Tips on planting out your potted Christmas trees
It’s time to take down your Christmas tree, but if you have a potted conifer with roots, what do you do with it? Luckily, here are five top tips from the plant experts Lubera if you plan to plant it out in your garden.
As always, right plant, right place is crucial.
Potted Christmas trees need to develop freely, without having to be constantly cut back, which will ruin its natural shape.
Find out the mature size of your potted tree.
Some conifers are massive and really aren’t suitable for a small or even average-sized garden – make sure you provide enough space.
Dwarf conifers don’t like a lot of competition – due to their low growth, they can disappear between other plants and get bare completely or on one side with lack of light and nutrients.
Dwarf coniferous plants, including the compactly growing Christmas trees, work best individually or in small groups with other slow-growing plants.
Columnar conifers are well suited in pairs for marking entrances.
Most conifers are undemanding, needing a sunny or partially shaded site, with neutral or slightly acidic soil.
They tolerate waterlogging poorly, so the soil must be well-drained, but not get too dry.
When planting, shake out the root ball, which makes it easier for roots to penetrate the new soil around it and anchor the tree into the soil.
Plant at the same level as in the pot.
For more information on how to plant out your Christmas tree in the garden, visit http://www.lubera. co.uk/plants/ornamental-shrubs/ conifers/