Hill Gardens of Maine -- Caring For A Live Christmas Tree

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Caring For A Live Christmas Tree
by Fred Davis, MG, Hill Gardens of Maine (To view other articles, click Archives)

Welcome through Fred's Garden Gate! Like it or not, the holiday season is upon us and so also is the time when many of us begin thinking about setting up the Christmas tree.

While more than a few have switched from native, once-alive trees to the kind which spend most of the year in a box waiting for the holidays, large numbers of Christmas decorators continue to cling to the more traditional "live" type. Here are a few things you can do to make your holiday decoration safer, last longer and look better.

Do the best you can to protect the foliage from wind-burn and needle-loss during the trip home. Wrapping in burlap or a tarp will prevent most damage.

Because the sawed end of a tree dries out in a very short time (especially if it's tied cut end first to the top of a car for the trip home), it's wise to cut another inch or so from its base before installing it into it's stand. This allows moisture to be more easily drawn in.

By all means, use a tree stand which is able to hold water. Add a small amount of "Mir-Acid" to the water (about a level teaspoonful per gallon of room-temperature water) to give the poor thing something refreshing to help it remain fresh and retain at least most of its needles.

Change the fortified water at least every four or five days and keep an eye on the level between times.

Naturally, you'll want to observe every rule of safety you can think of, including: Never leave home while the lights are on! Use the smallest, coolest lights possible and NEVER decorate a tree with real, lit candles. Make certain that electric light cords and plugs are kept well away from the water in the tree stand. It's also a good idea to keep an eye on small children and pets, too.

One final rule: pull the tree down the day after Christmas, remove all decorations and do whatever is necessary to see it recycled back to the earth from which it sprang.

A Better Tree For Next Year

A number of folks have asked about purchasing and caring for an evergreen (or "needled") living Christmas tree. In these times of caring and interest in renewing our resources, there aren't many things more ecologically sound than for Christmas revelers to keep the tradition with a fine, young tree that'll later be a living memory in their landscape. While it would have been a better idea to purchase a suitable specimen earlier in the season (to be kept it in a tub or container), there's no reason why you can't get one now, keep it outdoors until four or five days before the holiday, then bring it in. Larger nurseries and garden centers are the places to shop. I'd avoid mass-marketers because they buy in quantities requiring tight packing which distorts their shapes. Also because the care which plants receive in giant warehouse-like outlets leaves much (and in some cases, all) to be desired.

If you're planning on a living holiday tree, you'd best do it quick. Select one of appropriate size and type for your tastes or circumstances, and immediately pick a spot for it in your landscape. Dig a hole in that spot, only slightly larger than the young tree's root ball and fill it up with shredded leaves or other mulch. Store the soil in an indoor box or bag so it'll be workable when you take the plant back outdoors the day after Christmas. Keep the soil moist.

Following the holidays, remove all ornamentation, carefully slide the tree out of its container, plant it into the previously-prepared hole and back-fill with the still-thawed soil. Do not fertilize at this time.

After watering it in lightly, lay on at least eight or ten inches of mulch to give it's roots a little additional protection from deep frost. The key points to remember:

--Prepare the soil and dig the hole before the ground freezes.
--Maintain container moisture sufficient to prevent wilting or drying out.
--Attach ornaments carefully to avoid any damage to tender stems and foliage.
--Do not use lights which might create little pockets of needle-scorching heat.
--Don't allow it to remain indoors for more than five days.
--Plant it immediately after the holidays...and mulch, mulch, mulch.

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