A Stroll Through The Garden: Christmas Trees Can Grow In Pots Outdoors

A few years ago, I hugged a friend at a Jeromesville church and got a question. We go to a welcoming church. The question is, "Can you buy a tree in a pot, cover it with a tarpaulin, plant it in a pot, and keep it in a pot outside and in front of the house all year round?"

I have another question this week about the cardboard and cut-out Christmas tree. All I know is that the correct answer is "yes" for the first friend and "maybe" for the second friend.

It will take some effort, but yes, you can grow a tree in a pot. My friend really cares about trees and the environment; Every year they have mixed feelings about cutting down a tree for the living room. What I found is that 81% of all Christmas trees sold in 2019 are artificial. I also know that in 2018, the National Christmas Tree Association reported that $2.56 billion worth of Christmas trees were sold, up from $1.32 billion in 2015. The dollar value of live and cut Christmas tree sales continues to rise.

Over the years, my parents bought maybe four large evergreen trees and shrubs for their garden, thinking they didn't want to cut down a tree for the living room and decorated these sticks and bulbous trees for Christmas. My parents saw the Thanksgiving turkey that the president kept every year and asked, "How about Christmas?" Today, there are three dwarf blue firs, three dwarf eastern red cedars, a weeping willow and a cypress used for indoor and outdoor lighting in the holidays.

In nurseries, there are always conifers with needles and leaves that look like trees, but they are actually leaves. Obviously, from my previous statement, almost any green can be grown in your pot if you have the right plants or the right pot size. I will go over some basic ideas you will need to keep this tree in this pot.

Alberta dwarf fir, or Picea glauca 'Conica', has dense, bushy growth that is perfect for outdoor and container Christmas trees. Babies long this evergreen plant reaches 6 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide when mature. I don't really trust them. When homeowners purchase packaged dwarf Alberta fir, it is most often purchased as a cutting plant spirals and as a garden centerpiece. As with any plant, you should find a spot in your garden with good air circulation and, if possible, all-day sunlight. If you place the container on wheels in a sunny location, you can dry the plants by moving the tree away from strong winds and ensure that you can lock the wheels in place before moving the plants. .

One of my complaints about dwarf Alberta fir trees is that dense cover will cause the northern parts of the plant to die back. Choose a pot with 3 inches of watering space above the root ball below the ring. You should also be able to add soil to the bottom of the pot. Then, if the spruce is in a pot, you need to remove the pot. If it is massive and hollow, you can leave the core, but remove all the threads. Fill the rest of the pot with potting soil and cover the top three inches so the root ball is covered with soil all the way to the top. Cover the top of the pot with 2 inches of mulch. Water the pot until all the soil and mulch are wet and the water drains from the drain at the bottom of the pot. In hot weather, it should be watered every day. Remember that your evergreen tree requires extra care when it comes to organic compost. Prune your tree in late spring or early fall after the first year to control tree shape and size.

My parents planted an old Christmas tree that my friend recommended by the pond. Find a suitable place for your Christmas tree, depending on whether it is pine, spruce or fir. Key factors to consider include the type of soil, the amount of sunlight the tree receives, and the appropriate size of the hole. What I prefer to plant is well-drained soil. To compensate for the clay soil most of us have, dig a deeper hole and put river washed gravel in the bottom to grow it. I dig a hole two to two and a half times wider than the ball and fill the bottom with good garden soil. Place the ball below the hole, perhaps a few inches above the ground. For me, I removed the wholesale sheet and basket. Then gently roll the ball. Wash the inside of the tree and water.

Email ericlarson546@yahoo.com if you have any gardening questions. You can find a link to my blog at ohiohealthyfoodcooperative.org and leave your comments, and more information will be available soon. I will do anything to help.

Eric Larson of Jeromesville is an expert landscaper, gardening enthusiast and founding board member of the Ohio Chapter of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.

This article originally appeared in the Mansfield News-Journal; Tips for caring for a Christmas tree in a pot