By Wes Porter ——Bio and Archives--December 1, 2019
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Final season chores beckon this month. Clean out lingering leaves, dead perennial stems and other debris that may harbour overwintering pathogens and pests. For similar reasons, prune back dead or dying branches on shrubs and low trees. Clean tools, sharpen blades and wipe metal parts lightly with oil before storing. Take down bird feeders, clean with a light bleach solution and position over deck or patio to discourage maundering felinesScientists have named a new species of tiny, wingless, blind beetle with long pigtail-like antennae after Greta Thunberg. London’s Natural History Museum named the one-millimetre-long beetle, which was discovered in Kenya in 1965, Nelloplodes gretae in honour of the 16-year-old’s tireless environmental work.
Final fertilization of indoor plants at the beginning of the month, then cease until March for all except those in bloom or flower bud. Spritz all at least weekly with tepid water to remove grime from foliage and discourage numero uno winter pest, spider mite. Turn plants 180 degrees weekly to ensure they grow vertical and do not bend. towards light. LED light bulbs can boost illumination but only for plants close to them.
Diversion No. 2: Winter conditions are changingWinter conditions are changing more rapidly than any other season and researchers at the University of New Hampshire have found clear signs of decline in frost days, snow covered days and other indications of winter that could have lasting impacts on ecosystems, water supplies, the economy, tourism and human health. The research was published in the journal Ecological Applications.
Christmas pests have been defined, tongue-in-cheek, as ‘Santapedes.’ Not so sunny though when a gift plant introduces whiteflies or other problems to the indoor plant collection. Some suggest ‘isolating’ such gifts, quarantining them until proven pest-free or otherwise. How to achieve this in the average home is unexplained. A more practical precaution is to administer a precautionary but thorough insecticidal soap natural spray upon arrival every five days over the holiday season.
A massive review confirms houseplants aren’t actually ‘purifying’ the air in your home. Just open a window, suggests Carly Cassella writing in ScienceAlert. Filling your house with potted plants might make you happier and more productive, but it’s not going to make the air you breathe any cleaner. That is, unless you have a ludicrous number of indoor plants: somewhere between 10 to 1,000 for every square metre of your living space. A critical review, drawing on 30 years of research, was published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.
Some claim that the season’s Christmas Tree can be traced back to ancient Druids and the Winter Solstice. While undoubtedly ancient, the first written record is German from 1604. The practice spread through Europe to England and across Atlantic, where in 1747 a Moravian community in Pennsylvania were reported to celebrate with a conifer brought indoors. Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert introduced Christmas Trees to Britain in November 1841 and, inevitably, it became a favourite for Victorians on both sides of the ocean. In 1856, the family of President Franklin Pierce hade one in the White House.
Diversion No. 4: Green tea can help eliminate antibiotic resistant bacteria.Green tea could hold the key to reducing antibiotic resistance suggests a study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology. Scientists at the University of Surrey have discovered that a natural antioxidant commonly found in green tea can help eliminate antibiotic resistant bacteria.
It has been claimed that Adam announced to his wife on the day before Christmas, “It’s Christmas, Eve.” On the whole, this is much to be preferred to Victor Borge’s claim, “Santa Claus has the right idea – visit people only once a year.” Actor William Gillette – he who gave his name to a famed razor – wished everyone, “Farewell, Good Luck and Merry Christmas.” Humourists have posed the question, which well-known playwright was terrified of Christmas? Noël Coward. Groan and Happy Christmas anyway.
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Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.