How to ready a ‘live’ tree for outside life
Q: Last week, you explained all about having a cut tree in the house for the holiday and said you’d continue teaching about using a “real” living tree for the holiday as an option. Please teach us because we want a living tree to grow in the yard after the holiday since this is our first Christmas in our home and want to have a growing reminder of this happy event! — N.H.Os., Albuquerque
A: It’s my pleasure. Using a living tree for the holiday does have several “rules,” so here goes.
First, you’ll want to do a bit of research about the mature size of any tree you’ll consider. If yours is a postage-sized landscapable space, know how big a tree you can healthily grow in that space. Bigger yards, well then you get to look for a tree that’ll mature at a larger size. Just make a well-informed decision. All of the nurseries in these parts have educated staff and reference materials, so you can choose wisely.
Then there is tree type to consider. Some, such as Afghan pines, come originally from a climate that mimics ours, making it an easy tree to grow here. Colorado blue spruces have different needs than a native tree like a piñon, so, again, get lots of schooling when tree choosing.
Now, to care for a living tree, this is the biggest most important thought I’ll have: you can keep your living tree indoors no more than five days! Meaning, the tree comes in maybe the 23rd or 24th and is back outside well before New Year’s Day for sure. Why? Well, this time of year, the tree is usually in a dormant stage, resting until the weather and light wake it up naturally next spring. And here you go plunking it in a brightly lit, much warmer space (relatively) and, if allowed to stay in that pleasant climate, the tree gets triggered to awaken. That’s bad. Especially since the tree doesn’t get to stay indoors until springtime. That’s the living tree biggie: indoors for a short period of time or the tree can suffer horribly.
When the tree gets relocated back outside, it’ll be most polite if it is placed in a spot offering some protection. Under a covered patio or an unheated garage for several days to cool back down is the best. All the while, you are remembering to water the tree faithfully. The pot cannot be allowed to dry out. On that note, be sure to give your living tree a deep drink right before it’s brought in and have a well-made plan to keep the pot from weeping on your floor. If the pot is small enough, place it in a large plastic garbage bag and drawstring it closed around the trunk. You can use a sheet or tree skirt to disguise the pot. Now, think too that a living tree — pot, soil and tree — can be heavy, so be prepared and plan accordingly. In other words, know your limits and do no harm — to you, the house or the tree.
When lighting the tree, use smaller miniature light strands (they’ll make less heat) and have them on for short periods of time. And never leave tree lights on, be it an artificial tree, cut tree or living tree, if you aren’t home. Stay safe.
Think about where the tree will be placed while it’s indoors, too. Keep it away from heater vents, wood or pellet stoves and certainly nowhere near a working fireplace. Your goal is to keep the tree as cool as possible while it’s indoors.
I’ve chattered on and need to continue next week on the next steps you’ll take to care for your remembrance tree after it has graced your home for the holiday. Just remember the living tree biggie: have it indoors for five days, no more than seven, and keep it as cool and asleep as possible. Happy Digging In.
Need tips on growing your garden? Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send your garden-related questions to Digging In, Rio West, P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103.