On the day after Thanksgiv-ing we purchased a living blue spruce in a 25-gallon container for our Christmas tree. We have it outside, but would like to bring it in as soon as possible. How long will it tolerate being inside, before we plant it outside?
Most trees will tolerate being inside for one to two weeks, but it is best to keep the indoor period as short as possible. This reduces the shock trees go through when they are moved from a cold environment, to a warm one, and back to a cold one. When there is a great difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the shock will likely be greater, and trees should be brought in for shorter periods of time.
You can also reduce the shock by placing your tree in a transitional place for several days before it is moved indoors and again before it is moved back outdoors. An unheated garage or shed is good for this purpose. Also, be sure to keep the roots of your tree moist while it is indoors. The indoor environment is much drier than the outdoors during the winter and trees can easily dry out. Place your tree away from heat sources such as heat ducts and radiators, and be sure to wrap your pot with plastic. This will reduce water loss from the pot.
My grandparents and several of their neighbors had a nice privet hedges in their yards, however I very rarely see them anymore. Is there a problem with privets?
Ligustrum amurense and Ligustrum obtusifolium are the two privet species most commonly used for formal sheared hedges. Both plants are easy to grow and do not have any serious disease or insect problems.
However, to maintain their formal appearance they must be sheared regularly. Unlike boxwood, which grows very slowly, these privets grow very rapidly. They want to grow 10 to 15 feet tall and most gardeners try to keep them clipped at 3 to 5 feet tall. That creates a lot of work. This may be part of the reason that they have fallen out of favor and are seen less often in the landscape. Also, many gardeners have gone away from formal landscapes and are planting more natural gardens.
The privet's most outstanding quality is its ability to tolerate repeated shearing. It is of little value in the natural garden.
Checklist
1. Now is a great time to gather winter greenery for holiday decorations. Greenery harvested now will last through the first of the year.
2. Are you planning to hang Christmas lights on trees in your yard? Lights can be tied to branches with twine and twists ties, but make sure you remove the twine and ties when you take the lights down. They can girdle and kill branches.
3. When planning your holiday gift buying, don't forget your local garden center. It's the best place to shop for your gardening friends.
Dennis Bishop is an urban horticulture educator for the Baltimore office of the Maryland Cooperative Extension Services. If you have a gardening or pest problem, you can call the Home and Garden Information Center hot line (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at 800-342-2507. You can also e-mail questions, order publi-cations and diagnose plant problems by visiting the Web site www.hgic.umd.edu.