1. Living Christmas trees should be in the home for
NO LONGER than 7 days. Keeping the tree inside longer greatly decreases
the chance of successful transition outdoors.
2. Trees should be placed in the coolest part of the
house away from ANY heat source. This includes registers, fireplaces,
or space heaters. Basements or enclosed patios tend to be excellent
locations for trees.
3. Prepare the hole to plant the tree ahead of time.
Purchase mulch and store it in an area that cannot freeze. Make the
hole twice as wide and only as deep as the ball or pot. Fill up the
hole with leaves and place the excavated soil in your garage to prevent
freezing. Any Allisonville Nursery employee will be glad to provide
planting and watering instructions or answer any question.
4. The temperature outside will influence when you bring
in the tree. If the outdoor temperature is below 40 degrees your tree
must spend 1 or 2 days in your garage to acclimate it to the indoor
temperatures. If the tree has a snow or ice cover, then the tree needs
to come in even earlier. The tree should be kept moist by using ice
cubes to slowly feed water to the tree. (See number 5 for amounts).
When it is time for the tree to be planted, reverse the acclimatization
process. Put the tree back into the garage for several days to get
it used to cooler outdoor temperatures.
5. The amount of ice cubes used to water the tree depends
on the size of the tree. We usually recommend the following ratios:
|
3-4’ Tree
|
10 - 15 ice cubes per day |
|
4-5’ Tree
|
15 - 20 ice cubes per day |
|
5-6’ Tree
|
25 - 30 ice cubes per day |
The goal of using ice cubes is to slowly get moisture into the tree
and to prevent drying.
6. Living Christmas trees are NOT guaranteed. Following
these instructions should give your tree a good long life in your yard.
Step back and enjoy!
