JANUARY HORTICULTURAL

AND GARDEN TIPS

It's clearly a slower gardening time of year but we still have a few items highlighted for you this month. So, to learn about what you could be doing in the month of JANUARY click on GARDEN TIPS.

TULSA MASTER GARDENERS

AND

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY:

A REMARKABLE PARTNERSHIP

"TURNING HOUSES INTO HOMES"

Your Tulsa Master Gardeners (TMGs) have been quite busy this past year (and in years past) partnering with the Habitat for Humanity (HFH) organization. HFH is in charge of building the homes and TMGs landscape the front yards. Once the entire process is complete the homeowner is required to go through an orientation on home ownership as well as a primer on landscape maintenance so that what gets built and planted lasts for years to come.

Just in 2023 over 50 homes were landscaped by your TMGs with the goal of over 50% more than that in 2024. Click on TMG and HFH to learn more about this quite remarkable partnership in helping to build and beautify Tulsa one home at a time.

GET READY . . . IT'S COMING BACK AGAIN!

If you ever wondered how your Tulsa Master Gardeners are financially able to do all of the community outreach and educational programs that we do (like the HFH partnership above) it is from our own fundraising events. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and receive no governmental or otherwise outside financial aid.

Clearly, our biggest public fundraising event is the Spring Plant Sale. We feel so fortunate about the public's participation in our annual event! So, mark your calendars and get ready.....the online shopping cart will be opening the first of February. Thank you in advance for continuing to support us!

The Compost Connection

From Green Country Master Gardeners

Happy Composting in the New Year! It's time to think of what needs to be done in the compost pile to increase productivity for 2024. It’s the start of a new year and the beginning of a new garden and growing season. Focus on doable tasks, not unreasonable resolutions.

Do you need to relocate your pile?

Do you need to expand your pile?

Do you need to reinforce, repair, or redo your pile?

Do you need more gardening tools?

How about another pitchfork or a compost thermometer?

Don’t assume that your compost pile is dormant because the decomposition process is plenty busy even this time of year. A very good resource from Michigan State University reminds us the decomposition process is alive and active all through the winter. Yes, even ALL the way UP in Michigan! Careful here - even though it’s not in the same plant hardiness zone as Oklahoma (Zone 7a around the Tulsa area) much of their composting information also applies to composting in our area. This is for composting, NOT for plant selection and growing guides! Consult the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map or your local county extension office for more information.

The Michigan article, by Beth Clawson, is published by Michigan State University Extension: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/compost  

A few nuggets of similar compost information in this article are: organisms are working under the snow, smoke/steam rising from the pile probably is not spontaneous combustion, how to insulate a compost pile in winter to keep its core warmer, and minimum dimensions for a successful pile. Please take a few minutes to read this short, informative article above by clicking the link.

Here are a few more helpful suggestions for gardeners to help prepare for a new growing season:

• Scan your favorite seed catalogs
• Sharpen, clean, repair, and oil your garden/composting tools
• Start your planting calendar
• Start seeds indoors for transplanting in March
• Continue to gather kitchen scraps for adding to compost 

For more information, check out these other handy resources:

Healthy Garden Soils HLA-6436

Backyard Composting in Oklahoma HLA-6448

Tips for Successful Winter Composting  

As always, please see our website by clicking on our website tulsamastergardeners.org. Click the link on the main page for Lawn & Garden Help, scroll down to the link for Composting. In this section, you will find even more resources which may be helpful to a home composter.

You can also call our Help Line at 918-746-3701 or visit our Master Gardener Diagnostic Center Mon - Fri, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. located at 4116 East 15th Street, within the Tulsa County Extension Center near the Tulsa County Fairgrounds @ Gate 6.

WEATHERING YOUR GARDEN:

WET SNOW vs DRY SNOW

NOT ALL SNOW IS THE SAME

As we get into our snowiest time of the year, let’s look at the two main different kinds of snow - wet and dry. Both start the same. Water vapor in clouds freezes into ice crystals and falls to the ground as snow (if the air is freezing from the cloud to the ground). The longer it falls, the more we get. However, the consistency of the white stuff makes a big difference.

