Time to prune your evergreens, but it’s probably best not to use the trimmings inside
The second week of December is a good time to prune back any evergreens and use the pruning crumbs for outdoor holiday decorating. If you want to use cut holly, cedar or fir for indoor décor, remember that cut greens last only a few days in the dry heat of your home.
But cut greens will last for weeks if enjoyed in outdoor displays.
The easiest way to dress your garden and outdoor space for the holidays is to use your evergreen pruning crumbs as filler in pots left bare from summer annuals. Just poke the cut end of cedar, laurel and holly into the damp soil of your empty containers, add a few ornaments or outdoor ribbon, and you can celebrate Christmas by “ being green” not spending green.
Q. I have a Heavenly Bamboo or Nandina near my house, and it has become rather tall. I have pruned this shrub in the past, and it always comes back looking better, so I am wondering two things. Can I prune Nandina now, and, if so, can I use the cut branches indoors or in my window boxes? Second, there are berries on these branches, and I don’t want to bring them inside if they are poisonous as we have cats. So the second question is are Nandina berries poisonous? — E.R., Sumner
A. Yes, you can prune Nandina domestica now, and I often recommend the cut branches with their evergreen foliage to use as a winter filler in window boxes and empty pots.
Most evergreens are dormant by December and will tolerate some pruning, but try to remove no more than one third of the plant as leaving foliage around the base of any shrub will help with winter cold protection.
The other answer is yes, the berries on Nandina can be very toxic if enough of them are eaten.( How toxic depends on what study you read.) In the wild, some birds eat the berries and are fine, while other birds have died eating Nandina berries. Just remove the pretty orange berries before bringing the greens indoors if you are concerned.
Q. We have some giant holly shrubs around our old home. Due to that song about decking the halls, I often give holly to friends and family for the holidays. The problem is making the cut holly last indoors. Didn’t you write years ago about a spray to keep holly fresh? How long have you been writing the column anyway? — P.W., Enumclaw
A. Cut holly will crackle and dry after just a few days of decking the halls indoors, but there is a spray called Wilt Pruf made from natural pine resin that will seal in moisture and keep cut greens fresh for days longer.
This and other similar brands are called anti-dessicant sprays and are also used in very cold climates to protect evergreens over the winter from drying winds. You can also move fresh swags and arrangements into a cold garage or covered patio at night to extend the freshness by a few days.
As for how long I have been writing this column, it is going on 37 years — so thanks if you’ve been reading it for many years.
Q. My neighbor left me a poinsettia plant on the front porch. It was all wilted. I added water even though the soil felt moist. The leaves are now falling off. Any hope that this plant will perk up for Christmas? — J.S., Kent
A. You can always hope for a Christmas miracle, but most likely it is pointless to keep that poinsettia. Poinsettias are from sunny Mexico, and they hate cold weather, cold drafts and wet bottoms.
I suspect the time spent on your front porch was a chilly un-welcome for the plant, and it went into a leaf-dropping pout. Sometimes poinsettias even wilt and die if left in a cold car for a few hours.
You can cut back the leafless stems by one third to help stimulate new growth and see if new leaves sprout in a few weeks.
Don’t let poinsettias or any potted plant sit in drainage water. Often this means you will need to poke a hole in the foil and plastic wrapping so the pot can drain after you water. Keep potted gift plants away from heat sources and cold windows, open doors and other spots that may have temperature extremes.