Gardening and Horticulture - Living Christmas tree after Christmas??
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NANNAKIM
12-08-02, 07:03 PM
Hadn't planned on it, but I bought a living Christmas tree to use then plant this spring. I've never done this, so I hadn't gotten a hole dug before the ground froze. After Christmas, will it be okay to take the tree back outside and keep on my carport? I can keep it sheltered from wind and the snows, but will it go into shock and die? We live in Southern Indiana and the temps can drop pretty low. Any tips or ideas? I'm just tired of "cut" trees that don't last anymore than 2 weeks and we don't want an artifical. All help will be appreciated. Happy Holidays!!
marturo
12-10-02, 02:41 PM
Hi NANNAKIM Welcome to the DIY Garden Forum :)
You have some good questions. In a professional Tree farm they store plants & Trees with root balls or bare root. The temps never freeze though.
Some Ideas. A crawl space under house? An unheated basement? A shed outside? A place under the carport where you can get some old cheap blankets at a goodwill store & wrap entire tree. Lay it on side with a small water proof tarp over it to keep blankets dry.
I use blankets & a Tarp to keep my Fig trees from frezzing here in the west part of NC. However their root are safe, deep away from frezzing.
The truth is if the roots that would be burried underground or stored at 52 degrees F, freze the tree will die. So I can't even say that blankets will work with out a heating cable wraped around & never turned off. When you lose power & the tree roots freze what do you do about the tree then. It will die if frozen.
About 9 years ago, I brought home a blue spruce fresh cut. After making my family go with the fake trees & it was not christmas without a real tree.
I am a Farmer & I grow Fruit & Vegetables for people to eat. The Farmer who grows Christmas trees is no different than me.
So why not buy your tree & instead of trying to save trees & fill your yard with a really not so great yard tree, as many people have found out. Just enjoy the fact that both you & the Farmer will have a verry merry Christmas, then when the tree is burned or ground for mulch everybodys happy.
This tree was grown no different than any vegetables I grow, to be eaten or in the trees case decorated, & used as mulch when christmas is over.
I try to come up with good ideas, but sometimes we must just see that some trees are grown as a product to be used when cut, there are many more trees, for thr next 8 christmases even if the farmers did not plant next year. Why clutter up your yard when you can get another, for next christmas as they are far from being an endangered plant. Quite the oppsite, there are thousands the city needs to clean up, after the vendors just leave the ones at the lot's that they can't sell before Christmas.
I hope my answers help, sometimes I can only relate what's best for me, to make a point. Have a verry merry Christmas :)
Marturo
You have some good questions. In a professional Tree farm they store plants & Trees with root balls or bare root. The temps never freeze though.
Some Ideas. A crawl space under house? An unheated basement? A shed outside? A place under the carport where you can get some old cheap blankets at a goodwill store & wrap entire tree. Lay it on side with a small water proof tarp over it to keep blankets dry.
I use blankets & a Tarp to keep my Fig trees from frezzing here in the west part of NC. However their root are safe, deep away from frezzing.
The truth is if the roots that would be burried underground or stored at 52 degrees F, freze the tree will die. So I can't even say that blankets will work with out a heating cable wraped around & never turned off. When you lose power & the tree roots freze what do you do about the tree then. It will die if frozen.
About 9 years ago, I brought home a blue spruce fresh cut. After making my family go with the fake trees & it was not christmas without a real tree.
I am a Farmer & I grow Fruit & Vegetables for people to eat. The Farmer who grows Christmas trees is no different than me.
So why not buy your tree & instead of trying to save trees & fill your yard with a really not so great yard tree, as many people have found out. Just enjoy the fact that both you & the Farmer will have a verry merry Christmas, then when the tree is burned or ground for mulch everybodys happy.
This tree was grown no different than any vegetables I grow, to be eaten or in the trees case decorated, & used as mulch when christmas is over.
I try to come up with good ideas, but sometimes we must just see that some trees are grown as a product to be used when cut, there are many more trees, for thr next 8 christmases even if the farmers did not plant next year. Why clutter up your yard when you can get another, for next christmas as they are far from being an endangered plant. Quite the oppsite, there are thousands the city needs to clean up, after the vendors just leave the ones at the lot's that they can't sell before Christmas.
I hope my answers help, sometimes I can only relate what's best for me, to make a point. Have a verry merry Christmas :)
Marturo
Habs11
12-12-02, 07:17 AM
i think the tree needs to stay inside until you can plant outside - it will need water. or maybe, as suggested, in a place wher eit will not freeze. water is what will keep it alive, if the roots freeze they will not get water.
marturo your thoughts are enlightening - agreat perspective you have. many folks think cutting a tree is bad, but the trees are grown to be cut, people are employed, i'm as happy as can be to cut a tree for my familty - a complex economic theory is simplified in this example!!!!
off topic: this year i cut a concolor tree - my wife and i love it. neat looking needles that are not supposed to dryout like man others do ina few weeks. cats are supposed to stay away from it and so far my one tree climbing cat has not gone up it (yes he has previously toppled at 14 foot fully decorated tree at 3:00 am!!)
marturo your thoughts are enlightening - agreat perspective you have. many folks think cutting a tree is bad, but the trees are grown to be cut, people are employed, i'm as happy as can be to cut a tree for my familty - a complex economic theory is simplified in this example!!!!
off topic: this year i cut a concolor tree - my wife and i love it. neat looking needles that are not supposed to dryout like man others do ina few weeks. cats are supposed to stay away from it and so far my one tree climbing cat has not gone up it (yes he has previously toppled at 14 foot fully decorated tree at 3:00 am!!)
NANNAKIM
12-12-02, 12:42 PM
Thanks MARTURO and Habs11 for replying.
I wanted to go with the "live" tree this year because we have some retirement property that doesn't have many trees.
If we ever do get to escape into the golden age, we plan on moving to this place. Thought I'd get a head start on landscaping.
I grew up on an 89 acre farm, full of trees. Guess I'm wanting my childhood back !!!
I'm planning on buying another heat tape this year, whats another one?
MERRY CHRISTMAS
I wanted to go with the "live" tree this year because we have some retirement property that doesn't have many trees.
If we ever do get to escape into the golden age, we plan on moving to this place. Thought I'd get a head start on landscaping.
I grew up on an 89 acre farm, full of trees. Guess I'm wanting my childhood back !!!
I'm planning on buying another heat tape this year, whats another one?
MERRY CHRISTMAS