Wet Snow

Wet snow occurs when the air temperature near the surface is above freezing, causing the snowflakes to partially melt before reaching the surface. This causes the snowflakes to become sticky and easily adhere to and accumulate on nearly all outdoor surfaces.

A few inches of wet snow accumulation can make for beautiful winter landscapes, coating everything from tree limbs to fence rails. The stickiness of wet snow also makes it easy to form into snowballs and snowmen. But while wet snow can be fun for the family and make for great photo opportunities, it can cause a lot of problems when several inches of it accumulates. Wet snow not only sticks to everything, but it is also heavier than dry snow. One inch of wet snow can contain 2 to 3 times more water than one inch of dry snow, making it that much heavier. This makes it difficult to shovel and the weight of the wet snow can snap tree limbs and power lines causing power outages. In extreme cases, structural damage and roof collapses can occur. 

Dry Snow

Dry snow is more common as it occurs when the surface air temperature is below freezing. Without the stickiness of wet snow, dry snow tends to accumulate only on the ground and other level surfaces with little or no accumulation on trees or power lines.

Unlike wet snow, dry snow is powdery and cannot easily be formed into snowballs or snowmen. In addition, colder air temperatures correlate to lighter and fluffier snow that contains less water per inch. This makes it easier to shovel, but also makes it more susceptible to significant blowing and drifting when accompanied by strong winds making it more difficult to keep roads and walkways cleared. Dry snow is difficult to accurately measure when the wind is blowing, and that blowing wind can also make it difficult to see when you’re driving.

Since it takes 10” of rain to produce 1” of snow, wet snow takes longer to melt leaving you more time to build a snowman or have a snowball fight

CHRISTMAS TREE

DISPOSAL OPTIONS

The beautiful fresh cut Christmas tree that brought you and your family so much Christmas cheer may beginning to look more like the ghost of Christmas past. Since the holidays are officially over if you have not done so already you may be asking "how can I properly dispose of my live Christmas tree?". Well, look no further than here for a couple of handy tips on disposal options that lean towards being Earthkind.

Click on CHRISTMAS TREE DISPOSAL for that information and some innovative ideas that may just surprise you.

NEW YEAR'S GARDENING RESOLUTIONS

What better way to start the new year than with a few gardening resolutions! While the article is a re-run from last year (dated 2023), it is an appropriate subject to contemplate again this time of year while sitting inside sipping on your favorite java or cocoa.

Click on NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS to read about some inspiring ideas and ways to achieve your gardening resolutions and to get you started on your best gardening year ever.

THE MIGHTY ACORN

Acorns, the iconic nuts of oak trees, play a crucial role in the ecology of forests and woodlands. Understanding the anatomy of acorns, their wildlife benefits, and the process of propagating oaks from acorns can enhance our appreciation for these remarkable seeds.

The acorn is a product of the oak tree's reproductive cycle, serving as the means for the tree to propagate and ensure its species' survival. They also provide an essential food source for many animals, including squirrels, deer, and birds. For more information on its anatomy and oak tree propagation from these amazing little nuts, click on THE MIGHTY ACORN.

FIREPLACE ASHES:

WHAT TO DO AND

NOT TO DO WITH THEM

(a re-run from last month)

For several years, this article has been published early in the winter season when wood-burning fireplaces are starting to be used. So, if you are a long-time reader, you will recognize this topic. But, for others it may be the first time seeing it.

To get straight to the point, as environmentally sound as it may seem to recycle fireplace ashes in your garden, it is actually a very bad idea to do so. Dispose of them in other ways. Click on FIREPLACE ASHES to learn of the scientific reason.

ICE MELT PRODUCTS:

THE GOOD AND THE BAD

So far we have not had very much of our usual winter white stuff (icy or fluffy) come down on us and our pathways. But winter is far from over and the weather forecast tells us we may just be a few days away from that changing on us. As you know, when that occurs our walkways get really dicey to walk upon.

So then, some of us scramble to find something that will make it safer to walk and drive. So, consider the following tips and techniques for the effective removal of slick stuff that will not harm our plants and pets by clicking on ICE MELT PRODUCTS.

