In and Around the Garden

Here are some helpful hints to keep your living Christmas tree happy and alive.

• Always pick up your tree by the container or ball-and-burlap, not by the trunk.
• After you bring your living tree home, immediately place it in a covered porch, patio, in the garage or shed for a few days. This will help prepare it for indoor conditions.
• If possible, don’t keep your living tree indoors for more than seven days.
• Once indoors, keep your tree in the original pot or its burlap wrapping.
• Don’t place your living tree (or any tree) near heat sources such as fireplaces, vents, wall units.
• Whether you choose a potted or ball-and-burlap tree, protect your floor or carpet with a saucer, or drip pan. If you slip the ball-and-burlap tree inside a decorative container, make such it has drainage holes so the root ball doesn’t sit in water.
• Don’t let your tree’s soil or root ball dry out. Check daily and keep moist, not soggy.
• If you string Christmas lights around your living tree, use miniature or LED lights to minimize burning the needles. Also, limit the time you keep them turned on. A timer works great for tree lights, and other decorations.

When you are ready to relocate your living tree outside, place it in a sheltered area such as a covered porch, patio, inside the garage or shed for a few days to prepare it for outdoor conditions. Plant it according to the nursery tag where it has plenty of growing space, in well-draining soil.