Callaway County
Callaway County
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Jarman's Weekly Agronomy News December 13, 2000 |
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Live Christmas Trees Need Special Care if they are to be Replanted After the Holidays |
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If you must have a "real tree" for Christmas, have you considered a live Christmas tree? It's like giving a potted plant instead of cut flowers. Live Christmas trees for replanting in your yard require special attention to see them beyond the holidays. Keep the tree outside as long as possible. The air in your house is warm and has low humidity, which can dry out the tree. Live trees cannot be kept indoors as long as a cut tree. A week is the maximum time indoors. Mulch the ball with bark or cover it with moist sphagnum moss or wet burlap enclosed in plastic wrap to make sure the roots stay moist. When choosing a tree, remember that white pine is the best Christmas tree species for planting as an ornamental in Missouri. Norway spruce or white fir also grow fairly well in Missouri. Do not choose Scotch pine if you plan to replant the tree. Replanted Scotch pines are highly susceptible to a fatal disease caused by the pine wilt nematode when they reach maturity (at around 10 years). People may not think of this, but dig your planting hole before you bring in the tree. Place a 6-inch layer of straw over the hole and excavated soil to keep it from freezing. The planting hole should be large enough to easily place the soil ball, but not deeper. Do not plant the tree in a low spot with poor drainage. The newly planted tree needs watering (even in winter) and a mulch of 3 to 5 inches of bark or pine needles. The source of information for this article is Chris Starbuck, extension horticulturist at the University of Missouri-Columbia, (573) 882-9630
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