Each year many people choose to bring a living tree into the home for Christmas. Smaller potted and even some balled and burlapped evergreens make great candidates for a living Christmas tree. Living Christmas trees should only stay in the home for 2-3 weeks and prefer cool room temperatures. Lighting the tree with cool LED lights instead of warmer incandescent bulbs is a big help. Treating the tree with an anti-desiccant spray such as Wilt-Stop will also slow down moisture loss. Water the tree every day as it can never be allowed to dry out. Once the decorations are removed, plan on planting the tree immediately. This means that you need to plan ahead and prepare a planting hole now to receive the tree in January.
Choose a proper location in your yard to be the final home for your Christmas tree. Take into consideration the ultimate size of the tree as well as its soil and light requirements. Dig the hole before the ground freezes. The size of the hole should be as deep as the root ball and 2-3 times as wide. Amend the soil with leaf compost and store the soil in a location where it will not freeze and will be easy to access in January. Now fill the hole with straw to slow down the frost. At planting time, remove the straw from the hole and install the tree using the saved, unfrozen soil. Water the plant heavily and much around the tree using the same straw that once filled the hole. Plan on watering the tree again in the early spring once the soil has thawed. What a great holiday tradition to begin the next year and to remember for many years to come as the trees grow and flourish.
