Trees and Shrubs for December

• It's still prime time to transplant and move shrubs and trees. Remember to keep the root ball as large as you can manage without putting your back at risk. You may want to wait to move shallow rooted plants such as azaleas until late February, after the worst weather has passed.
• Trim any dangling or loose limbs on roses, fruit trees, and other plants so they don't blow around in the wind. Otherwise, go easy on pruning and don't touch anything that blooms in the spring, except to repair ice damage. Of course, you can always trim evergreen and berry sprigs for holiday decorations, just remember to follow good pruning techniques when you do so.
• Mail-order growers will send gift cards and catalogs with a promise to ship the selected rose bushes at just the right time for planting. Many local garden centers and nurseries also offer gift certificates to be redeemed when spring arrives. To make your gift truly memorable, tuck the gift certificate into a crystal bud vase or pack a catalog and gift card into a harvest basket along with gardener's gloves, pruning shears, and a trowel.
• Snow and ice on trees and shrubs: As we get into winter, the threat of damage from snow and ice is always near. When snow piles up on evergreens, try to gently brush it off. Don’t shake the branches as this may cause them to break. If the snow is frozen on the branch and will not brush off easily, it is best to let it melt naturally, to avoid damage to the tree or shrub.
• If tree limbs break due to the weight of ice or snow, it is advisable to have the broken limbs removed as soon as the weather permits. Hanging branches can be a danger to passing pedestrians. Also, the tree will be able to heal the wound better in spring if the wound has clean edges instead of ragged tears.
• Wreaths made from cut greenery will last much longer if kept cold, so plan to use them outdoors. Bring them inside for short periods on special occasions.
• When choosing a Christmas tree, be sure it is not too large for the room. Take a tape measure or folding ruler with you so you'll have less trimming to do once you get the tree home.
• Never allow the reservoir of your Christmas tree holder to go dry as an air lock can form in the trunk that can keep the tree from absorbing water again.
• Branches of evergreen rhododendrons last for months in vases if never allowed to run out of clean water.
• Soak broad-leaved shrubs and newly planted trees if rainfall has been scarce. Apply 3 to 6 inches of mulch after the first killing frost but by the time the ground freezes. Leave a small distance between the mulch and the trunks of trees and large shrubs to discourage rodents.
• Low indoor humidity in winter can make cut Christmas trees dry out quickly. Before the needles start to drop from the tree, take it down. Don't try to prolong a festive feeling by endangering your home and family with a dried-out, flammable tree.
• If possible, bring the Christmas tree into a partially heated area, such as a basement or porch, the night before decorating. This will help it adjust gradually to the warmer temperatures in your home. Its branches will relax a little, allowing for picking the "best" side.
• Christmas trees absorb between 2 pints and 1 gallon of water per day, so a tree stand that holds at least 1 gallon of water is recommended. Make sure to check the water level daily and supply fresh water as needed.
• When out walking on a winter's day, take notice of the silhouettes of deciduous trees and shrubs. In some species, the winter form is a most distinctive and handsome feature.
• Lusterleaf holly Ilex latifolia becomes a beautiful, pyramidal, specimen tree. It has thick, glossy, evergreen leaves, and small clusters of deep-red fruits. Plants exhibit drought tolerance and can be grown in the Piedmont and Coastal Plains regions.
• Yews, junipers, holly, boxwood, broad-leaf evergreens, and many deciduous trees and shrubs can be propagated this month. Insert evergreen cuttings in vermiculite or sand in a cool greenhouse. Tie bundles of deciduous cuttings together, and bury in sand in a cold frame. Remove in early spring and, plant in a nursery bed.
• Cut evergreen boughs dry out quickly indoors. Try to keep the cut ends in water and keep away from heat sources and drafts.
• Take hardwood cuttings of forsythia, spirea, Japanese quince, wisteria, mock-orange, trumpet-vine, viburnum, and other deciduous shrubs.
• Trim hollies and other evergreens, such as magnolia, aucuba, boxwood, stranvaesia, and pyracantha, to furnish material for holiday decorations.
• On mild days, remember to water window boxes or other outside containers planted with evergreens.
• Unsheared Christmas trees are less expensive and leave more room for decorations.
• Tie evergreens, such as yews, juniper, and arborvitae, in a spiral fashion with rope or twine to compress the shrub size and reduce damage from snow or ice.
• If your Christmas tree drops a number of brown needles right after you bring it inside, not to worry. Conifers normally drop their 3- to 5 year-old needles throughout the winter and you are getting some of that natural leaf fall in your living room.
• Make a decorative evergreen ball for outdoor use by pushing sprigs of evergreen into a foam ball. When the ball is full, trim with ribbons, mistletoe, or holly.
• For well-developed fruit on your holly trees, there must be a male tree to pollinate the female trees.
• Thoroughly mulch azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, and laurel after the ground freezes. They prefer acidic materials, such as oak leaves and pine needles, but any mixed, dry leaves will do if oak and pine are not available.
• Don't use hemlocks as Christmas trees because they drop their needles almost immediately after they are brought inside. Instead use balsam or Douglas fir, pine, or spruce.
• When cutting evergreens for Christmas decorations, use care to prevent harming plants. Distribute pruning over the entire plants. Limit cutting to mild shaping and thinning. Do not trim boxwoods when the temperature is below 40F.
• Erect snow deflectors over shrubs under the dripline of houses and other buildings to protect them against avalanches off the roof.
• Prepare gifts from your trees and shrubs. Wreaths or swags from pruning evergreens will be welcome holiday decorations anywhere. While you're at it, take a few minutes to decorate your home with materials from the yard. Evergreen trees, such as pines, junipers, cedar, and arborvitae, tolerate selective pruning, and their fragrance adds a holiday touch. Among the broadleaf evergreens, cut holly, laurel, and boxwood sprigs.
• If an ice storm damages your trees, prune the broken branches. If left alone, in most cases the wood fiber will not grow back, and the branch will die.
• Remove snow from evergreen shrubs to prevent suffocation and breaking. Tap the branches gently.
• Place Christmas trees away from fireplaces, radiators, TV sets, and anything else that could dry the needles. Keep your Christmas tree well watered from the time it is brought home until it is discarded.
• Plan a visit to a public garden or nursery where you can observe trees and shrubs in their winter phase. Some have quite lovely shapes and colors that could be an asset to your landscape.
• Assess the energy efficiency of your landscape. Do you have evergreen trees or shrubs blocking a window where the sun's warmth would be welcome? Consider replacing them with deciduous plants that would let sun in during winter, but cast cooling shade in summer.
• Where snow drifts, plan to plant a windbreak next spring. Experiment with a movable barrier to decide the best angle and position for the planting.

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