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Nursery Notes: Plants require proper care as weather gets colder

The tropical plants enjoy the extra sunshine as much as I do, but the dry air pulls the water out of them very quickly...
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Evan Davies owns Beltane Nursery at 2915 Highway 3 in Erickson.

These past few days we have been pruning in the orchard. Clear, cool weather keeps your feet dry. You just need to dress right and keep moving to stay warm. The only hiccup in the plan is the wind chill factor. It affects all aspects of life this time of year.

Outside, it robs moisture from the evergreens. Inside, the furnace kicks on and off as the coefficient of heat loss increases dramatically for the old house. The tropical plants enjoy the extra sunshine as much as I do, but the dry air pulls the water out of them very quickly. Remember to give your indoor tropicals an extra drink of water this time of year.

Speaking of tropicals, shelter any poinsettias you are bringing home from the store. Aim for late afternoon when it isn’t quite so cold out. They are originally from Mexico and enjoy temperatures of between 20 and 30 Celsius, but no cooler then 13 degrees; right now it is minus 13. Also avoid placing them on top of the TV, in front of a hot air vent or by a cold porch door.

The broad leaf evergreen rhododendrons outside always curl up their leaves when it gets cold out. It looks like they are shivering in the cold but it is their adaptation to conserve leaf moisture.

It is getting a little bit lighter outside, so I am hoping the wind will die down some now. It’s not that it is the most ideal time of year to prune; it is more a case of having a few weeks free before Christmas. After the holidays, it is time to fire up the greenhouses and get started on spring. Usually there can be much more snow on the ground in January and February, making it more difficult to maneuver the ladder. If you have to move the ladder two or three times per tree for a 1,000 trees, well, it just tires you out faster.

If you only have a half-dozen trees, the best time of year to prune them is in late winter to early spring. You can tell if you have had any damage to the trees over winter then. After they are pruned, you can apply the dormant oil sprays and enjoy the coming of spring.

Until then, keep warm and we wish you all the best of the season!

Evan Davies won Beltane Nursery at 2915 Highway 3 in Erickson.