Evergreens

Summer 2022 was hot! The Lincoln area had 66 days of 90+ F days from May through September 30. And this was often coupled with very windy conditions! In unwatered portions of the landscape many gardeners saw lawns turning brown, soil pulled away from driveway and sidewalk edges, and possibly even scorch symptoms in trees. These are all good indications when our our landscapes are dry. For a current look at Lincoln drought status, visit U.S. Drought Monitor.

Looking out your window in January, the predominant colors you’ll see are shades of brown, gray, and, if we have snow, white. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide some relief, but the view is still pretty neutral. An excellent way to brighten the dead of winter is to plant trees and shrubs that possess colorful fruit or bark, or plants with interesting shapes. Take a look at your winter landscape now, and decide if spring planting this year should include plants for winter interest.

I’ve always envied southern gardeners, and their ability to grow big, beautiful American holly trees. It would be so nice to simply walk to the backyard and snip a few branches with colorful berries for holiday wreaths or arrangements. During the holiday season, English holly (Ilex aquifolium) is popular in wreaths and greens, but unfortunately it also is not winter hardy in Nebraska. However, there are hollies we can grow including Meserve and winterberry holly.

All pine trees have needles, but all needled evergreens aren't pine trees any more than all dogs are dachshunds. Telling pines, firs and spruces apart isn't any harder than distinguishing beagles, Bassett hounds or bloodhounds -- you just need to know how each one is distinctively different from the others.

Step One: Look at the needles. Are they arranged singling on the branch or in groups?

Dothistroma needle blight is one of the most common fungal diseases of pines in Nebraska, resulting in sparse trees with thin canopies. Older, inner needles are affected first causing premature needle drop. Many species of pine are affected by this disease, but in Nebraska it's found most commonly and causes the greatest amount of damage on Austrian and Ponderosa pine, both in windbreak and ornamental trees. Mugo pine, a common landscape shrub, can be infected, but Dothistroma is seldom seen in Scotch pine.

If your landscape has a history of bagworm problems, it’s time to start looking for the next generation of young insects. They will soon be hatching.

The insects and their cocoons can be hard for gardeners to spot since they look so much like a natural part of the plant. Many people don’t realize the pointed oval structures the insects create and carry around with them aren’t a natural part of the tree. Last year’s bags are easier to spot than the tiny structures made by new insects.

In spring 2021, many gardeners and landscape managers in eastern Nebraska had severe plant damage to boxwood shrubs. In many cases, entire plants were dead. In others, all branches above the protecting snow line were brown, dried and dead. Although boxwood was not the only type of plant showing damage in spring 2021, why was the damage so widespread on this species?

Nebraska has more than 20 tree farms in central and eastern Nebraska that grow and sell Christmas trees.  A variety of tree species are available, including Scotch, Austrian, Red and White pine; Colorado blue and Norway spruce; and Balsam, Concolor, Cannan, Fraser and Douglas fir, so you can find your ideal holiday tree.

We’ve had our first taste of winter but while opinions may vary on the desirability of snow - particularly the amount that falls! - snow actually has several benefits for landscapes and gardens.