Rick Durham, Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky

Deciduous hollies add color to the winter landscape.

Adding a little color to the winter landscape is a great goal for the homeowner. But how can this be accomplished? Few plants bloom during winter, and those that do are not necessarily all that showy. Evergreens such as juniper and hollies have colored berries, but these are rarely striking unless seen up close, otherwise they are hidden or blend in with the tree's foliage. A deciduous holly might be just the answer to liven up the landscape in winter.

There are three species of deciduous holly that are often found in nurseries. Ilex decidua or Possumhaw, is a small tree that usually grows to about 15-20 feet, occasionally a bit taller. It has many branches and will sucker from the base forming a dense thicket if left to grow naturally. It is broadly adapted to soil conditions and will even tolerate sties with somewhat alkaline soils. The fruit are produced in clusters on spurs and two-year-old wood. Each berry is about a quarter inch in diameter and is bright orange to scarlet. The fruit becomes evident in September, but is especially striking after cool weather causes the plants to loose their leaves. The fruit will then persist as long as April since it is rarely foraged by birds.

The next species of deciduous holly is Ilex verticillata that goes by the common names Common Winterberry, Black Alder, or Coralberry. Ilex verticillata is a medium shrub and grows to about 6-10 feet depending on cultivar. It is native to much of the eastern United States, and prefers moist acid soils. It will grow in full sun or partial shade. Unlike Ilex decidua, Ilex verticillata will not do well in alkaline soils. The fruit may range in color from dark red to scarlet and orange to yellow. Fruit is around one quarter inch in diameter, and is often produced in pairs. The fruit ripens in late August to September and persists into January depending on bird feeding. Named cultivars are superior to the straight species with regard to fruit display.

Finally, Ilex serrata is a species of deciduous holly introduced from Japan and China. It is hardy in Kentucky and prefers conditions similar to Ilex verticillata. This species has spreading branches and rarely exceeds 8-10 feet in height in the landscape. Hybrids between Ilex serrata and Ilex verticillata are more desirable than Ilex serrata. Hybrids will reach a height of 6-12 feet depending on cultivar and have abundant bright red fruit produced on slender branches. The fruit mature and color in early fall before those of Ilex verticillata but may not persist because they are attractive to birds.

There are several named cultivars available of each of these species. Be sure to ask your local nursery professional about the characteristics of available species and cultivars and select the one best suited to your landscape needs. For berry production there must be at least one male plant nearby in the landscape. The male plants will not produce berries, but are necessary for fertilization and berry production on the female plants. It is impossible to distinguish male from female plants, but appropriate combinations of male and female cultivars are usually available.
 

Mistletoe.

The holidays are just around the corner, and many of us will be decking the halls, not only with holly, but we'll be hanging a few sprigs of mistletoe in hopes of sneaking a surprise kiss from an unsuspecting guest.

Mistletoe has long been associated with winter celebrations. The name is derived from the old Saxon word, Mistl-tan meaning different twig. The genus name of the common North American species, Phoradendron, means literally tree thief. Both names refer to the mistletoe's parasitism of trees. Mistletoe's roots grow into the inner bark of a tree branch from where it takes its moisture and nutrients. It then makes it's own food through photosynthesis and remains green year round.

Mistletoe berries mature in late fall. Although poisonous to humans, they are a common food for many species of birds. Once eaten, the berries are digested and the seeds are passed and conveniently deposited onto limbs where they germinate and form new plants. If you choose to decorate with mistletoe, it might be wise to remove the berries or substitute them with fake ones.

When found in great numbers, mistletoe may weaken a tree but otherwise it is usually quite harmless. To remove it from landscape plants, prune out the limb where the mistletoe is growing. Make the pruning cut about 12 inches away from the mistletoe plant. If only the mistletoe is pruned away it will likely regrow.
 

What to do with all those fallen leaves?

The age old questions of what to do with all those fallen tree leaves once again needs an answer. Here are the options as I see them.

First and perhaps easiest, in the short run anyway, is to do nothing and perhaps pray for a strong wind to blow the leaves away. The problem with this is that any leaves that remain in the lawn may suffocate or shade out the turfgrass and cause dead spots next spring. So the dilemma is to rake now or reseed later. If you do choose this method, at least run a lawnmower over any leaves that remain over the turf since shredded leaves will decompose faster and present less of a problem to the lawn.

The second option would be to rake and bag, rake to the curb, or follow whatever your local municipality suggests for leaf collection. This is well and good, especially if your city composts these leaves and reuses them.

A third options would be to use some of the leaves as mulch around perennial flowers and woody plants. Remember that leaves tend to compact once they have started to decompose so it is best to apply only a few inches of loose leaves as mulch.

A forth option would be to compost the leaves. However, leaves may be a little more difficult to compost than other types of yard waste. For one, leaves tend to be dry and thus resistant to decomposition. Dead leaves are also high in carbon and low in nitrogen which makes them slow to compost. This can be remedied by mixing leaves with fresh grass clipping as they are added to the compost bin. A ratio of 2-3 parts leaves to 1 part fresh grass clippings will work well. If you don't have sufficient grass clipping to add, simply pile the leaves and store them until spring when fresh grass clippings are available. Fortunately in Kentucky, most of our lawns are composed of cool season turfgrasses which should provide some clipping well into the fall.
 

Lift and store tender perennials.

Many perennials that grow during the summer will not overwinter well under Kentucky conditions. Among some of the more popular of these are canna, gladiolus, tuberous begonia, dahlia, and caladium. If the winter is unseasonably mild, some of these may overwinter, especially canna and gladiolus. However, if the winter is harsh, you can expect damage to most if not all of these plants.

To overwinter these perennials, they must be lifted from the soil and stored in a dry, non-freezing location. Wait to dig until a hard frost has killed most of the foliage but dig before the ground is frozen. Under most conditions, early November would be an excellent time to dig. Use a shovel or garden fork to dig well below the underground bulb or root-digging too shallow may injure the plant and invite rot and decay during storage. Once lifted from the ground, shake off as much soil as possible but do not wash it off. It is important that the bulb or root stay as dry as possible. Trim off excess foliage to about 1 to 2 inches above where the plant was growing in soil but otherwise leave the bulbs or roots intact as mush as possible. It will be best to wait until spring to divide these structures. Allow these structures to dry for about a week before storage.

Once the underground structures are cleaned they should be placed in a container for storage. The container should not be air tight-a box or open plastic container will work well. The bulbs/roots should be placed in the container with some sort of dry packing material. Suitable packing material would include sand, peat moss, vermiculite, shredded newspaper, straw, styrofoam pellets, etc. Be aware that some of these materials may be attractive to rodents. Completely cover the overwintering structures and place the container in a cool, non-freezing area, preferably 40-45F. Inspect the plants every few weeks and discard any that are showing signs of rot or decay. Replanting can occur in early May and the structures can be divided by cutting or breaking apart at that time.