Gardening Calendar for December

• Be sure newly purchased indoor plants are well protected for the trip home; exposure to icy temperatures for even a few moments may cause injury.
• Living Christmas tree basics:
  Dig the planting hole before the ground freezes.
  Mulch and cover the backfill soil and the planting hole to keep them dry and unfrozen.
  Do not allow the tree’s roots to become dry.
  Spray with an anti-transpirant to reduce needle moisture loss.
  Store the tree outdoors in a cool, shady, windless area until the last minute. Mulch
  
  the roots to prevent cold injury.
  Set the tree up in your coolest room.
  Do not keep the tree indoors for more than just one week. Plant outdoors promptly.

  Be sure the root zones of azaleas and rhododendrons are thoroughly mulched. Any organic material will do, but mulches made from oak leaves, shredded oak bark or pine needles are preferred.

  Hairspray works well to keep seed heads and dried flowers intact on wreaths and arrangements.

David Trinklein, Associate Professor, Horticulturalist, UMC (573)882-9631