A live Christmas tree is a beautiful symbol of the life and joy of the holiday season. This year, consider bringing home a live tree
A live Christmas tree is a beautiful symbol of the life and joy of the holiday season. This year, consider bringing home a live tree to share your home during the holiday and plant it outdoors to enjoy a reminder of its special meaning for your family.
Live Christmas trees can be purchased at most local nurseries. Choose one you like and bring it home. Remember that the wrapped root ball will add more height than a cut tree, and it’s likely to be much heavier. A smaller live tree may be a more convenient option for bringing into the house.
Live trees are meant to be outside, so don’t display the tree indoors for too long during the holiday. It’s maximum time in the house should be no longer than 10 days. Be sure to keep it away from fireplaces or heat registers and water it daily.
Transplanting your tree mid-winter will be more successful in warmer area of the country, and this is something to consider before buying a live tree. You may also consider planting a tree for decorating outdoors before the holiday. If you plan to transplant your live tree outdoors after Christmas, be sure to prepare the location before the ground freezes. Dig a hole twice the size of the tree’s root ball and cover it with straw to maintain the temperature until you are ready to plant.
After the holiday, allow the tree to acclimate to outdoor temperatures through a 2 or 3 day stay in a garage or shed. Planting the tree directly after taking the decorations off can be too much of a climate shock, and the tree may not survive. Continue to care for the live Christmas tree in storage until a warm winter day when you plant the tree in its new, permanent location. Place the tree in the prepared hole, fill with dirt and then water and mulch thoroughly.
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