Holiday time brings with it a couple of myths concerning plants. One persistent piece of misinformation is that poinsettias are poisonous. That’s false for petsas well as humans.

Another is that it isn’t good for the environment to buy live trees that have been cut down. Actually, 98 percent of commercially sold Christmas trees are planted and grown for that very purpose. And once they’ve been cut, more are planted.

If no one buys them, they won’t be planted or grown anymore, and their air-cleaning benefits in the environment will be lost. (Future Christmas trees remove dust and pollen from the air during the seven to 10 years it takes each tree to reach maturity.)

More people are choosing artificial trees because they can be kept up for a long period of time and don’t drop their needles, but there’s something about the fragrance of a live tree wafting through the whole house that greatly appeals to many of us.

The third option — buying a live tree and planting it outdoors in your yard after the holidays are past, is a bit more complicated, but lets you combine holiday memories and landscaping.

When I was a teenager, we lived next door to a family that bought a good-sized live pine each year at Christmas and then planted them in a row to make a living fence on the side of their property. It was a fun project for them — they could tell you which year each tree was planted — and over the years, created a sense of privacy in their yard.

When choosing a live tree to plant outdoors later, the first step is to make sure it’s a type that will thrive in this area. Recommended species include white pine, Virginia pine, Fraser fir, Douglas fir and Colorado blue spruce.

If you’re buying locally at a Christmas tree farm, any of the species that are growing for them will grow for you. But beware of balled and burlapped trees brought to lots and stores from much farther north. Those may not grow well in this region’s summer heat.

Care for cut trees

Look for a fresh tree with a straight trunk. To determine freshness, run your hand down a branch toward you to see if needles fall off. (Bad sign.) Check the tips of several branches to make sure they’re flexible. (Good sign.) Also good: a strong fragrance and a good green color. (Deepness of the color will vary among species of trees.)

Lift the tree several inches and shake it or bump the trunk against the ground to see if lots of needles fall off. Don’t worry too much about some needles on the interior of the tree falling out; that’s normal. But if needles farther out on the branches fall off, the tree isn’t fresh.

Once you’ve made your selection, make a 1-inch cut off the bottom of the trunk and immediately insert the trunk in a bucket of water. If the cut is made when you buy the tree, go right home and place the tree in water. Plain water is fine; no need to worry about additives, many of which do nothing to help. Keep it in water until it goes indoors.

In the house, the most important thing you can do for your cut Christmas tree is to keep it away from heat (watch out for fireplaces) and to check the water supply every day without fail and add more as needed.

For advice on how to care for live trees that will be planted outdoors, see http://mdc.mo.

Pooja. Thakkar 16 Nov 2011

If you want to plant trees this fall, it”s the perfect time to do so.

Rather than choosing flowering or shade trees, how about fruit trees? You”ll be adding beauty and have fruit to enjoy as well. Fruit trees do take a bit more care, but it will be worth it in the years to come.

If you decide to do that, these suggestions may help you get your home orchard off to a good start:

•If you live in the city and have only a small lot, consider purchasing dwarf or semi-dwarf fruit trees.

Dwarf or semi-dwarf trees have usually been grafted, so take precautions after planting to protect them from winter and critter damage. I”ll cover that later in this column.

•If you plan to plant the tree yourself, or are doing this project with your children or grandchildren, find trees that are no more than 6 to 8 feet in height.

•When planting, purchase balled or burlap stock. (Plant bare root stock in the spring.)

•After deciding where you will plant your tree (in full sun), and before digging the hole, soak the ground thoroughly. This is an important step, so don”t rush the process.

•Measure the root ball (mass), depth and width, then dig a hole slightly larger than these measurements.

•Loosen the soil around the sides and bottom of the hole so the roots will have something to cling to as they grow outward. If you don”t do this, the roots will just circle the hole and become root bound.

•If you know you have critters, such as moles and gophers, you can line the sides and bottom of the hole with chicken wire.

•Shovel compost or topsoil, or a mixture of both, into a bit of a mound at the bottom of the hole. Position the tree on that and fill it three-quarters of the way with the compost/topsoil mixture. Finally, use topsoil to finish filling the hole.

•If you are planting grafted root stock, make sure the graft is above the soil line.

•Water well and allow it to drain away. Tamp down the soil surface and add more soil, leaving a trench-like area around the base of the tree so the rain will go directly to the roots of the tree and not run off.

•If you are planting grafted stock, staking it for the first year will give it stability from strong winds that could pull it out of the ground.

