by Jack Sine
There are a great many things to be said for getting a live Christmas tree. And there are several thousand reasons not to get a cut tree. They’re called pine needles. They hide in your carpet, your furniture, and your flooring waiting for the first warm day of spring when you walk barefoot through your living room and discover, painfully, that the vacuum cleaner doesn’t pick up everything.
If you’re opting for a live evergreen this year and foregoing the doubtful pleasure of discovering hidden pine needles well into summer, there are several things you need to know in advance.
First, decide where you’re going to plant the tree after the decorations are off. If you wait till after the holidays, the ground will likely be frozen and you won’t be able to dig a hole. So you’ll want to dig your hole in advance, deep enough to accept a tree’s root ball, say two to three feet (it’s better to dig a little too deep than a little too shallow). And don’t leave the dirt outside. Gather it up and put it in your garage or a shed on a tarp or in a wheel barrow, otherwise it will absorb moisture and freeze into a solid lump that will be useless when you go to plant your tree. Fill the hole with leaves to insulate it and cover it with plywood to avoid potential lawsuits.
Now you’re ready for the tree. You can buy it in advance and keep it in an unheated garage or even outside for a long time. After all, that’s what the nurseries do with them. But keep in mind that a live tree should only be kept in a house for five days, seven tops. So you won’t get to enjoy it as long as a tree you cut and bring into the house. You’ll also need a tub to keep the tree in, even though the root ball will absorb most of the water you give it (about a quart every day).
Once Christmas is over, you’re ready to plant your tree. According to Hank Leak of Hank Leak’s Nursery on Glenham Road, this is where most people make a big mistake and end up turning their live tree into dead garbage – very heavy garbage.
“The tree has been in a warm home and thinks it’s summer,” said Leak. “If you plant it now, it will likely die. It was in hibernation when you got it, now you have to make it hibernate again. The best thing to do is to put it in an unheated garage or shed for another five to seven days. Then you can plant it with the original dirt and a healthy amount of mulch.”
If you follow these directions you will not only have a beautiful tree for the holidays, you will also add to the beauty of your yard. And don’t forget those needles.
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