Christmas Tree Care
Time
Budget
Skill
★ ★ ★ ★ ★Have you been avoiding buying a real Christmas tree because you think it’s too difficult to take care of? Follow these simple steps and celebrate your holiday season with a beautiful evergreen tree.
Tools
Pruners
Rocks
Christmas Tree Stand
Chainsaw or pruning saw
Galvanized tub
Christmas tree
Choose an evergreen Christmas tree
Have the base of the trunk re-cut before purchasing or re-cut trunk base at home with a pruning saw or chain saw
Put tree trunk base in bucket of water outside until ready to set inside
Set tree in stand, fill reservoir with lukewarm water, refilling with water regularly. Do not let the reservoir dry out. Keep it filled with water.
Follow the next few steps if you have a live tree with root ball.
Select appropriate sized evergreen tree from Garden Center. Common plants include Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Canadian Hemlock, Eastern Red Cedar, White Spruce, Blue Spruce, various firs.
Place tree in an unheated garage or storage shed for a few days to acclimatize, watering the root ball well
Fill tub with 2 inches of gravel
Bring tree indoors and place in galvanized tub
Keep tree well watered for the duration (Maximum number of days the tree can remain inside: 10)
Put the tree back in the garage or shed for the rest of the winter if you can’t plant it in the landscape. The tree can be planted after a few weeks in the garage if the ground is not frozen.