pH News - Orange County Extension Education Center - University ...
pH News - Orange County Extension Education Center - University ...
pH News - Orange County Extension Education Center - University ...
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affect its long term health. So place it for street side pick up and let the local solid waste recycling<br />
agencies convert it to compost. Cut Christmas trees that you purchase should be handled with care.<br />
Do not let the tree dry out and become a fire hazard. Before you buy a cut tree, make sure the<br />
needles are tightly attached to the tree. When you get your tree home, cut off a half inch slab off the<br />
bottom to expose fresh wood and stand it up in a pail of water. Keep the pail full of water and the<br />
tree should “drink” enough water to retain its needles. Don’t place any additives in the water such<br />
as sugar ‐‐‐ the plant makes food in its leaves (needles) and does not take up sugar as food from the<br />
water in the pail.<br />
Carefully inspect your holiday plants for pests and good health before you buy them and before<br />
you bring them into your home. Scale, mites, mealybugs, and more may be present. If you see<br />
them before you buy them, make a purchase elsewhere. If you find them when you get home, use<br />
low toxic measures to control them because they will be in your home, around your family<br />
members and pets. A stream of water will wash many of them off (do this outside). Insecticidal<br />
soaps and oils should take care of the remaining pests.<br />
The last of the warm season vegetables, planted in September, will be harvested this month. The<br />
average first frost date will be about December 15th. You can still plant out leafy vegetables in the<br />
garden as they will continue to grow through March. Herbs grow well in this cool season. Select<br />
from arugula, basil, chives, dill, fennel, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sweet marjoram and<br />
thyme. Don’t hold back water to vegetables and herbs for best results.<br />
Replant container gardens and landscape beds with cool season flowers such as alyssum, calendula,<br />
carnation, chrysanthemums, dianthus, dusty miller, ornamental cabbage & kale, pansy, petunia,<br />
salvia, snapdragon, sweet pea and viola should be considered for the planting beds.<br />
Have a plan for protecting your cold sensitive plants, especially the tropicals. Temperatures in the<br />
40’s and 50’s can do a lot of damage if the plants have not been protected. Fabric covers, row covers<br />
or cardboard boxes will help. Sometimes, a small incandescent lamp or Christmas tree light can<br />
provided enough warmth to protect the plants. By the time a frost shows up, the plants may<br />
already be too severely damaged to recover in the spring. If they are in containers, move them to a<br />
warm area.<br />
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