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Q: What is the procedure for forcing branches indoors? How soon can I start? What are some that force easily?
Answered by Anise Butler, master gardener: January and February is a good time to prune branches and bring them indoors for forcing blooms.
Branches brought in early will take longer to produce flowers than ones brought in closer to their outdoor bloom time.
There are many ways to force branches, but I will give you a simple way. Prune spring-blooming bushes or trees by cutting branches in 1- to 3-feet lengths.
Make sure there are bloom buds present. (Flower buds are generally more plump and round than leaf buds.)
After bringing the branches in the house, cut them one more time with a slanted cut, and remove all buds that fall below the water line in your vase. Fresh cutting the stems allows them to take in more water.
Place them in any kind of vase. If you’ll be checking them daily, you only need 3 or 4 inches of water. For the first week, check the water often to make sure there is enough and to check for dirty water and rotted stems.
Change the water a couple of times that week. Keep the branches in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
After they show signs of blooming, put them in bright light (but still not direct sunlight) in a room with normal indoor temperatures.
Blooms may last for a couple of weeks depending on the species.
When you’re through displaying them, some of the branches may have grown roots, and these may be planted outside when the weather moderates in late March to grow new plants.
Forsythia generally is the first and easiest to bloom. It may bloom in as little time as a week. Redbud, pussy willow and spicebush will take about two weeks.
Lilac, cherry, crabapple, spirea and Deutzia may take four weeks or more.
Q: I was given 20 bags of shredded leaves. Can I leave them in the bags until spring, or should I spread them on the garden?
Answered by Anise Butler, master gardener in Greene County: Shredded leaves are a gardener’s gold. It takes 10 bags of leaves to make one bag of shredded leaves.
You have lots of organic matter there that your gardens are going to love.
You can leave the leaves in the bags until spring if necessary.
If you have a vegetable garden or flower or shrub gardens, you can dump the leaves on them now. Shredded leaves shouldn’t blow around and make an attractive mulch.
The leaves will compost somewhat over the rest of the winter.
Any that are left in the spring can be raked back so the soil can warm up and then spread back out as a mulch for the summer.
When I’ve left them in the bags over winter, I will dump them out between rows after the soil has warmed and seeds have sprouted in the spring.
Readers can pose questions or get more information by calling 417-881-8909 and talking to one of the trained volunteers staffing the Master Gardener Hotline at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Greene County located inside the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807.
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