How do I overwinter tuberous begonias?

Carefully dig up the tuberous begonias within a few days of a killing frost. Leave a small amount of soil around each tuber. Cut off the stems about one inch above the tubers. Place the tubers in a cool, dry area to cure for two to three weeks. After curing, shake off the remaining soil, then bury the tubers in dry peat moss, vermiculite or sawdust. Store the tubers in an area with a temperature of 40 to 50  F. Do not allow the tubers to freeze.

Some of the needles on my white pines have turned yellow and begun dropping to the ground. Is this a problem?

The loss of needles is probably due to seasonal needle drop. Deciduous trees, such as maple and ash, drop all of their leaves in fall. Though it largely goes unnoticed, evergreens also lose a portion of their foliage (needles) on a yearly basis. Seasonal needle drop on most evergreens occurs in late summer or early fall. Needle loss is most noticeable on white pines. As much as one-half of the needles on white pines may drop in late summer/early fall. Seasonal needle loss is less noticeable on spruces, firs and other pines as they retain a higher percentage of their needles. Seasonal needle drop is uniformly distributed throughout the inner part of the evergreen. It is the oldest needles which are shed. The needles turn uniformly yellow or brown and drop to the ground.

I saved last year’s poinsettia. How do I get it to flower for Christmas?

Poinsettias are short-day plants. Short-day plants grow vegetatively during the long days of summer and produce flowers when days become shorter in fall. In order for poinsettias to flower for Christmas, they must receive complete darkness from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. each day from early October until the bracts show good color, usually around early December. (Most poinsettia varieties require eight to 10 weeks of short days to flower.) Gardeners can protect their plants from light by placing them in a closet or by covering with a cardboard box. When using cardboard boxes, cover any openings to insure complete darkness. Exposure to any kind of light between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. will delay or possibly prevent flowering. During the remainder of the day, the poinsettias should be placed in a sunny south window. Keep the plants well watered and fertilize every two weeks during the forcing period. While poinsettias are difficult to flower in homes, proper care can reward home gardeners with a colorful plant for the holiday season.

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