Tips on proper selection, care of live Christmas tree
DEAR GARDEN COACH >>
I am thinking about getting a living Christmas tree this year. Can you give me some guidance on selection and care?
— Jennifer Pyle, Livermore
DEAR JENNIFER >> Most live trees are happy in containers for a few years with proper care, which means keeping it watered, fertilized and in the right-sized container.
Alden Lane Nursery, located in your town of Livermore, suggests Colorado Blue Spruce or Dwarf Alberta Spruce for living trees, if you intend to plant it in your garden after the holiday.
Colorado Blue Spruce has a pyramidal shape with silvery-blue, short needles and strong limbs that can hold heavy ornaments.
The Dwarf Alberta Spruce has the classic pyramidal shape of a Christmas tree. It rarely exceeds 12 feet, which makes it a good choice if you want to plant it outside later as a foundation planting or a specimen tree.
When choosing your tree, there are a few things to look for: A healthy tree will have needles that have good color throughout. There should not be bare spots in the interior, and the branches should be flexible, not brittle.
Another way to check on the health of the tree is to rub your hand along the branches. Evergreens naturally shed needles, so if the older needles near the trunk drop, that is OK. If the newer needles at the end of the branches fall off easily, it could indicate that the tree is diseased, has insect damage or is stressed from lack of water.
Check the root area to make sure it is moist. Also, look to see if the tree is root-bound, which means that the plant’s root system is overgrown for its pot. When this happens, the roots begin to circle along the bottom of the plant and it needs to be in a bigger container.
Once home, the tree should be outdoors until a few days before Christmas, and it should not be indoors for much longer than a week.
Because it has been living outside, it will have to adjust to the warmer and drier environment indoors. Water it well the day before you bring it in. Some nurseries recommend spraying the entire tree with an anti-wilt or anti-desiccant product such as Wilt-Pruf or Cloud Cover. This helps the tree retain moisture and reduces needle loss.
The best place for your tree in your home is a cool place with good natural light, if possible. Don’t place it in a room with no window, and keep it away from heater vents. Place the pot on a waterproof tray to protect the floor. Check the tree’s soil moisture daily; if the top 2 inches are moist, do not water. Once the soil is dry, add water until it begins to drain into the saucer.
After Christmas, the tree needs to adjust to being outside again. Place it in an area out of direct sunlight, remove it from the saucer, give it a nice drink and spray the foliage.
Once it has acclimated to being outside again (about one to two weeks), move it to a sunny spot. If we are not getting rain, regularly check the moisture of the soil. If the top 2 inches are dry, it’s time to water. Fertilize once per month.
If you want to bring your potted tree indoors for Christmas next year, you will probably need to move it to a larger pot. Again, it’s important to monitor the soil moisture, fertilize once a month and lightly prune to keep its shape.
If you want to plant your tree in the ground, late February is a great time to do so.