Celebrating the Holiday Season with a living Christmas tree is not only environmentally friendly, but very cost effective as well. You will be able to enjoy that tree permanently in the landscape for many years after it's initial purchase. There are a few but simple instructions to follow to ensure your success with the transition.
We recommend keeping your tree indoors no more then 7-10 days.
Evergreen trees are dormant this time of year so the less time they spend indoors in the warm house the better. Any longer then this period of time, the tree could break dormancy and would then suffer cold damage once placed back outdoors in the elements.
Here are some tips and recommendations that we have to keep you successful:
After you get your tree home you will want to acclimate it. This means that leaving your tree in the garage, car port, or next to the house for at least two days will help with the temperature change that the tree will experience.
The day before bringing in your tree, water the root ball thoroughly. You will want to make sure that water is exiting the bottom of the pot that it is planted in. You will then leave it outside to drain overnight. This will help protect the tree from the dry, warm air of the house.
Try to keep the room as cool as possible. Avoid placing the tree near vents, fireplaces, heaters or appliances.
Check the moisture daily making sure the tree is staying moist. If your tree seems to need a little water, place some ice cubes over the soil and let them melt. Make sure you have some sort of protection on your flooring as you will not want to damage any hardwood or carpeting.
When it comes time to place your tree back outside in the elements, you will want to follow the same steps as when you brought it in. Leave in the garage, car port, or next to the house for a couple of days to acclimate to the outside temps. Make sure that the soil medium is still nice and moist.
As long as the temperatures are not freezing you can plant your tree right away. Make sure to use planting compost to amend your soil. You will want to dig your hole just as deep and twice as wide as the pot your tree is contained in. Mix the planting compost 50/50 with the native soil that you have dug. Remember to water your tree in after you have planted.
We wish you great success with your new living Christmas tree this season and for many years to come. Please contact the garden center if you have any questions and we are happy to help.