Live Potted Christmas Tree Care Guide

Buying a live potted Christmas tree this year makes for an eco-friendly Christmas! A potted Christmas tree saves a tree and can be enjoyed for years after. Don’t know how to care for one? It’s easy!

PLAN:

Live potted Christmas trees need to acclimate to your home. Keep your newly purchased, eco-Christmas wonder, outside in a sheltered spot for a few days before bringing it indoors. Now is the time to shake off any loose needles before bringing your tree indoors!

ROOTS:

Leave the tree in the container you purchased it in, at least for the first few months. Cole Hardware live potted Christmas trees come in growers pots that can easily be dropped into more decorative, larger pots or baskets.

10-DAYS:

After 10-days of being indoors, take your tree outside to give it some fresh air. Live potted Christmas trees thrive in cool temperatures with bright, outdoor light. While inside, make sure to keep your tree away from heat vents, the soil will get too dry.

WATER:

Water daily (place a plastic saucer underneath to catch draining water) and topdress the soil with pretty reindeer moss to prevent moisture loss. A great tip is to add ice cubes to the top of the soil to slowly keep the soil moist.

OUTSIDE:

After the holiday festivities are over, take your tree outside to a sheltered location and give it a good watering. After 7-days, move the tree in the container, to a sunny spot, until next Christmas! Don’t forget to fertilize in the spring when you see new growth!

REPOT or RETIRE?:

Repotting should happen when the tree doesn’t see any new growth in the spring after the holidays are over. Always lift the tree out of the grower’s pot from the root ball, not from the trunk.

Over 6-feet? Then it’s time to retire your live potted Christmas tree to your garden! Congratulations! You now have a lovely, cared-for, tree in your garden that will bring you outdoor joy for years to come.

TIP:

Don’t have a garden for planting? Check with your local community garden or public park and see if there is a tree donation available. The limitation of not having personal outdoor space doesn’t need to limit your eco-friendly Christmas flex!