•Paint the graft and lower trunk with white latex paint to protect it from sun scald.

Also, protect the bark and graft from critters girdling the tree by installing a tree collar either made of wire or hardware cloth or circular prefabricated collars found at most nurseries.

•If you have deer problems, make a protective cage around the trunk. Pound stakes in the ground and wrap them with wire that has 3- to 4-inch square holes and is 5 to 6 feet in height.

•Finally, add a 2-inch layer of mulch. This can be crushed stone or pea gravel, which is a great vole deterrent. Wood mulch isn”t recommended, as it invites voles and mice to set up housekeeping.

•Watch for my blog in Features at www.news-sentinel.com, which will contain more strategies on how to have fruitful trees.

By TRAE BODGE

As far as gardening goes, I”m about as amateur as they come. I know that spring is a prime time for plants, but I”ve also heard that a lot of gardening needs to be done in the fall. To understand exactly what needs to be done now, I sought out advice from a few horticulture masters.

Alice Krieg, co-founder of New Yorkbased garden firm Groundworks, says that fall is actually the best time for gardening. “There”s an abundance of color, berries, flowers, foliage turning and more,” she says. “It”s also a time for spring planning and protection from cold temperatures, so what you do now in the garden is really evidenced in spring and summer.”

Grass

If you love a lush, healthy lawn, fall is a great time to nourish it. In addition to using a well-balanced fertilizer, Craig Jenkins-Sutton, the president of Chicago-based Topiarius Urban Garden & Floral Design, advises us to leave the grass clippings in the lawn after you mow. “This will really boost soil fertility for next year, as the clippings add a natural and effective fertilizer,” he says. “It”s also a good time to overseed your lawn to help fill in the holes.”

Shrubs and Perennials

To ensure a healthy, gorgeous garden in the spring, be sure to give your flowers and bushes some extra TLC now. “Cut down perennials to about four to five inches above the soil and plant new perennials, bulbs and shrubs,” Krieg says. “Also, wrap tender shrubs with burlap to prevent sun scald.”

Jenkins-Sutton agrees that fall is a great time to start planting. He suggests adding a layer of compost or natural mulch to your garden beds in an effort to increase soil fertility. “The warm soil temperatures, cool air temperatures and increased rain in the fall all help new plants get established,” he says.

The good news is that you don”t have to water your plants as often during the fall and winter, so garden maintenance actually gets easier as the weather gets colder!

Vegetables

Just because summer is over doesn”t mean you should let your vegetable garden go. Jenkins-Sutton suggests growing greens like lettuce and spinach because they can live in the cold, and they have a quick harvest time – only 30 days!

Even if you”re not planning to garden this fall, make sure to utilize those leftover plants. “Clean up dead vegetables, compost the debris and add compost or seed-free straw as a mulch on the beds,” Jenkins-Sutton says. “Till it into the bed in spring to build strong and healthy soil.”

Weeds

Stay on top of weed control deep into the fall. If manual weeding is too laborious, Jenkins-Sutton recommends an herbicide that breaks down quickly in the soil. He also reassures us that while weeding is important, there”s no need to go overboard (which was happy news to this lazy weeder). “Biodiversity is OK!” he says. “Clover is drought-tolerant, helps aerate the soil, has a pretty little flower and works to add nitrogen to the soil.”

Leaves are turning and the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers have finished the season, but there”s still time to grow and enjoy some of the sweetest, crispiest, most flavorful vegetables of the year. Cool-season vegetables do best when the average daytime temperature is 65 to 80 degrees, and nighttime temperatures stay in the 40-degree range. Hot weather causes them to become bitter or go to seed, but many can tolerate cooler temperatures and even a light frost.

Cool-season crops still need at least six hours of full sun a day, so plant in rich, well-drained soil that isn”t shaded. Select seeds packaged with detailed “days to maturity” information, and then find the average date of your area”s first autumn frost. Count the days to maturity backward from the first frost date to determine when to plant. Work some organic fertilizer or compost into the soil about a week before planting, and add a bit at the base of the plants a few weeks later.

Once up and growing, most vegetables need about an inch of water per week, and they”ll benefit more from about two deep applications than more frequent light ones. But germinating and newly sprouted seeds should be lightly and frequently sprinkled until they”re well established. Use dried grass clippings, mulch, newspapers or straw to cover the area around the seeds to help keep the soil moist and reduce weeds. Fall garden greens are more productive when harvested early and often. Use the “cut-and-come-again” method of taking mature outside leaves rather than the whole plant. Even if you cut from the center, if you don”t cut too closely to the plant”s base, you”ll have new greens to harvest in a matter of days.

