Living Christmas Trees

December 11, 2004

By Suzzanna Walsh, Master Gardener

The days have grown shorter, the nights cooler. Autumn decorations and thoughts of harvest are recent memories. Now, even with 70 degree days, our thoughts turn toward one of the most celebrated holidays of the year. Whatever your holiday wishes is, there is nothing like the sight of a brightly decorated Christmas tree to get you in the holiday spirit. You crawl in the attic, get out into the shed, or visit your storage unit, and unpack those treasured decorations and plan on a peaceful (and messy) day to ‘deck the halls’. But are you going to buy a cut tree, put together the artificial tree, or buy a living Christmas tree? Here’s a bit of information advocating the latter.

Close your eyes and think of Christmas trees. What’s that smell? Ah, nothing like the wonderful aroma of a fresh Christmas tree. It fills the house and is a constant reminder of this wonderful season. Open your eyes, think like a small child, and be thrilled by the lights and decorations on the tree. Remember relatives sharing stories of the oldest decoration; there might even be one with your tiny handprint. Now look out into your yard and plan where to plant this living memory to look on, year after year.

Some popular living trees to look for include the Norway spruce, Colorado blue-green spruce, Douglas fir, and noble fir. Of course, there are many more from which to choose.

If your new tree has been outside prior to its purchase, acclimate it to the warmth of indoors by keeping it in the garage or on a sheltered porch for a few days prior to bringing it in. Plan to place your tree in a cool place and keep the root ball moist. Speaking of moisture, consider an appropriate method to avoid getting that moisture on your carpet or favorite Christmas tree skirt. Do not fertilize as you do not want to promote growth, Try not to leave the tree in the house longer than ten days. After the holidays, as you contemplate where to plant your tree, remember that not only are you planting a memory, but a tree that has the potential of growing very tall. Do a little reading on your trees growth habit so you can plant it in the best spot. Remember to dig your hole at least twice as large as the tree root ball and consider amending the soil as you dig it in, but don’t fertilize. Should you choose to keep your tree in a container instead of planting it right away, be mindful that the roots should not become bound. Also, don’t keep the tree in a container more than a couple of years.

If you want to buy a living Christmas tree, but don’t want to keep it after the holidays, many communities and organizations accept live Christmas trees for planting. Should you purchase a cut tree, San Luis Obispo County communities offer recycling of those trees after Christmas. Refer to San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority (http://www.iwma.com). Be environmentally friendly and don’t just trash those trees.

Whatever you choose, have a safe and peaceful holiday season.

University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers can provide additional gardening information upon request. Call the San Luis Obispo office at 781-5939 on Mondays and Thursdays from 1 to 5 PM, the Arroyo Grande office at 473-7190 on Wednesdays from 9 AM to 1 PM, or the Paso Robles office at 237-3100 on Wednesdays from 9 AM to Noon.  The San Luis Obispo Master Gardener website is at http://groups.ucanr.org/slomg/. Questions can be e-mailed to mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu.

Websites mentioned are sites outside of the University of California domain. No endorsement is intended of products, services or information, nor is criticism implied of similar sites that are not mentioned.