LIVE POTTED EVERGREENS
This information has been provided by my “Partner in Grime”, Trevor, an arbourist and landscaper extraordinaire.
The best live trees for Christmas are:
Colorado Spruce and
B.C. Fir
At the greenhouse or nursery, run your hand along the branches, if more than a couple of needles come off, look for another tree.
When you get the tree home, water it well and store in a sheltered location until you take it indoors.
Live potted trees should only be indoors for two days. Three is a stretch. The dry air in our homes draws the moisture out of the needles causing the tree to become stressed, which it may not recover from.
PLANTING OUT:
Dig the planting hole before the ground freezes, in preparation for planting the tree after Christmas. Put a large inverted pot, or anything else large and easily noticed, over the hole to prevent anyone or anything (small animals) from falling into it.
The planting hole should be in a well drained location.
Preparing planting mix before you need it and store in the garage or basement to protect the mix from freezing.
Planting mix should consist of sandy loam and compost but absolutely NO peatmoss.
Remove the tree from its pot, whether it is fibre or plastic.
Plant the tree in the prepared hole at the same depth as it was growing in the pot.
Back fill with prepared planting mix and water in. If the soil settles after watering, add more planting mix and tamp it in firmly, making sure no roots are exposed.
HOLDING THE TREE OVER UNTIL SPRING:
If the ground is frozen to a depth of less than 12 inches, it is best to hold the tree over until the spring, rather than plant it.
You have two options:
A) Put the tree, pot and all in the prepared hole. Back fill hole with a mulch of leaves, woodchips or any material that will be easy to remove in the spring when it is time to plant it.
B) Wrap the pot with insulation and place the tree in a protected area (out of the wind). This can be an unheated garage, coldframe or shed, but the tree must have lots of light, and it will need watering occasionally.
This information has been provided by my “Partner in Grime”, Trevor, an arbourist and landscaper extraordinaire.
The best live trees for Christmas are:
Colorado Spruce and
B.C. Fir
At the greenhouse or nursery, run your hand along the branches, if more than a couple of needles come off, look for another tree.
When you get the tree home, water it well and store in a sheltered location until you take it indoors.
Live potted trees should only be indoors for two days. Three is a stretch. The dry air in our homes draws the moisture out of the needles causing the tree to become stressed, which it may not recover from.
PLANTING OUT:
Dig the planting hole before the ground freezes, in preparation for planting the tree after Christmas. Put a large inverted pot, or anything else large and easily noticed, over the hole to prevent anyone or anything (small animals) from falling into it.
The planting hole should be in a well drained location.
Preparing planting mix before you need it and store in the garage or basement to protect the mix from freezing.
Planting mix should consist of sandy loam and compost but absolutely NO peatmoss.
Remove the tree from its pot, whether it is fibre or plastic.
Plant the tree in the prepared hole at the same depth as it was growing in the pot.
Back fill with prepared planting mix and water in. If the soil settles after watering, add more planting mix and tamp it in firmly, making sure no roots are exposed.
HOLDING THE TREE OVER UNTIL SPRING:
If the ground is frozen to a depth of less than 12 inches, it is best to hold the tree over until the spring, rather than plant it.
You have two options:
A) Put the tree, pot and all in the prepared hole. Back fill hole with a mulch of leaves, woodchips or any material that will be easy to remove in the spring when it is time to plant it.
B) Wrap the pot with insulation and place the tree in a protected area (out of the wind). This can be an unheated garage, coldframe or shed, but the tree must have lots of light, and it will need watering occasionally.
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