Extend the growing season by covering the plants on freezing nights. Use light blankets, burlap or floating row covers supported by stakes or wire or hoops to keep them off the plants. Be sure they”re pulled off once the sun is up. Giving plants even one more layer of protection is like moving the whole garden one full gardening zone south. For an even longer season, build a simple cold frame from inexpensive, recycled materials like straw bales piled up to form walls covered by an old window.

Here are some favorite cool-season crops. Try them, and see which you enjoy, and which do best in your gardening area.

Cut-and-come-again greens:

–Lettuce. Loose-leaf varieties including “Black-seeded Simpson,” “Green Ice” and “Prizehead”; erect, cylindrical head varieties like “Medallion,” “Rouge d”Hiver” romaine and “Olga.”

–Spinach. “Tyee hybrid,” “Dark Green Bloomsdale” and “Hybrid 7.”

–Swiss chard. Yellow and green varieties are hardier than the pinks and reds.

–Kale. “Blue Knight” and “Early Siberian.”

Hardy roots: –Beets. “Ruby Queen,” “Red Ace,” “Pacemaker II”” Harvest when beets are one to three inches across, and before the first hard frost.

–Carrots. “Scarlet Nantes,” “Little Finger,” “Danvers Half Long” and “Spartan Bonus.” In colder climates, sow 70 days, and harvest before, the first hard frost. In milder climates, store right in the ground and dig up as needed.

–Radishes. “Early Scarlet Globes,” “Cherry Belle,” “Snowbells” and “White Icicle.” Radishes left in the ground too long become pithy. Harvest them when young and sweet, as early as three weeks after planting.

–Turnips. “Purple Top,” “White Globe” and “Just Right.” They taste best when they”re medium-sized, about three inches in diameter. Store in the ground, cover with mulch and dig as needed. The tops are also delicious cooked as greens.

Acid-loving plants such as holly, azaleas and rhododendrons should be well watered as needed until cold weather sets in. If leaves are turning yellow, apply a sulfur or fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants now to improve the color by spring.

Keep spraying roses to control diseases. Deep watering is necessary at least once a week. Do not feed so the plants will start to harden off for winter protection. Avoid cutting plants too heavily from now on as they survive winter better if most of the growth is allowed to remain on the plants.

Herbs such as parsley, rosemary, chives, thyme and marjoram can be dug from the garden and placed in pots for growing indoors in winter.

Now is the time to improve perennial beds or establish new ones. Prepare soil deeply for new plantings or resetting divisions and add extra organic matter such as cotton burr compost and triple phosphate, which aids in good root development.

Fall is an ideal times to establish ground covers. Use in shaded areas, steep slopes or just to reduce the size of the lawn. The same planting procedure is used as in any other planting. Liriope, lily-of-the-valley, low-growing junipers, perennial geraniums and azaleas are a few recommended plants. To these, add spring bulbs for each color.

Begin preparing houseplants for the indoors. Prune back rampant growth and check for pests.

Article by Ann Lapides of Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 N. Woodlawn Ave. in Kirkwood.

This is how Megan Ranstrom describes her work overseeing vegetable soil trials for the Central Utah Water Conservancy District in Orem. This summer, Ranstrom and her horticultural assistant Casey Finlinson tested four soil types for raised bed gardening, and now the tantalizing results are in.

Different soils produced yields night and day apart.

Of the four plots, the two using commercial loam topsoil did the worst. The two plots using commercial artificial soil simply exploded with vegetables, including the largest tomato plant a Daily Herald reporter had ever seen, perfect yellow Spanish onions, and great beans, melons, peppers, cucumbers, chard, strawberries and more.

The good news is that all four plots produced great vegetables. But the two with artificial soil far and away yielded more — much, much more.

The soils tested were first, loam topsoil purchased at a local greenhouse, with nitrogen added at 21-0-0; second, the same soil and nitrogen with “Black Gold Compost Blend”; third, “Mel”s Mix Square Foot Gardening Soil”; and fourth, “Miller”s Mix.”

Surprisingly, the loam-compost mix yielded the least vegetables, Ranstrom said. The same mix with just nitrogen yielded slightly better. The “Square Foot” mix probably tripled the yield of the first two, and Miller”s Mix did even better.

