Live Christmas Trees

How to Handle a Live Christmas Tree

If you want to enjoy the sweet smell of Christmas all year long, try using a "live" evergreen tree this season that can easily be replanted outside. "Live" Christmas trees still have their roots intact and can be replanted outdoors to become a permanent landscape feature.

The best "live" trees to use are evergreens, including arborvitae, junipers, Canadian hemlock, Scotch pine, white pine, blue spruce, Douglas fir, Balsam fir, and red cedar. However, beware, these "live" trees won't last long without some simple, but important precautions.

Because these "live" trees are dormant, they cannot be left indoors for mare than two to three days before being taken outside. Waiting more than two to three days to move your tree outside will cause it to brown shortly after it is planted. Since indoor time is short, try making the bringing in of the tree and decorating the focus of Christmas Eve. Although your tree's life indoors will be short, the lasting effects outside your home are worth the effort.

To make the most of your tree, the following tips will allow you to extend the life of your evergreen and enjoy a little bit of the holiday season all year long.

• Choose your tree early for the best selection, but wait two or three days before the holiday to pick it up or have it delivered.
• Let your tree rest in a cool, shady place outdoors until you are ready to bring it in.
• Be sure the tree is well watered before bringing it inside. Watering softens the root ball and prevents it from cracking when moving indoors.
• When choosing an indoor location for your tree, be sure it is away from heating vents and fireplaces - the cooler the better.
• Use cool tree lights. Warm lights can "fool" the tree into thinking it's spring.
• When the holiday is over, allow your tree to gradually adapt to the cooler temperature before planting it outside. Let your tree stand inside an unheated garage or outbuilding for three or four days before replanting.
• When planting your tree, keep the canvas around the root ball intact. Cut off any wiring and be sure no canvas is left above ground level. Canvas exposed to air will act as a wick and pull moisture out of the ground.
• After planting, place a deep layer (six to 12 inches) of bark or pine needle mulch around your tree to prevent soil from freezing quickly.
• Avoid piling mulch next to the trunk.

NOTE: In Florida and areas where freezes are rare, you may leave your tree indoors for 7 to 10 days as freeze damage is much less likely.

Year-Long Maintenance

So now you have successfully planted your Christmas tree, it's important to care for it all year long. When new growth appears in spring, feed your tree with a timed-release fertilizer. The gradual feeding will help support new growth without encouraging succulence that can attract insect pests.

In the spring, watch for insects that enjoy feeding on needle-leafed evergreens including adelgids and bagworms.

• Adelgids are aphid-like pests that suck sap from the needles, bark, stems or twigs. They are often covered in a white, wooly mass and cause galls or other distortions to grow where they feed.
• Bagworms are caterpillars that hide in bags made of twigs and needles chewed from the trees on which they feed. The little bags dangle from the branches and provide protection for the caterpillar.

You can control both of these pests by spraying the trees with Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Ready-To-Use. This product controls both chewing insects such as bagworms and sucking insects such as adelgids.

Your healthy evergreen can be a beautiful addition to your home.

Products Mentioned In This Article

Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Ready-To-Use