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE

TO POINSETTIA CARE

(a re-run from last month)

The Poinsettia, with its vibrant red and green foliage, is a beloved symbol of the holiday season. Proper care is essential to ensure that this iconic plant graces your home with its beauty throughout the festive period and beyond. To keep these striking plants thriving, click on POINSETTIA CARE to better understand and implement proper care practices.

NOW IS A REALLY GOOD TIME TO HAVE YOUR SOIL TESTED

Well, Old Man Winter is clearly in town for a while, so the weather really limits what we can be doing outdoors this month, But, there is something you can do right now to get a head start on your spring planting. It is a really good time to get your soil tested. 

Why is that? Because if you sample your soil and get it tested now, you have time to adjust for any nutrients that may be deficient. By making those nutrient supplements now the soil has time to adjust over the winter and will be ready for you when you hit the ground running next spring. Just be sure to do it before the ground freezes (current 2" deep soil temp is 41 degrees). Click on SOIL TEST to learn the proper steps in sampling and testing.

A PRIMER ON PRUNING

It's the dead of winter and not much to do outdoors. So, you might be asking "would it be ok to do some pruning now that the leaves are gone and trees/plants are generally dormant?". The answer is YES and NO. It depends. It would be ok to prune a few things now, but generally better to wait a bit. Here are just a few examples:

OK TO PRUNE NOW

• Deciduous shade trees & shrubs (that are NOT spring blooming, like crabapple, dogwood, redbud)

FEBRUARY/MARCH

• Fruit Trees (March is better for peaches)

WAIT UNTIL AFTER BLOOMING

• Azalea
• Forsythia
• Serviceberry

WAIT UNTIL SPRING

• Hydrangeas
• Roses
• Conifers/Evergreens
• Boxwood
• To deadhead flowering plants and ornamental grasses

ALWAYS PRUNE (the 3 "D's")

• Dead limbs
• Damaged limbs
• Diseased limbs

NEVER PRUNE

• A newly planted tree
• More than 1/3 of a plant at a time

Pruning should always be well thought out and done so only for good reason. A couple of handy resources on pruning:

Pruning Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, and Vines: HLA-6409

Annual Pruning of Fruit Trees: HLA-6228

DID YOU KNOW?

Since 1983, the Tulsa Master Gardeners have been serving the public by offering research-based horticultural information to residents of Tulsa and the surrounding area. The Tulsa Master Gardener Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization. As such, it receives no city, state or federal funding for its Tulsa community outreach programs. In fact, the Tulsa's Master Gardener programs are self-funded by its own fundraisers, from member donations, and from public donations.

The main Tulsa Master Gardener fundraiser is its Annual Spring Plant Sale that is held each April. Other fundraisers include the Garden Tour and Garage Sale in June. And, one of the most important income sources that sometimes gets overlooked are the personal and corporate donations. These are so important in helping us to meet our financial obligations and we want you to know they are very much appreciated. 

MG Endowment Fund

The Tulsa Master Gardeners have been around for over three decades and we plan to be around for many more decades. Furthermore, we are considered one of the top five Master Gardener County programs in the entire nation. We are because of the size of our Foundation membership, the number, diversity and activity level of our various community outreach programs, and our overall financial strength! 

So, we are pleased to announce, in partnership with the Tulsa Community Foundation, the Master Gardener Foundation has established an Endowment Fund to ensure our long-term financial strength. Our plans are to build this fund for many years before making any withdrawals from it. Please consider us as you make your annual gift giving as well as longer-term estate planning decisions. Remember, all donations are fully tax deductible! 

If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to help fund the long-term success of the Tulsa Master Gardener program, click on  

TULSA MASTER GARDENER ENDOWMENT FUND.

If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to help fund the Tulsa Master Gardener program's annual expenses, click on

TULSA MASTER GARDENER FUND.

We thank ALL of you for having been such faithful contributors both in the past and in advance for your future consideration and participation! So proud to be a part of the Tulsa area - such a giving community!

=====================================================Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services.

=====================================================

You can get answers to all of your gardening questions:

TULSA MASTER GARDENERS

4116 East 15th Street Tulsa, OK 74112

918-746-3701

mg@tulsamastergardeners.org