In the News -
December 2007
Winter horticulture hints
SEARCY, Ark. - The holiday season is upon us. From poinsettias to holiday
garland, there are plants to make your holidays brighter. And if you can find
the time, there are bulbs to plant, leaves to be raked, shrubs to be moved and
pansies for extra outdoor color.
"Along with all the artificial decorations, the poinsettias are out in
abundance," says Sherri Sanders, White County agent with the University of
Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
This vivid symbol of the holiday season is welcome in the interior landscape,
well after the other decorations have been put up and stored, she says. Red is
still the most popular color for poinsettias, but even in red there are lots of
choices, from deep burgundy, to bright red, to mottled with pink or spotted with
white.
Whichever color and size you choose, give them a bright sunny location and
don't keep them too wet or too dry. These new poinsettias have been bred to
retain their color a long time. It is not unusual to see some hanging on until
May or June with the proper care.
"You'll begin to hear the usual stories that poinsettias are poisonous,"
Sanders says. "They aren't. The white milky sap in poinsettias, along with all
members of the Euphorbia family can cause a rash on some folks, but they aren't
deadly.
However, mistletoe is another story.
"Definitely keep mistletoe away from children and pets. It is poisonous. This
may be one instance where artificial is preferable to fresh, if you have small
children around."
Sanders says she has received a number of questions from the public about
miniature Norfolk island pines.
"They're often sold as decorated trees for the holidays. These are
houseplants ‑ as much as they look like real pine trees. They thrive outdoors in the summer,
but would not survive outside all winter," she says.
She advises owners of Norfolk Island pines to avoid heavy decorations that
can damage the stems, and hot lights. They can be finicky when it comes to
moisture ‑ too much and they rot; too little and they dry out.
Many folks like to decorate with natural greenery. You can now buy swags of
greens, or wreaths. You can also make your own, but keep in mind that the plants
you are taking foliage from are a permanent part of your landscape, while the
garlands and wreaths are temporary.
"You can also use good, fresh material, from hollies and boxwood, to nandina and cedar
- and the hollies this year are really decked out with red berries," Sanders
says.
There is still time to plant pansies and violas, but look for plants with
flowers on them, Sanders says. Bulbs, too, need to get planted soon.
"As we head into the dormant season," Sanders says, "we get lots of worried
calls about gardenias and azaleas with yellow leaves. Even though these plants
are evergreens, they shed leaves periodically. Some azalea and gardenias tend to
shed all of their old leaves at once. It can look a bit worrisome to look out
and see such general yellowing. As long as there are green leaves near the tips
of the branches, don't worry, they are just doing their annual shed."
If you moved your hibiscus, mandevilla and other tropical blooming plants
indoors, don't be too disturbed if you see them shedding leaves and looking a
bit puny. They don't like low humidity and the lower light inside.
For more information, contact your county office of the University of
Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service or visit the Web site at
http://www.uaex.edu. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture.
December 7, 2007
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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