Go Green this year for the holidays with a living Christmas tree.

The freshest Christmas tree that you will ever enjoy is one that is still living. It can be a wonderful family tradition to purchase a living tree to appreciate over the holidays and then plant it into your landscape where you can admire it and recall all the wonderful memories associated with it for years to come. Caring for a living Christmas tree is fairly easy and only take a little extra care to ensure that it survives long enough to be planted in the yard. In this article, you will learn exactly what it takes to care for your living Christmas tree.

Step 1: Picking out a tree

Any evergreen from your local nursery will work for a living Christmas tree. It can even be a shrub or bush instead of an actual tree but whatever you choose make sure that it will do well once transplanted into your yard. Pick a tree that  is a size and shape that will suit yours needs. Living trees can only be kept indoors for approximately 10 days so take that into consideration before purchasing your tree. If your tree doesn’t come in a plastic bucket, you will want to place it is some kind of container like a large galvanized tub, plastic bucket or other watertight container. This will protect the roots as well as your floors.

Step 2: Acclimate to the indoors

Gradually introduce your tree to the indoors by putting it into a unheated garage or porch for 3-4 days. During this phase, make sure to check your living Christmas tree for critters and insect egg masses. You want to get rid of any unwanted creatures before you bring your tree into your clean, pest-free home. You can also use an antidessicant or antiwilt product on your tree at this time to reduce needle and moisture loss.

Step 3: Water is essential

Before you move your living Christmas tree indoors, make sure that you water it thoroughly. Moisten the soil completely and make sure that you keep the soil moist the entire time the plant is keep indoors. One way to help your tree retain moisture is to fill in the gaps around the root ball and the sides of your container with mulch. Make sure not to over water. You don’t want your soil to be soggy because that can lead to root damage. Also never add fertilizers or nutrients because this can initiate growth which is not what you want from your dormant tree.

Step 4: Set up, decorate & enjoy

Once your tree has had at least 3 days conditioning in the garage or porch, it is time to place it in your home. Place your living Christmas tree in the coolest location that you can preferably away from any heating sources and out of direct sunlight. Once your tree is in place, it’s time to decorate. Avoid using heat producing lights on your living Christmas tree. Try LED lights instead. They don’t produce heat and they are also energy efficient and will save you money on your power bill. Enjoy your living Christmas tree indoors for 7-10 days!

Step 5: Transplant into the yard

After 7-10 days of festivities, it’s time to move your living Christmas tree back outside by reacclimatizing it to the outdoor temperatures. Put your tree back into an unheated garage or porch for another 3-4 days. Then it is time to transplant your living Christmas tree into your landscape. If you live in a climate where the soil freezes, then you should have prepared a planting hole before the frost. If you are unable to transplant the tree immediately, then you can place your living Christmas tree in a sheltered area with the root ball mulched with a thick layer of leaves or other compost for protection. Once you have transplanted your tree into your landscape, you will have a beautiful living reminder of the joyful memories from the holiday season.