Start preparing now for holiday displays

Thu., Nov. 6, 2014

Pat Munts

I am one of those people who is in no hurry to see Christmas decorations and the like before Thanksgiving. There is a season for everything in its time. However, there are things that need to be done now if you want to have plants ready to enjoy by Christmas.

First, if you are thinking about a living Christmas tree, you need to determine where you want to plant it and prepare the hole before the ground freezes. Living trees are available at some of the box stores now. Select a well-shaped one with good needle color. Choose a sunny location that will accommodate its mature size. Spruces and Douglas fir can both reach 50 feet or more over time.

Once you have selected the site, dig a dish-shaped hole two to three times the width of the root ball and only as deep as the root ball is tall. Store the dirt you dig out of the hole in a dry place where it won’t freeze. Set two or three stakes around the hole to tie the tree to, to keep it from blowing over in the winter winds. At Christmas, don’t keep the tree indoors for more than a week. If it is indoors too long, it will begin to break dormancy and could be damaged by the cold. Plant the tree so that the root flare is at the soil surface using your stored soil and tie it to the stakes.

Amaryllis bulbs need to be planted now so they are ready to bloom around Christmas. Set the bulb in a container no more than 2 inches wider than the bulb. Bury the bulb only halfway in good potting mix, and water well. Insert some thin but sturdy stakes around the bulb to help hold the flower stalk upright as it grows. Place the pot in an east or south window. Water when the soil is dry down a half inch. Two long, strappy leaves will appear followed by the stalk that holds the flower bud. After the plant finishes blooming, cut off the flower stalk and continue to keep the plant in bright indirect light and treat it as a house plant. Unfortunately, they are difficult to get to re-bloom.

Poinsettias will be on the market soon. Breeders have been developing plants with bract colors in warmer tones that blend with traditional Thanksgiving colors as well as the red, pink and white we are familiar with for Christmas. The annual sale at the Spokane Community College Greenery from Nov. 20-21 is a good place to check out some of the new colors. This year, there will be 29 cultivars available, with 10 new introductions. Buy your poinsettias at the end of your shopping trip to keep them from getting too cold. Place them in bright, indirect light and water when the soil is dry down a half inch. They will last well into February with good care.

Pat Munts has gardened in the Spokane Valley for more than 35 years. She can be reached at pat@ inlandnwgardening.com.

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