Success with live Christmas trees

Here it is, the holiday season and time to start thinking about Christmas and Christmas trees. I decided to write this article to let people know some things about the care of living Christmas trees. Getting a live tree should save you a lot of money because you are able to use it as a Christmas tree for a few years – as long as you can keep it alive. Then when it grows too big to be a Christmas tree, you could either plant it in the yard or in the community. But how easy is it to keep it alive?

Here are a few points to help you made a decision:

• Most potted Christmas trees have a 60/40 chance of surviving the move from indoors to the landscape, even with proper care.

• The tree should not be kept in the house any longer than 7 - 10 days.

• Cut trees are almost as expensive as live ones.

Someone I know put their live tree on their deck in front of the living room window. They decorated the tree and put the presents inside in front of the window. The tree didn’t go through the indoor-outdoor shock and it survived.

If you do decide to buy a live tree here’s some information about taking care of them.

1. Keep your tree in an unheated garage or shed until ready to bring it inside to decorate. This will keep the tree dormant while protecting it from the harsh elements.

2. It is best not to keep the tree in a warm room for more than 10 days, otherwise it may begin to come out of dormancy and you will have to leave it indoors until spring.

3. Water the tree thoroughly several hours before bringing it in and then put ice cubes on the root ball when inside to keep soil moist and also keep the roots cool like they would be outside. Place in a cool spot away from heater vents and add ice every couple of days. Provide a saucer to catch excess water draining from the pot.

4. If decorating with lights, use only miniature types that give off very little heat.

5. After Christmas water your tree well, then move it back into the garage for a couple of days so the tree can adjust to the temperature.

Most of the trees at Mountain Gardens Nursery and Pet have been planted in pots and so the roots have started to grow in the pot. Balled and burlapped means the trees are field lifted and burlap has been placed around the rootball and tied with twine or nylon to hold the roots together. In some nurseries you can buy the tree balled & burlapped, which saves money but cuts your chances of the tree surviving and you will need to pot it yourself. When planting do not remove the burlap from the root ball. The intention is for the roots to grow through the burlap, serious damage may result if the bag is removed. If the tree is planted in a pulp pot, knock some holes in the pot with a hammer before planting in the ground. Plant with rich soil amendments such as Garder and Bloome Soil Building Compost. Make a nice water well around the tree with displaced soil and sit back and enjoy.

If you decide to keep your tree in its container, you will need to water it religiously.  This is extremely important. Keeping it in its container will give you time to think about where you want to plant it in the spring. You may even want to try and keep growing it in the container for next Christmas. Remember that it can not stay in the house longer than 7 - 10 days. You’ll need to place the potted tree out in your yard.

At planting time, plant the tree the same depth at which it was growing. Water well and mulch to help protect it from hard freezes. If you live where the ground freezes, dig your hole before it’s frozen, set the tree in the hole and surround the roots with mulch until spring when you can properly plant it after the ground thaws. Stake the tree to prevent wind damage.

Mountain Garden’s Nursery and Pet in Tehachapi has several good trees to choose from. Come by and pick out your live tree today.

It is still a great time to plant bulbs. Gift items are also available, such as toys for pets, unique yard art, bird feeders, water fountains, garden plaques and decorations, fish and fish tank starter kits and lots of other gifts.