Caring for a living Christmas tree takes more work, but the reward is the satisfaction of planting a beautiful, long-lived conifer. Here are some guidelines for easing the transition from nursery to your home, and finally into the garden:
- Don’t keep the tree inside longer than seven days.
- Keep it well watered, but not soaking wet. If the root ball is wrapped in burlap place it on top of gravel in a bucket so that it doesn’t sit in water.
- Keep the room inside as cool as can be tolerated.
- Gradually reintroduce the tree to cold temperatures by placing it in an unheated garage for a week or two.
- When you’re ready to plant it (and the ground isn’t frozen) dig the hole the same depth as the root ball, and twice as wide. Don’t add anything to the soil. Remember to water it for at least the next two summers.