What's Happening

December 2007

Gardening Tips - December 2007

Farmers' Almanac Timely Tip:

Don't forget that seeds, bulbs, and potted plants make good Christmas gifts.

'2006 Almanac Publishing Company'
www.farmersalmanac.com

Garden tools also make great gifts.

I enjoy giving duplicates of my favorite gardening tools to gardener friends at Christmas time. Both of my daughters are gardeners so that makes it fun.

One year I gave gardening gloves from Burpee Seed Company.

These gloves are "wearing" well for me. They fit well & are comfortable. Occasionally I throw them into the washing machine then toss them in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet. They come out really nicely cleaned-up! The leather is softened by the fabric softener. My gloves are showing promise of lasting a long time yet.

Burpee Pigskin Leather Palm Gloves Womens

Other years I have given an assortment of my favorite 'diggers'.

http://wilcoxallpro.com/wilcox3_tools.html

Corona® Trowel (CT3010I)
Corona® Cultivator (Ct3030i)
Corona® Transplanter (CT30201I)

All these 'diggers' are widely available. I got mine at Lowe's or some other big box store.
(Images from ACE Hardware website)

And one year I gave little shovels.

My friend Trudy had given me one for my birthday that year. So I copied her idea at Christmas time. I tied brightly colored ribbons around the wooden handles. It was fun!

"ACE" LITTLE PAL SHOVEL 18" HANDLE"

November-December Newsletter - 'At the Garden Gate' (pdf file)
Mahaska County ISU Extension Service
Oskaloosa, IA

'At the Garden Gate'
November-December 2007 - Inside this Issue

Garden Calendar Available
Soil Testing Changes
Preparing Chrysanthemums for Winter
Mark your Calendars...Speaker Series 2008
ISU Extension Publications
Gardening Guide
Storing Garden Leftovers
Winter Protection for Roses
Junior Master Gardeners
Upcoming Events

Christmas Cactus - Thanksgiving Cactus - Easter Cactus

(The common holiday cacti) are composed of several closely related species in the genus Schlumbergera (often called "Zygocactus" in older works).

In the past I have done my best to grow a beautiful Christmas Cactus. Through youthful ignorance, I did everything wrong. The last time I tried (again) to grow a Christmas Cactus, I sat it in my sunniest window sill. I'm sure it was cold there & as it looked 'droopy' - what did I do? You guessed it; I dumped water on it. The poor thing languished until I just couldn't take the disappointment of failure any longer. I threw it out. I couldn't figure out what I did wrong. I'd see perfect specimen plants in the floral shops,, & at the greenhouse & at other people's homes but the dumb plants would turn to crap right away for me. I decided I would never have another Christmas Cactus.

My last attempt was about 17 years ago. It was before the popularity of the internet hit and I thought I knew how to grow green plants. However, I recently learned just how stupid I was about what Christmas Cactus need to grow properly. Getting EDUCATED before attempting to try new plants / things is imperative to success. Have I totally learned this lesson? Well, yes & then maybe, sometimes - no. Occasionally I will still drag home some poor unsuspecting plant I know nothing about and learn as I go. Learning by doing is a good method sometimes but we all know there is no better teacher than experience.

So, now that I've experienced total failure with Christmas Cactus what have I learned? To never try to grow one again! Well, now, I'm thinking, maybe, I could try again since I am more educated about the plant.

What did I learn first! Remember the name cactus means a lot less watering.

Second, there are different types of Christmas Cactus that bloom at different times of the year. Some bloom at Thanksgiving time & some bloom in the early spring at Easter time. I used to wonder how they got those beautiful Christmas Cactus to blossom at different times of the year. Then I learned about short day bloomers where the decreasing day light hours cue certain plants to begin blooming.

And I've learned about cool-weather plants that like temperatures in the mid 50-60 degrees.

Last year a gentlemen spoke to my garden club on Christmas plants. He told the story of the old parlor rooms a generation ago, no one went into those rooms unless the minister visited. (You know, the room at great aunt Ruth's house with plastic coverings protecting the furniture.) That cooler, darker place was where the Christmas Cactus flourished & could live for many years. I know friends who have Christmas Cactus that belonged to their grandmothers. So Christmas Cactus is a good thing!

Wikipedia: Christmas Cactus
Denver Plants: Christmas Cactus
Cactus Web: Christmas Cactus
Christmas Cactus

For information on other Christmas plants - see archives @ the bottom of the "What's Happening" page / December 2005 & December 2006.

Have a blessed Holiday Season!

The Other Living Christmas Tree

Norfolk Island Pine - The Other Living Christmas Tree

Caring for Your Norfolk Island Pine

For information on Norfolk Island Pine, see December 2006.

Live Christmas Trees

If you love a real Christmas tree at Christmas perhaps a Live Christmas Tree is for you. Too Much Work for Me! We used to have a real tree when our family was young. We have never tried a Live tree. In more recent years an artificial tree seems much more appropriate, and less mess, and less work, and just plain easier.