Each year more than 40 million Americans buy Christmas trees.
Before the new year,
most of those family memories are chipped into mulch or
discarded.
Why not make your memories last a lifetime by buying and
then planting a living
Christmas tree?
“Christmas trees decorate our homes at the holidays. But
we can use them to
decorate our landscapes, beautify our parks or dress up our
school yards year-round,”
said Walter Reeves, a
horticulture educator with the University of Georgia College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“Kids can make it a project for their local neighborhood
or school,” Reeves
said. “They can have fun learning about native trees, the
environment and how to
plant trees.”
One Georgia group, The Society for Living Christmas
Trees, has already made this a
yearly tradition.
“The Society was formed by families who wanted to
contribute to their community
and develop a unique family tradition,” Reeves said.
The first step in starting this tradition is knowing what
type of tree to buy. The
Society offers these tips:
- Buy trees that are native to your area. You must have
trees that can survive in our
climate. - The smaller the tree, the better. Trees that are too
large are hard to move. They’re
also easy to damage and generally aren’t as healthy as
smaller trees. - Buy healthy trees. If you tree has a root ball, make
sure it’s firm and compact, not
loose or soft. Look for a tree with rich green color and
springy branches.
Make sure the root ball is big enough to support the
tree. The American Nursery
Association suggests that the root ball should be 8
inches across for every inch of
diameter of the trunk. - Transport and handle with great care. Always lift the
tree by the root ball, not by the
trunk.
“You don’t want to keep the tree inside for more than 10
days or the tree will
think it’s warm weather,” Reeves said. “When you move it
outside, the cold will
shock it.”
Keep the tree in a large container filled with pine bark
or saw dust. Stir the filler
and make a basin for the root ball. Place a second
waterproof liner under the container to
protect the floor from leaks.
Two cups of water every other day will replenish moisture
lost when you move it inside.
Or place a handful of ice cubes on the root ball. As they
melt, they will water the tree.
It’s helpful, too, to spray the branches of your tree
with a light mist of water every
other day. Be sure to unplug all decorative electrical
lights or fixtures while watering
your tree.
Avoid extreme temperature changes. Just like
people, trees don’t like going
quickly from cold to hot or vice-versa. Move your tree into
a garage or utility room for a
few days first, then into your house.
“Moving it in is just half the battle,” Reeves
said. “Moving it back out
is the real challenge.”
Move the tree with care. Select the place that’s best for
the tree and will contribute
the most to your landscape or the community.
The SLCT recommends calling local organizations that have
beautification projects and
need trees. Or organize your house of worship, community
organization or school to
beautify an area in the community. It’s an easy way to
create an instant forest.
To learn more about how to plant
a living tree, contact your UGA Extension Service county
office. For more on planning
a living Christmas tree project, call 1-877-GAGROWS and
request the living Christmas tree
publication.
You can join the SLCT by writing to The Society for
Living Christmas Trees, 475
Seminole Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307.
