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Has anyone done this? Am wondering if it's hard to get the tree to grow after Christmas, since the ground is cold (not frozen) but maybe lack of sun would be bad. And what kind ? TIA
I have bought something similar to an xmas tree twice in the past. Once when my daughter was about 7 or so. It was tiny and looked like Charlie Brown's xmas tree after she decorated it. Kept it in a pot for a year so then transplanted it in my backyard. It is now over 10 ft. tall.
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Sure, we’ve done it and as long as you can dig the hole, the tree will be fine. If you are worried about the ground being frozen, dig the hole now. It will just remain dormant until spring.
I live in zone 8 now, and I wish I could grow pine and spruce here, but it’s too hot.
We bought a blue spruce type tree a few Christmasses ago and kept it in a large pot until it needed to be planted. It's now on the side yard property line and looks nice mixed in with other trees, bushes. You probably get more freezing weather than we do in Florida so just keep it from freezing and you can plant it in spring when ground is softer. Keep it watered of course.
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The problem is that evergreens will die if kept indoors too long, in fact a live Christmas tree should not be inside more than about 2-3 weeks. Since it's in a pot, there is no reason it has to go into the ground right away, you could leave it in the pot outside until spring. I have a spruce that I used as a Christmas tree at my business one year then planted outside my home right after, about 15 years ago, and it's done great since.
The problem is that evergreens will die if kept indoors too long, in fact a live Christmas tree should not be inside more than about 2-3 weeks. Since it's in a pot, there is no reason it has to go into the ground right away, you could leave it in the pot outside until spring. I have a spruce that I used as a Christmas tree at my business one year then planted outside my home right after, about 15 years ago, and it's done great since.
One other thing homeowners should consider when buying a live tree - the weight. A six foot burlap root wrapped Xmas tree can weight up to 250 pounds. It would be a shame to spoil Xmas because of a back injury. Of course there are dollies and other tools that might help it into the house. But people should think long and hard about this much weight if they would have to go up many stairs. It would also be hard to get on and off the roof racks for people that only own cars.
Keep it outside in the pot until the ground is warm enough to plant it, or dig the hole now, as someone else mentioned. That's what I would do.
I used a live Norfolk pine as a Christmas tree for many years. They can live indoors if there's enough light. Mine was underneath a skylight, grew to 12 feet or so.
Has anyone done this? Am wondering if it's hard to get the tree to grow after Christmas, since the ground is cold (not frozen) but maybe lack of sun would be bad. And what kind ? TIA
Lots of people do it, it's a very common practice with many conservationists.
It doesn't matter if the ground outside is cold, as long as it isn't frozen. Most trees go dormant and don't grow during the winter months so you wouldn't see noticeable growth until after spring comes anyway. Right after Christmas you must put the tree outside and you're better off to have the hole dug out and ready for it in advance.
Lack of sun indoors would be bad for the live tree if it's kept indoors for more than a couple of weeks.
What kind for your location? Take your pick: Trees
How does the tree survive without it's root system? I assume when you're talking about buying a live tree, you're talking about buying one that you'd install in your home via Christmas tree stand, whereby it's been cut down already, and not talking about digging one out that includes the root ball system underneath?
How does the tree survive without it's root system? I assume when you're talking about buying a live tree, you're talking about buying one that you'd install in your home via Christmas tree stand, whereby it's been cut down already, and not talking about digging one out that includes the root ball system underneath?
They would have to buy one with an intact root ball.
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