How to Get the Most Life Out of Your Live Christmas Tree

How to get the most life out of your live Christmas tree? Good question! I can't tell you how many times we've gone out and purchased a real Christmas tree for the holidays only to have it start shedding its needles almost as soon as we put up the darn thing! I run hot and cold on real trees. A tree is no less a living entity than anything else, so imagine how I feel when I touch a branch and 200 pine needles immediately fall on the floor. It's embarrassing for me and the family and but I really feel bad for the tree. This year we're doing something different. We're not just buying a real Christmas tree, we're going to get a real live Christmas tree. You know - one that can be re-planted, so after the holidays the tree can continue on its merry way in my backyard or wherever I decide to put it in the ground.

A Forest Full of Trees

I recently read that each holiday season, more than 30 million live Christmas trees are purchased in the US and brought home. That's like an entire forest full of trees. How many of those live trees make it through the holidays before becoming firewood is food for thought. According to the Greenfootsteps.com, there are two hard and fast rules that will enable you and teach you how to get the most life out of your live Christmas tree:

Location, Location, Location: Pick a spot for your tree that is not near a heat source! Connect the dots: up until now your tree has been outside in the cold and all of a sudden it is placed inside. Your house is already warm, don't make life any more difficult for the tree but ramping up the heat.

Also, place the tree in a leak-proof pot or container that will accommodate the root ball of your tree. Christmastree.org recommends placing several rocks or a block of wood in the bottom of the pot to ensure your tree's roots don't sit in a pool of water.

Water: Ok, maybe this is a no-brainer but H2o is the single most important factor in caring for your Christmas tree. When you bring your tree home, make a fresh cut to the trunk (take off an additional 1/4-1/2 inch) and place it immediately in a tree stand full of water. I bet you didn't know that a tree can drink up to two gallons of water per day, so check the water level frequently. A fresh tree that is kept in water should last four to five weeks.

Prepare a Future Planting Site

Before the ground freezes, heck before you even purchase your tree, pick a location and dig a hole. Dig it deep enough so all the roots will be in the ground. Keep the soil in a wheelbarrow or sack so you can put it back in the hole when you plant the tree. Make sure the hole is larger than you need, because the ground may freeze and expand. Cover the hole until you need it. This keeps the hole free of frost.

Afterwards: Planting Your Tree

After Christmas, move the tree out to your garage or some other holding area so the tree can get re-acclimated to the cooler temperatures outside. Place the tree in the hole we spoke about in the last paragraph and re-fill the hole. Water the tree immediately after planting and continue watering for another two weeks or so.

A live Christmas tree can be a real source of joy this holiday season. Especially when you see it thrive and continue to grow long after the holidays end. The life-cycle of the tree depends on you! So plan ahead and take good care of that Christmas tree and it'll be around for you next Christmas as well!