Horticulture 2019 Newsletter

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Great Plains Growers Conference

January 9, 10 & 11, 2020

Missouri Wester University, St. Joseph, MO https://www.greatplainsgrowersconference.org/

 

Kansas Arborist Association Shade Tree Conference January 15-17, 2020 Downtown Ramada, Topeka, KS https://www.kansasarborist.com/shade-tree-conference.html

 

Final Newsletter of the Season

This will be the last issue of Horticulture 2019. The first issue of Horticulture 2020 will be sent on January 7.

We would love to have feedback on the newsletter and would appreciate it if you could spend a couple of minutes filling out a very short survey at https://tinyurl.com/u8bft7z. This will help us fine-tune our articles to better meet the needs of our subscribers.

Your current subscription for the newsletter will continue as is, so nothing will be necessary on your part to continue receiving it. If there are suggestions for improvement or subjects you would like to see covered, include those suggestions in the survey mentioned above. 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 [email protected] requesting a subscription.

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

 

ORNAMENTALS

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 wind chill 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)

 

FRUIT

Care of Gift 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)

 

MISCELLANEOUS

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)

 

Contriubtors: Charlie Barden, Extension Forester; Ward Upham, Extension

Associate

 

Division of Horticulture

1712 Claflin, 2021 Throckmorton

Manhattan, KS 66506

(785) 532-6173

 

For questions or further information, contact: [email protected] OR

[email protected]

This newsletter is also available on the World Wide Web at:

http://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html

The web version includes color images that illustrate subjects

discussed. To subscribe to this newsletter electronically, send an

e-mail message to [email protected] or [email protected] listing your e-mail

address in the message.

 

Brand names appearing in this newsletter are for product identification

purposes only. No endorsement is intended, nor is criticism implied of

similar products not mentioned.

 

K-State Research and Extension is committed to making its services,

activities and programs accessible to all participants. If you have

special requirements due to a physical, vision or hearing disability, or

a dietary restriction please contact Extension Horticulture at (785)

532-6173.

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