Choosing a Christmas Tree

Do you need some guidance in choosing a Christmas tree? Trying to decide artificial or real? As another holiday season approaches, here are some considerations to guide you:

In general, artificial trees are easier to manage and are less messy than real ones. They are also hypoallergenic. Artificial trees can be used for many years to come, spreading their cost out. They never need watering either. However, as they become worn, damaged or outdated, they end up in landfills. They will spend centuries of holiday seasons buried, taking up valuable space.

Choosing a real Christmas tree is important for Pennsylvania. There are about 2,000 Christmas tree farms in the state, adding to the local economies. These farms cover 35,000 acres producing 1.2 million cut trees each year. Almost fourteen million dollars in sales are generated by PA Christmas tree farms.

These farms also stabilize the environment. The land itself is productive, preserving habitats lost in development. Plus soil erosion is reduced and trees are great air purifiers and give off oxygen. Tree farms help abate soil erosion, storm water runoff, and add aesthetically to the areas around the farm.

Ready to shop for a real tree? There are many varieties of trees from which you can choose. Seventy percent of PA Christmas trees are Douglas fir and Fraser fir. The Fraser fir is usually the top choice due its fragrance and needle retention.

• Balsam Fir: soft, dark green foliage, with flattened needles about three-quarters of an inch in length, has a distinctive “balsam” aroma, excellent needle retention.
• Colorado Blue Spruce: stout, three-sided needles about three-quarters of an inch in length. Its foliage can vary in color from dark green to indigo blue. Its sturdy branching and good needle retention make it a desirable Christmas tree, while its excellent form and outstanding color make it the premier ornamental evergreen.
• Douglas Fir: widely used as a Christmas tree in the Northeast. Its lush, blue-green foliage, with needles about one inch in length, and outstanding needle retention make this a holiday favorite.
• Scotch Pine: one of the first farm-grown Christmas trees in the United States. Its sharp, blue-green foliage, with needles about two to three inches in length. It conical shape, excellent color, and needle retention made it the Christmas tree of choice for many years.
• White Pine: native to the Northeast, has soft, lacy, blue-green foliage with needles about three to four inches in length. A very graceful-looking evergreen, it fragrance and excellent needle retention made it a popular Christmas tree.
• Fraser Fir: closely related to Douglas Fir. Its soft, emerald-green needles with silvery undersides are about three-quarters of an inch in length. Its bottlebrush texture, sturdy branching, and outstanding needle retention make it a superb Christmas tree whose popularity has grown rapidly in recent years.

Just as importantly, care is crucial for you to get the most out of your selection. For more information on Christmas tree selection, please contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County at 570 963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu and ask for the publication “Caring for Your Cut Christmas Tree”.

Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Lackawanna County

Hollies Celebrate the Winter with Berries – Maybe

With our thoughts turning toward winter holiday season plants I thought it might be “wise” to share some tips about hollies from Linda S. Wiles, Extension Educator, Monroe County.

Typically we think of the Christmas time holly with evergreen, pointed leaves and red berries - Ilex aquifolium, but there are also hollies that are deciduous, have smooth leaves, and/or black berries. It is such a diverse group that even working around cold-hardiness, you can probably find one that works for your property.

Inquiries regarding holly plants not having berries are frequent in winter. This occurs because holly has either male or female flowers, but not both on the same plant. If your holly does not have berries, one of the first things to consider is that the plant may be male or that it may be a female without a nearby compatible male. Some holly cultivars bloom at different times and they need to be blooming simultaneously in order to produce berries. To ease landscape congestion and increase berried plants, you only need one male holly for several female hollies.

There are two other situations that can result in “berryless” hollies. The first is that the plant is too young to flower; the second is the result of weather problems.

For information on hollies and other trees and shrubs for Pennsylvania you can view the free publication A Guide for Selecting Shrubs for Pennsylvania Landscapes by going to the web at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/uj257.pdf or call your county extension office. In Lackawanna County call our garden help line at 963-6842 ext. 1377 or email us at LackawannaMG@psu.edu


Terry Schettini, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County

Gourds

The rush of the first holiday of the season is over. Halloween is gone and all of the candy is too. The pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns are now part of the compost pile. However, with Thanksgiving a few weeks away, most people keep gourds around as decorations. They are ideal color for the whole fall season, as they do not rot like pumpkins. Also you may want to consider drying, or more precisely curing gourds to make them last even longer.

Curing gourds is a two-step process which may take 1 to 6 months depending on the type and size of the gourd. Surface drying is the first step in the curing process, and takes approximately one week. During this time, the skin hardens and the exterior color of the gourd is set. Place clean, dry fruit in a dark, well-ventilated area. Arrange gourds in a single layer and make certain that the fruits do not touch each other. A cooling rack will allow air circulation around the gourds. Check gourds daily and discard fruit that show signs of decay or mold and any that develop soft spots.

Internal drying is the second step in curing and takes a minimum of four weeks. Keep the gourds in shallow containers in a dark, warm, well-ventilated area. If any mold appears on the outside skin, gourds can be wiped clean and allowed to continue drying. However, any gourds that become decayed, shriveled or misshapen should be discarded. Periodically turn the fruit to discourage shriveling and promote even curing. Providing warmth during the internal curing process will accelerate drying and discourage decay. Adequate curing is achieved when the gourd becomes light in weight and the seeds can be heard rattling inside.

Once well cured, gourds may be waxed, shellacked or painted. A high-grade transparent furniture or floor wax is preferred to shellac or varnish because the latter may change the natural color. Dried gourds can be used for bird houses, bowls and planters. Decorating them with non-toxic craft paints is a great kid’s project. With some imagination, cured gourds can be painted for any holiday.

The Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County have the publication ‘Growing and Curing Gourds in the Home Garden’, for a copy, contact us at 570-963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu.


Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Lackawanna County