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El Dorado County tree farms now open

With pandemic precautions in place, holiday tradition continues

Looking our over tops of trees
El Dorado County tree farms are now open, with COVID-19 safety requirements for customers.
(Photo courtesy visit-eldorado.com )






Some traditions continue during this most unusual holiday season. That includes Christmas tree season on Apple Hill.

With COVID safety requirements in place, most El Dorado County Christmas tree farms are now officially open for business. After years of growth, their trees are ready for customers.

But remember to bring your face mask.

"Masks are required in the sales and tree-baling area," wrote the Kobervig family on their Crystal Creek Farm website,
http://caminotrees.com . "Please limit the people in your group that enter this area. We disinfect all saws and shared items."

On 20 acres in Camino, the Kobervigs grow a large assortment of trees.

"We have several varieties of trees including: White Fir, Silver Swift Fir, Silver Tip, Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, Blue Spruce, Nordmann Fir and Grand Fir," they wrote.

The flat price of $75, cash or check, includes tax and packing materials.

Outdoors and away from crowds, Christmas tree hunting can be a safe family activity. Most farms have plenty of room for social distancing, and invite visitors to walk around. Some offer tables for picnicking. Dogs on leashes are often welcomed.

Most of these farms operate as choose-and-cut, not cut your own. All customers need to do is pick one. But if they still want to saw, sanitized tools are available.

"We are owned and operated by a family that was one of the first 'Choose and Cut' tree farmers in El Dorado County more than 55 years ago," wrote Cathy Morgan of Carson Ridge Evergreens, also in the Camino area near Placerville ( https://carsonridgeevergreens.net/ ). "You choose the tree, we cut it for you or show you how to do it yourself."

Beautiful clear and crisp weather is forecast for this weekend and the next several days, making this prime tree hunting time.

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Garden Checklist for week of June 22

Mornings this first week of summer will remain comfortably cool – just right for gardening!

* Water early in the morning to cut down on evaporation. Check soil moisture and deep water trees and shrubs. Keep new transplants and veggies evenly moist. Deep water tomatoes to encourage deep roots.

* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.

* Plant basil to go with your tomatoes.

* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias. It’s also a good time to transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.

* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.

* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.

* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.

* Mulch, mulch, mulch! This “blanket” keeps moisture in the soil longer and helps your plants cope during hot weather.

* Avoid pot “hot feet.” Place a 1-inch-thick board under container plants sitting on pavement. This little cushion helps insulate them from radiated heat.

* Thin grapes on the vine for bigger, better clusters later this summer.

* Cut back fruit-bearing canes on berries.

* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.

* Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.

* Trim off dead flowers from rose bushes to keep them blooming through the summer. Roses also benefit from deep watering and feeding now. A top dressing of aged compost will keep them happy. It feeds as well as keeps roots moist.

* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushier plants with many more flowers in September.

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