Volume 35, Issue 5 November/December Julie Muhilly, Editor

www.moananursery.com

Lawns should be thoroughly raked. Leaves left on the lawn smother the grass as well as harbor insects and disease. Continue watering as long as possible.

You can core aerate lawns now to improve water and fertilizer penetration if necessary. Do not remove plugs. Allow them to break down over the winter.

Feed lawns with a Fall & Winter fertilizer, if you haven’t done so by now.

Pull houseplants off window sills. Cold outside temperatures can make their way thorough uninsulated windows.

Attract colorful finches to your yard by hanging up a thistle feeder or sock. The kids will love it!

Your automatic sprinkler system should be turned off and drained by now. Also, drain your hoses, roll them up and store in your garage or shed.

Any new planting of shrubs or trees that you did this year still needs to be watered once or twice a month during the winter months.

Branches or tall pyramidal evergreens can be tied together to keep heavy snow from breaking the branches or bending them so severely that their appearance suffers.

‘Winter Kill’ results from our erratic weather with frequent sunny, warm days in January and February, dry air, low precipitation, and strong cold winds. A plants’ best defense is a good supply or moisture and a deep root system. Water all your plants deeply before winter and monthly through the winter if we have a dry spell.

An application of an anti-transpirant, such as Cloud-Cover on your broad leaf evergreens, will help them over winter better. Cloud-Cover is a clear, flexible polymer coating that holds moisture in plants and reduces stress caused by temperature extremes, transplant shock and dry environment by creating a barrier to winter stress. Spray in early fall prior to frost season. Also keeps Christmas trees and greens fresh, prevents needle drop and reduces fire hazard.

If you’re going to buy a living Christmas tree, dig the hole now before the ground freezes; cover hole with plywood, so no one fall in; keep soil in garage or shed so that it doesn’t freeze.

Take note of your gardening successes and failures so you will be better prepared for next years gardening challenges.

Start a family tradition this year by purchasing a living Christmas tree for your holiday celebration. We have Reno’s largest and best selection of Austrian and Scotch pines, Colorado Blue and Alberta spruce, all of which make excellent living Christmas trees. We recommend bringing your tree into your home no longer than ten days. While inside, keep your tree’s container in a saucer so as not to ruin your floor. Also, keep the root ball moist through regular watering. Keep your tree away from heat sources such as fireplaces, heater vents or south facing windows. After the holiday day, you can either plant your tree right away (if you prepared the hole earlier, see above) or wait till Spring. Either way, be sure to keep your tree well watered throughout the winter.

Moana Nursery has become the exclusive distributor for Brite Ideas Decorating, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska -- one of the nation's largest providers of illuminated holiday and special event light displays.  Their product is best known for its commercial quality and durability and custom designs.

Everyone is welcome to visit either store to see the Christmas decorations that are currently on display and to view the product catalog of the other items we have available.

Moana Nursery is now offering Gift Cards which will be replacing our current Gift Certificate. The card is available in any amount and for any occasion. Maybe for that gardener or special someone on your Christmas list?

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Both locations of Moana Nursery will have the freshest cut Christmas trees available. For over twenty years, the Boy Scouts of America Troop #15 & 35 have been selling and maintaining the tree lot at Moana Lane location. This year we welcome the Boy Scout Troop #1631 to our South Virginia location. Trees will be available the day after Thanksgiving at both locations.

Visit or phone (775-825-0671) The Florist at Moana Nursery to order your holiday arrangements early.

We take pride in our florist quality, premium poinsettias offered each year at Moana Nursery. We will offer every color and size of poinsettias available. Our quality and availability of poinsettias far exceeds those that you might find at the grocery or department stores. Poinsettias will be arriving at Moana Nursery the week before Thanksgiving

Once you have your poinsettia, proper care is important to keep your plant healthy and attractive throughout the holiday. Poinsettias should be kept out of drafts in a warm place, and the soil should be evenly moist. To prevent spotting, keep water off the colorful bracts (flower), and any type of breakage of leaves or stems will cause unsightly white sap to ooze and drip on other plants or your nice table, so be careful when handling your poinsettia.

The most asked question that we get about poinsettias is how you get it to bloom for next year. In a nutshell, this is how you do it: After bloom, cut stems to about 6 inches high so that three nodes are left on each stem. Put plant in strong light but not direct sun. In late spring, repot if necessary and set plant in a warm sunny spot. Pinch back regularly as new growth appears and fertilize with a balanced formula fertilizer (16-16-16). In mid-September or early October, put plant in a dark closet for at least 14 hours a night. DO NOT open the closet door during this period! The poinsettia needs full sun in the day and 12-14 hours of uninterrupted darkness for 40 continuous nights. Once the bracts start to show color, you can discontinue this lights out routine. Most people think this process is a big hassle and prefer to buy a new poinsettia each year. But for us ‘greenthumbers’, it’s worth the effort.

Our staff will hold holiday demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday during Open House weekend on:

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