| Greetings!
Start a new holiday tradition this year by stopping by the State Capitol Building Rotunda during the month of December (any time after the 4th) to see the Christmas tree. Children from the Boys and Girls Club, in partnership with Minnesota Nursery Landscape Association, will have decorated the Harvest Tree with handmade ornaments, including paper chains, seed mats, cranberry chain, popcorn chain, corn husks, and mini-pumpkins.
A Harvest Tree Food and Fund drive occurred in early November at Bachman Stores, and United Way is still accepting food donations through November 20. Donations will go to Second Harvest Heartland. If you can't drop off food, donate online. For every $1 donated, Second Harvest Heartland will distribute $9 worth of food. Cattales is taking the winter off and will reappear in late winter. Have a wonderful holiday season and joyous New Year.
Past newsletters are now archived and available for viewing. |
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Pruning Facts and Techniques |
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3 Steps to pruning large limbs
A. Make a partial cut from beneath.
B. Make a second cut from above several inches out and allow the limb to fall.
C. Complete the job with a final cut just outside the branch collar.
The months of November through March are good months to prune most trees and shrubs. Plant pathogens that would typically attack an open wound are not active during these months. Plus, with leaves off the trees, you can better see the tree's structure and what branches will need to be removed
But before you head out into the yard with your pruning shears, loppers or saw, please learn the proper techniques and facts so you can do it properly. Pruning is an art and a science.
Three main reasons for pruning are: prune to improve plant health, prune to improve plant appearance and flower or fruit production, and prune to protect people and property.
Pruning to improve health
Removal of dead, broken or diseased branches can be done when discovered. Thinning of the tree canopy helps air circulation and allows for better light filtration. Branches that are crossing or rubbing should be removed.
Pruning to improve appearance
Typically the plant's natural form is best. If you planted the right plant for the right spot, you won't have to trim to maintain size. The exception to this is formal hedges. Remove waterspouts and suckers and other branches that take away from the plant's form. To rejuvenate older, more woody looking shrubs, remove up to ¼ of older stems to promote new growth from the roots.
Pruning to protect people and property
Be proactive by removing hazardous trees and branches that are threatening people or property. Cut weak branches that hang over houses and other structures that would suffer damage from falling limbs. Trim out weak-angled branches, less than 30 degrees from trunk to branch, so that these limbs don't snap during high winds.
Some Pruning Do's
- Up to ¼ of the tree's canopy can be removed.
- Cut out sucker and waterspout branches.
- Remove crossing or rubbing branches and branches that grow inward.
- Certain shrubs, such as spireas and potentillas, can be coppiced as a last effort to rejuvenate older plants. Cut shrubs 3-6 inches off ground.
Some Pruning Don'ts
- Do not leave stubs.
- Do not seal wound with paint or sealant. Newer research shows the use of a sealant may actually trap pathogens in the wound. Proper cuts will heal faster.
- Do not top trees.
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| What's Blooming? Moon Frost Hemlock |
 Including evergreens into your landscape ensures you have something interesting to look at during our winter months. One dwarf evergreen that should catch your eye is 'Moon Frost' hemlock, Tsuga canadensis 'Moon Frost'.
New spring growth is white that is reminiscent of frost on a moonlit night. In winter the whitish-green needles will get a pink tinge on them. It stays a light grey-green during the summer, and then changes to a celery green in winter.
Hemlocks prefer cooler, moist, but not wet, planting sites protected from harsh winter winds. Plant hemlocks on the north to east side of a home where plants will get part shade to shade. 'Moon Frost' is slow growing and will grow to 3 feet wide by 3 feet tall.
Consider creating a moon garden and using 'Moon Frost' with other white flowered and bright foliage plants. |
I welcome your feedback on the newsletter. If there are topics you want to learn more about, please email me at nancy.dahl@integra.net.
Sincerely,
Nancy Thorman Dahl, CLP
Cattail Design LLC
Creative Designs for Land and Lakeshore | |
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Eco-friendly Tip |
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Look for this logo to know you're buying local.
Whether you are shopping at the grocery store or the garden center you hopefully have seen the Minnesota Grown logo. This logo lets consumers identify local foods and plants. More of us are choosing to buy local and our reasons vary. It may be to reduce the shipping distance of our food and plants, and therefore our carbon footprint. We want to support local businesses and our state economy. Or we may want our food more local for food safety purposes.
Today, the program has nearly 1,000 diverse members including farmers' markets, CSA farms, garden centers, wineries, fruit & vegetable growers, pick-your-own farms, livestock producers, meat processors, Christmas tree growers, and producers of honey, wild rice, maple syrup, cheese, and other gourmet products.
Make your Christmas tree shopping experience "greener", find a garden center or tree farm that sells local Christmas trees. Visit Minnesota Grown website for this information or to order a free Minnesota Grown directory.
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