But there is a catch.

The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

Gardeners have been composting for centuries. Compost is a great source of organic matter and a great option for the disposal of yard waste.

Composting can reduce household waste by 35 percent. When done properly, compost emits no odor and the finished product has an earthy scent.

All organic material contains carbon and nitrogen — it is the ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C:N) that determines the rate of decomposition in the compost pile.

Materials with a higher amount of carbon are referred to as brown material because they are dry. Materials with a higher amount of nitrogen are referred to as green material because they are more fresh and moist. Too much carbon or brown material and the pile will be cold and inactive. Too much nitrogen or green material and the pile will be hot and smell like rotten eggs.

“Compost scientists” have determined that the fastest way to produce earthy smelling compost is by maintaining a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 25-30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen (25-30:1). A general guideline is 2-parts green material to 1-part brown material. The temperature of an active compost pile is around 140 degrees.

It is important to know what can be composted and what cannot be composted.

Do compost the following green materials (nitrogen sources): grass clippings, weeds and other garden debris, dead plants, chopped food scraps, chopped fruit wastes, coffee grounds and tea bags, and manure from herbivores (veggie eaters).

Do compost the following brown materials (carbon sources): leaves, straw, hay, nut shells, pine needles, corn stalks and peat moss.

Do not compost the following materials: invasive weeds and grasses that have gone to seed; large amounts of water logged materials should be dried before being added to the pile; branches and wood chunks are best chipped and used as mulch; wood ash and lime will raise the pH of the finished product; charcoal from the grill contains sulfur dioxide and other chemicals; meat, grease, bones, skin, dairy products and fatty acids will attract scavengers; organic material laden with pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals; and manure from carnivores (meat eaters).

Compost slowly releases nutrients into the soil over a period of one to two years, improving soil aeration, tilth and drainage. When compost is used as mulch, it controls weeds, prevents erosion, conserves water and protects plant roots from sun and wind.

Whereas most soil amendments either improve drainage or improve water retention, adding compost will correct either problem. My theory is: “You can never go wrong adding compost to the garden and you can never add too much.”

Once wryly referred to as “tar beaches,” hot, windswept apartment roofs have morphed into urban oases, replete with overflowing pots of annuals and perennials, herbs, vines and even fruit trees or walls of shrubbery.

“The increase in rooftop gardens is definitely a growing trend. Roof gardens are sprouting up in cities all over,” said Laura Yip, who chronicles her adventures in urban gardening at http://nycroofgardenproject.blogspot.com/

Luxury condos are installing “green roofs” as an amenity, while enhancing energy efficiency, and locavore movement chefs lovingly tend to their herb and vegetable crops to spike their sauces and grace their artisanal pizzas.

But urban horticulture doesn”t come easily. Outdoor space can range from a tiny balcony to sprawling aeries with dining areas, outdoor fireplaces and trickling waterfalls.

Growing a mix of thriving plants in the harsh conditions of most city rooftops takes planning, dedication, time and money. But it”s still a bargain compared to the cost of a beach house.

“I would love to have a yard,” said Amy Karafin, who maintains pots of annuals, herbs and perennials on her small terrace in Brooklyn. “The soil and watering situation are so much easier. Gardening with pots requires a lot more care and creativity.

Karafin said her plants dry out quickly and keeping the soil pest-free requires effort. But there are upsides, too.

“In New York, a garden usually means a shade garden, and I like my sunny terrace,” she said. “It”s more like an open-air room full of awesome plants.”

Weeds, the bane of most gardeners, are also less of a problem.

“Container gardening is a much more controlled environment, and weeds are less likely to find their way into a roof garden,” said Yip. “And those that do are easy to pull out.”

TREASURED GREEN SPACES

Amber Freda, who specializes in roof garden design, installation and maintenance, said in cities roof gardens are some of the most treasured green spaces.

“Roof gardens are like little secret jewels hidden out of reach in the clouds, nestled between skyscrapers and birds,” she said.

Watering is often the biggest challenge. For gardeners without an irrigation system, it can mean lugging water up stairs or running a hose from the kitchen or bathroom sink.

And for anyone who travels regularly, keeping plants healthy often requires daily attention. Mike Roselli curtailed the plantings on his Washington balcony this summer because of frequent absences.

“Even though I usually have it planted with sedum and other drought-tolerant plants like agave, it just bakes in the Washington heat.”

Roselli said experience is the best teacher.

