PAGE 10 DECEMBER 2012
december Best days according to Moon phases. Best planting days
Above ground crops . . . 14-16, 20-21, 24-25 Root crops . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2, 7-11, 28-29 Seed beds . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2, 9-11, 28-29 Kill plant pests . . . . . . . . . 6
Best fishing days
Best . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2, 20-21, 28-29 Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10, 17-19, 25 Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6, 11, 16, 26-27, 30-31 Poor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4, 7-8, 12-15, 22-23
Best days to do other stuff Begin diet to gain weight . . . . . . . . . . . .
Begin diet to lose weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . Begin logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Breed animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Make sauerkraut, can, or pickle . . . . . . . Cut hair to discourage growth . . . . . . . . Cut hair to encourage growth . . . . . . . . Cut hay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Destroy pests and weeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . Go camping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Graft or pollinate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest above ground vegetables . . . . Harvest below ground vegetables . . . . Go to the dentist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plant above ground vegetables . . . . . . . Plant below ground vegetables . . . . . . . Prune to discourage growth . . . . . . . . . . Prune to encourage growth . . . . . . . . . . Quit smoking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set posts or pour concrete . . . . . . . . . . . Start projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wean animals and children . . . . . . . . . . .
Folksy Tips, Hints & Wisdom FOR FARM, HOME AND GARDEN
Kissing under the dung twig The real story of holiday mistletoe
underneath for a kiss isn’t so romantic when you know that mistletoe is actually a parasitic plant. This means it must have another plant to live off of in order to survive. (Any parent with college-age children is familiar with how this arrangement works.)
a
18, 23 6, 10
14-15 10-11
1-2, 10 8-9
23-24 20-21 20-21 12-13
1-2, 28-29 23-24 5-6 5-6
18-19
1-2, 10-11 3-4
20-21 6, 10
14-15 14
6, 10 —from the Old Farmer’s Almanac
As mistletoe grows on a tree, it sends out root-like structures that grow directly into the tree’s bark and take nutrients from the tree branches. Sometimes, it can harm a tree and cause deformities in the tree’s limbs. Usually, it doesn’t kill its host unless there is a large amount of mistletoe in the tree.
Mistletoe is mostly found leaching off of hardwood trees like oak, elm and apple. The plant is distributed by birds that eat the berries and then leave their seeds and droppings on a tree branch. The seeds are sticky, which helps them to adhere to the limb.
Mistletoe got its name in the second century, from the Anglo- Saxons. “Mistle” is the word for “dung,” and “tan” is the word for “twig” – mistletan is the Old English version of mistletoe. This interpretation explains that mistletoe is named after bird droppings on a branch. This takes some of the romance out of the kissing tradition, doesn’t it?
Now is a great time to spot mistletoe. Green boughs of it are found all over Oklahoma. After all, it is the State Floral Emblem. If you use it for decoration, be sure to keep the plant away from children and pets. If ingested, it can cause severe stomach problems and even prove fatal.
To remove mistletoe from a tree, supporting limbs should be pruned out. If an infestation is bad, the tree may need to be removed to prevent the parasite from moving to other trees. Chemical controls are available, but these are only a temporary solution and will require multiple treatment. Still, they may be worth it if the mistletoe is taking over a valuable tree.
As you prepare for the holidays, don’t forget to hang the “dung on a twig.” When you see someone stealing a kiss, you can give them the rest of the story. Merry Christmas!
—BY SAMANTHA SNYDER, OSU COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
nice bundle of mistletoe with a red ribbon sure says ‘Merry Christmas,” but holding loved ones
CEC
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