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Ashdown, Ark. –
Taking Care of the Red and Green
Poinsettia Care for the Holiday Season
Before too much longer it will be that time of year when a variety of festive, brightly colored poinsettias adorn our homes, offices, and public spaces. While poinsettias generally require little care, the following tips will ensure that your plants remain healthy throughout the holiday season.
Christmas Tree Choices
Red Cedar: The red cedar is the first Christmas tree I remember as a child. It was a great adventure for me and my siblings to go out with dad on a hike that seemed to be forever to find the perfect tree to decorate with crafts we made at school and stringing popcorn around the tree. It was also kind of cool that when Christmas was over we put the tree outside with the popcorn string on it and watched the cardinals come and dine on the popcorn. The red cedar was also a favorite 19th century Christmas tree. It is an aromatic evergreen with prickly, scale-like leaves. It is not a conifer since it produces dark blue berries, with a whitish bloom that contain 1-2 seeds each. These fruits are very attractive to wildlife, including the cedar waxwing. Even if it’s not your choice for the family tree, its branches are very useful in making wreathes or decorations because of its blue berries.
Pines: The pines have long needles in bundles of 2-5. Pines are particularly desirable as Christmas trees since they will hold up well over a long period in a warm house. Scotch Pine has a lovely conical shape which makes it very popular. White Pine has bundles of feathery soft, bluish needles. It is generally one of the less expensive Christmas trees.
Firs: Needles on the firs are longer than those of the spruce, but they are not as stiff and sharp. The trees have a nice shape and take decorations well. Balsam fir holds its needles well in a warm room and it will fill the room with its fragrance. It has deep green needles banded with white on the underside which gives it a beautiful silvery cast. It has been the most popular Christmas tree in this country for years. Douglas fir, which is sometimes marketed as Montana fir, is not a fir at all. Despite its similar appearance, it is a pine. Its inch long needles are flat and soft. It is a good choice for it holds onto its needles for a long time.
Christmas Tree Preservative
¼ C horticulture iron (ask for Green Garde)
1 gallon hot water
2 C light corn syrup
4 tsp. chlorinated household bleach
Mix the above ingredients. The Green Garde will not dissolve completely; it will produce a blue-green mixture with particles that will settle on the bottom. Cut an inch from the base of the trunk and crush the fibers with a hammer Stand the tree in water filled holder.
By Sherry Beaty-Sullivan County Extension Agent - Agriculture/Staff ChairThe Cooperative Extension ServiceU of A System Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Sherry Beaty-Sullivan County Extension Agent - Agriculture/Staff Chair U of A Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service 1411 N Constitution Ave Ashdown AR 71822 (870) 898-7224 sbeaty@uada.edu
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay. The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.