Indoor Herbs for Holiday Meals!

Do you love using fresh herbs in your culinary creations? Consider growing your herbs insideyour home where you can snip a fresh branch while you are cooking your meals! 

For an indoor culinary garden consider growing garlic, chives, basil, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme. If you want to grow a tea garden you may want to plant spearmint, peppermint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chamomile or catnip. It's not too late to start from seeds.

Be sure to choose a container that provides good drainage, and fill with one or more of your favorite herbs. Light is very important so place your herb garden in a sunny location that receives at least half a day of sun. New information about indoor lighting has made it easier for the home gardeners. For grow lights, those labeled "cool white" work well. "Warm white" and "Daylight" may also work. Lamps tailored to a plant's needs are also available. Be to water regularly. After the threat of frost passes, you can place your garden outdoors and enjoy fresh herbs all year round.

For more information on herb gardening in Idaho, the University of Idaho Extension provides this excellent resource: Idaho Green Thumb How-To's.

Your Christmas Tree - Before & After

A few tips for a great holiday celebration around your beautifully decorated tree. 

Maintaining a high moisture level in the tree is the single most important factor in reducing needle loss and keeping the tree fresh. This is accomplished primarily through the use of water-holding stands and keeping the water level in the stand above the base of the tree. 

• Use a tree stand with an adequate water-holding capacity. A tree stand should have a water basin that provides 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. For most Christmas trees, the stand should hold at least 1 gallon of water. A cut tree will absorb a surprising amount of water, particularly during the first week, so replenish the water daily. Check the stand daily to ensure the water level does not go below the base of the tree.

• 
  The tree stand should fit your tree. The ring must be large enough for the trunk of your tree to go through the hole. You don't want your tree flling over. Avoid whittling down the sides of the trunk to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed.

• Cutting off a disk of wood about ¼" thick from the base of the trunk is all that is necessary before putting the tree in the stand. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. Don't cut the trunk at an angle, or into a V-shape, which makes it more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and reduces the amount of water available to the tree. If the tree has been cut within the past 12 hours, it will not be necessary to recut the trunk. If the tree is to be stored for more than a couple of days before display, place its trunk in water and store it in a cool, protected area such as an unheated garage.
  

• Keep displayed trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, and direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process. Newer LED Christmas lights generate less heat. Always turn lights off when the tree is unattended. Displaying trees in water with the proper care is much more effective in reducing fire hazards than spraying trees with fire retardants. 

• The temperature of the water used to fill the stand is not important and does not affect water uptake. Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does not improve water uptake.

• Additives, such as floral preservatives, commercial tree preservatives, molasses, sugar, bleach, soft drinks, aspirin, honey, and other concoctions in the water is not necessary. Clean water is best to maintain freshness.

• Monitor your tree for dryness. Run your fingers across the needles to determine whether they are dry and brittle. If the needles break easily or fall off in your hand, the tree is dry and should be removed. 

Christmas trees can be useful even after they are taken down. Trees can be placed in the yard to add greenery, treats, stringed cranberries, and act as a bird haven until spring.

Become a Master Gardener? Yes!

Idaho Master Gardener was created in 1976 in Ada and Canyon Counties. There are Master Gardener Volunteer programs in Idaho in 44 counties offered by University of Idaho Extension. Individuals provide volunteer gardening services to communities while earning relevant skills and experience. As a large part of their responsibilities, master gardeners serve as educators who offer gardening information from a scientific perspective to the public via a variety of avenues ranging from email correspondence, phone calls, info booths, site visits, & social media.

And have fun while learning!

Becoming a Master Gardener gives you the hands-on chance to learn:
• soils
• basic botany
• disease diagnosis
• insects
• weed ID & management
• lawn care
• landscape shrubs & trees
• vegetables, herbs & fruits & flowers

Master Gardeners strive to ensure that the information they provide is:

Reliable: our gardening advice and education is research-based.
Relevant: our gardening advice can be customized to accommodate individual gardening
situations.
Reachable: folks can call us on the phone, email us a question, or visit with us at Extension
offices, markets, gardens in our community and on social media.

Complete your application today! 

To become an Idaho Master Gardener (IMG) Volunteer, you must complete the following: 

1. Apply to and be accepted into Canyon CountyIMG Program by the deadline of December 16th.
    a. The application process includes a background check and reference         inquiries, with volunteer service in the Canyon County IMG Program by the end of the program year.
    b. Payment is due at the time of submitting the IMG Application. ($150 for 2022) Scholarships are available
2. Course work: Satisfactorily complete the IMG training course with 95% minimum class attendance and complete of ALL exams and assignments. 
3. Volunteer Service: Continue the learning experience with 40 hours minimum
4. Record and report volunteer hours. (minimal 40 hours) 

Join us for a great group experience and fun activities while helping community! 

To see what we're all about - Follow us here 👉

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