still do plenty
of damage. This doesn't mean snow should be piled around plants. If snow
becomes too compacted, it can cause injury to the plants.
Snow accumulation on top of evergreen shrubs and tree branches can
result in breakage. Always remember to go out after a heavy snowfall
and brush the snow from the evergreens. A broom is usually a good choice
for this chore and will help in reaching those taller shrubs and trees.
Source: PENpages News, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences
Winterburn
Evergreen foliage is killed during late winter. The sun thaws the foliage,
which then refreezes rapidly when the sun is blocked or at sunset and
the foliage temperature rapidly drops. Thawed foliage may lose water that
can't be replaced by roots in frozen soil, so the plant dries out. The
symptoms are browned foliage in the spring, especially on the south or
southwest side of a planting or plant.
Prevent the problem by shading susceptible plants. Use burlap screens,
discarded Christmas trees or any other simple shade source. Because
injury usually occurs in late winter, you need not apply the protection
until after Christmas.
Source: MSU Extension
Winter 1996
Winter Preparation for Ornamental Plants
| Deicing Salt Can Injure Plants
| Bug Bites: Woolly Worms | Hort
Shorts | Hort Tips | Food
Safety: A Procrastinator's Guide to a Safe Holiday Dinner | Food
for Thought: Help! Refrigerator Overload! | Healthy
Cooking: A Quick Start Breakfast | Health
and Household Tips
Index
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