Overlooked Abundance

Pine Cones photo by Matt Biehl

An item that has sticky sap, stickery scales with thorns, and hefts some weight when it falls has become a holiday legend. Easy to find, symbolic, abundant and decorative, pine cones are almost as desirable as live Christmas trees.

Why are pine cones so popular? Bringing the outdoors inside creates a setting that Santa will want to enjoy as he downs his cookies. Holiday pine cone ideas will keep the elves busy decorating for the season. Cones are tough as a metal Tonka truck and will last just as long. Pine cones endure for many seasons and several Pinterest attempts.

However, there is at least one treatment that must be done prior to using them for table decorations at dinner.             Pine cones are perfect housing for many bugs looking for a spot to over winter. Bringing your pine cones in without preparation will give the question “Guess who’s coming to dinner?” a whole new perspective. There are several ways to prepare cones for indoor use.

Baking carefully in the oven is popular. Use a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake a few cones in a single layer to dry out sap and eliminate any dwellers. Most recipes recommend temperatures of 200 to 250 degrees for 1 to 1½ hours. Keep a close eye on cones while baking; rotate cones, turning them every half hour. At the end of baking time, remove cones from oven and let them cool prior to using. If you need to remove pitch or sap from yourself, WD-40 is a good remedy.

After using pine cones for the holidays, what do you do then?  Here are some ideas.

• A layer of tightly packed pine cones will impede fungus gnats from setting up a winter month-to-month in the potting soil of your indoor “Houseplant Hilton.”
• The same tight layer will deter feline friends from using your pots in a way to get added to the naughty list. Those same pine cones can stop squirrels and chipmunks from using their planting skills in outdoor pots.
• Pine cones are natural mulch. Slow to break down, they keep out pests, prevent soil erosion, and slow humans from taking short cuts through your yard. Again, packing pine cones tightly together will make them work harder for you.
• Pine cones are great bottom filler for pots. Fill the pot initially with long lasting pine cones and then add your new potting soil. Saving money and utilizing an abundant resource is good.
• Pine cones are natural fire starters. Using a double boiler, slowly melt paraffin over low heat. Once the paraffin is melted, add crayon for color. Wait ten minutes for wax to cool and become thicker. Stir wax and dip cones, rolling to cover and coat. Remember, wax is hot! Place cones on wax paper, then add good-smelling herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Pine cones are tough and usable all year round. A moment of imagination will provide long lasting decorations for all seasons.

Juile Silva is a UCCE Master Gardener in Tuolumne County. UCCE Central Sierra Master Gardeners can answer home gardening questions.