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How to Buy and Grow a When purchasing a Christmas tree this year, help the environment by purchasing a living Christmas tree. A living Christmas tree is potted or burlapped and can be replanted in the landscape after the holidays. So instead of buying a blue spruce or Norfolk pine, buy an Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) or Eldarica pine (Pinus eldarica). They can be replanted in local soils to provide winter shelter for birds and color foliage during the dismal months of winter. A native evergreen, the Eastern red cedar grows to a height of thirty to forty feet and a width of twenty feet. After ten years of growth, the bark develops to a soft-silver color. The foliage varies in color from gray to blue to green. Males are most likely have yellow-green foliage. Females tend to be blue-green in color and have pale blue fruits. The fruit is an added bonus for the birds. This tree has dense foliage which can provide a good screen from neighboring lots or unsightly views. Of course, this also makes it difficult to grow understory plants that require sunlight. Growing it organically to avoid stress will help avoid its tendency toward bagworms and juniper blight. Similar to traditional Christmas trees is the Eldarica pine (Pinus eldarica). It is quick growing and stays upright. Because it is drought tolerant, it can be planted in dry areas. At full maturity it can reach forty feet in height and twenty feet in width. It has medium green foliage (needles) on branches starting at ground level. Shoppers can also find hollies in local nurseries that have been pruned in the shape of traditional Christmas trees. Nellie R. Stevens is an excellent choice because of its deep green shade and production of red berries for color and feeding the birds. It reaches a height and width of 20 feet. As with all hollies, it will retain its pruned shape for long periods of time because it is a slow grower. Purchase your choice from a local nursery and keep the tree's root system well-watered. After the holiday, replant outside when the soil is not frozen. Before you plant, remove grass from the planting area. Grass competes with a tree for water and nutrients. Dig a hole deep enough that when you set the tree in it, the root ball is level with the existing soil or slightly higher to allow for settling. Make the hole's sides rough and uneven. Dig the top of the hole at least two or three times wider than the root ball. Once the hole is prepared, fill it with water and allow the water to drain out. If it doesn't completely drain within 12 hours, find another spot. The tree will drown from bad drainage. Soak the root ball before removing it from the pot. Once the root ball is removed from the container, tear away the outer roots. Place the well-soaked root ball into the hole. Fill the hole with about one-third of the soil taken from the hole or until the tree can stand on its own. Adjust its placement for the best view from inside the house, as well as from your favorite outside chair. Finish filling the hole with the soil that came out of the hole. After the hole is filled, water well to settle the soil. Don't stomp on the soil. This only compacts the soil. Starting an inch or two away from the trunk, mulch the entire root system with an inch of compost. Cover the compost with at least five inches of hardwood bark or other organic material. If necessary, supplement water for several weeks until tree is established. |