“Slow-growing plants that don”t need much water work best. I gave up on flowering annuals a long time ago,” he said.

Less-than hardy herbs such as basil and parsley also tend to go to seed quickly if not regularly tended. Roselli also relies on tricks such as small-leaf ivy, which spreads its tendrils among his other pots, keeping them shady and cool.

Knowing the space, including how much direct sun it gets and whether it will be exposed to strong winds, is another key to success.

“Roof gardens have to deal with extremes in temperature and high winds that can quickly shred large-leaf plants not suitable to life atop a mountain-like rooftop,” Freda explained.

The amount of sunlight will dictate whether you”ll have a bumper crop of tomatoes or a hedge of hostas. In an exposed area like an open rooftop, experts say hearty shrubs and bushes, fruit trees, junipers and grasses can withstand strong winds. But in a sheltered area, you might forego staking tall-stemmed, top-heavy flowers such as lilies or peonies.

Meanwhile, vegetables are withering on the vine, flowers droop listlessly and TV meteorologists continue to drop the unpleasant-sounding term “heat dome” into their nightly reports.

So how can gardeners save their plants in this stifling weather? We called Todd Forrest, vice president for horticulture and living collections at the New York Botanical Garden, for suggestions. “Gardeners are sort of obsessed with the weather,” Mr. Forrest said. “I’m particularly obsessed, being in charge of a 250-acre garden in the Bronx.”

What is the biggest problem gardeners are having in this heat?

Most people garden part time, which means that, with weather like we’re having now, you have to parcel out your time carefully and wisely. When it’s 100-plus degrees and it hasn’t rained in a couple of weeks, the most important thing is to keep your plants hydrated. Watering supersedes all other tasks.

Is there a time of the day that is best for watering?

The best time is in the cool of the morning. Or, if you can’t water in the morning, then water in the evening. But not too late in the evening, because you want to avoid leaving leaves wet overnight; it leads to fungal diseases. The worst time to water is during blazing midday, because it evaporates. In these conditions, though, you have to water whenever you can and not worry too much about the finer points.

How should a gardener prioritize his or her time? Which plants need the most attention?

The first priority is a vegetable garden. If you don’t keep it hydrated, you will lose crops. After that, perennials. Most annuals, particularly in containers with limited root space, are going to show the earliest signs of drought stress. The leaves would be the first things to go. You’ll see them wilt; if they pass the permanent wilting point, there’s no way to rehydrate them. Certain plants might not show signs. With trees, it’s sometimes difficult to tell if they’re suffering from drought stress. But trees would really benefit from a long soaking in weather like this. Let’s say you planted new dogwoods this spring; you can lose them in a single growing season.

It’s not just plants — the heat is making some gardeners sick.

When it’s hot like this, most New Yorkers say it’s a movie day. But gardeners are just itching to get outside because their plants need them more than ever. My advice is take it slow, wear long sleeves and sunscreen, and take lots of breaks.

Has this growing season been more challenging than others in recent memory?

There are some frustrating aspects about the weather this year, but there are also some good things. Here in New York we had heavy snow cover, which served as insulation, so it’s been great for hydrangeas in particular. They’re flowering as well now as any time in recent memory. The spring was cold and wet. That was a little depressing. However, that moisture put the reservoirs up to high levels, so at least I’m not worrying about water restriction. That’s when gardeners are in trouble. In the name of sanity, I’m focusing on the good parts.

But gardeners in other parts of the country, like the Southeast, aren’t as lucky.

In the Southeast, they’ve been racked with some long and severe droughts. I think about gardeners in the northern Midwest who have been dealing with heat like we’re having for a week or longer. That’s just depressing. My heart goes out to those gardeners, and I live in fear of being in that situation. The bright side is the rains will return.

You’ve stressed the importance of watering, but what do you tell gardeners who live in a community with a water restriction?

Move.

And if that’s not an option?

You obviously have to abide by the law. But it’s wise to install rain barrels to capture and re-use rainwater. It’s also good to think about plants that withstand drought and heat. One thing it doesn’t make sense to water is your lawn. A lawn will always come back.

Do the droughts and record heat make you concerned about climate change and gardening in the future?

In talking with my colleagues at other gardens around the country, we’re saying climate models predicted more extreme weather. Sure enough, we’re getting more extreme weather.

You can’t do very much about it as you’re outside gardening. Choose the worst conditions you think your garden is going to face. Don’t create a garden that will require more maintenance than you can provide it. I know the resilient gardeners will find a way to cope.