Hooper's Garden center - Live Christmas Tree Care

Hooper's Garden Center
Live Christmas Tree Care

When choosing a living Christmas tree, here are a few tips to increase the odds of having it live and thrive in the landscape after Christmas.

Plan ahead; and prepare the site for planting before Christmas. Dig the hole before the ground freezes and cover with enough straw or mulch to keep the soil from freezing; also protect the fill soil from freezing so it can be used for planting the tree after Christmas.

Base the selection of the tree on more than shape and color. Living trees can be balled and burlapped (B&B), container grown or potted. Small trees are almost always a better choice than large trees because they are easier to handle and move and because you have a higher probability of the tree having sufficient root system to support it after planting.

Purchase the tree one to two weeks before Christmas, and store in a cool but not cold location. Once the tree is home, it should be conditioned before being brought into a heated room. Leaving the tree upright in an unheated barn or garage for a couple of days should be sufficient. After the conditioning, the tree can be brought indoors and placed in a cool location away from direct sunlight. It is even more important with living trees that the location be away from heat sources such as wood stoves, fireplaces, heater vents, etc.

Plan to keep the tree in the home for as short a time as possible. The maximum time allowed in the house is five to seven days; the longer it is kept in the house, the greater the risk of failure. If kept inside too long, the tree begins to grow and is damaged or killed when planted outside in the cold temperatures of an Iowa winter.

Remember the tree will need adequate water inside the home. The soil ball or pot should be kept moist but not wet; wrap the soil ball or pot in plastic or place in a tub while it is in the house to avoid damaging the floor or carpet. Check the soil ball or pot daily, and water when it becomes dry.

Locate it away from heat sources such as fireplaces, registers, wood stoves, and space heaters. Decorate with care; avoid heat producing lights, flocking or artificial snow. Use cool lights and avoid causing damage to the tree with heavy ornaments or decorations.

After Christmas, remove the decorations and move the tree back to the cool but non-freezing storage location for three or four days to gradually acclimate it to cooler temperatures.

After the acclamation period, plant the tree in the pre-dug and mulched hole using good tree planting techniques. Be sure to mulch the tree to avoid soil temperature fluctuations.