Christmas is one of the most festive times of the year. Decorations and the Christmas tree are the highlights of the season, but what can you do with a cut Christmas tree after Christmas? More and more people are adding living trees and plants as an alternative to their holiday décor.
If you choose to include a cut Christmas tree in your holiday décor, obviously there isn’t anything you can do to keep the tree alive when the holidays end. There are lots of ways you can still do something useful with your cut Christmas tree, including:
There is no doubt that cut trees and flowers can significantly add to the holiday look and feel, but they won’t live on after Christmas is over. As an alternative, you could consider a live tabletop tree that will last well beyond the Christmas season. Our favorite live tabletop Christmas trees are gaining popularity for several reasons, including:
The first decision to make is how you want to save your living tabletop tree. You may want to keep the tree potted and use it for the coming holidays. It will grow larger each Christmas, but it should be manageable in size and weight for at least a few years.
The other option is to use your tree in the landscape. This requires removing the tree from its pot and planting it outside in a permanent location. Tips that will help you to enjoy your tree for years to come include:
If you would like, you could continue growing your tree in a pot and reuse it the next holiday season. When the holidays are over, relocate your tree to a cool sheltered location. If your climate is moderate in the winter, you could move the tree in its container to the location where you want your plant to live until the next holiday season. Water the tree and mulch it well.
If you live in a colder climate where the ground is frozen, you may want to keep the potted tree sheltered indoors and move it out in the yard in the spring.
As your tree grows, it will need to be repotted into a larger container. Remove the tree from its current pot. You can use a sharp knife to trim back the roots on the sides and bottom of the root ball. Repot your tree into a slightly larger pot with good soil added to the bottom and around the sides. Add mulch to cover the soil and hold in the moisture.
Keep your tree in a cool place until you are ready to bring it indoors for the holidays. A covered porch or an unheated garage is ideal. Return the tree to this area when the season is over. Let the tree return to dormancy in your cool space. This can take up to two weeks.
If you live in an area where the ground has remained unfrozen, you can plant the tree outdoors. Ideally, you have already selected the location for your tree in the landscape. You can even dig the hole ahead of time and have it ready for your tree. Place your tree in the hole and backfill with soil and then cover the soil with several inches of mulch and water your tree. Wait until the spring to fertilize the tree.
If the ground is frozen outside, you will have to wait until spring to plant your tree. Keep your tree in the sheltered location where it will be exposed to the sun but sheltered from the cold. If you live in an area where the climate is severe and the tree is exposed to sub-zero temperatures, you may need to add additional insulation to the root ball until the tree can be planted.
Obviously, the classic Christmas tree is usually a variety of fir, pine or spruce. For tabletop trees, there are several other alternatives you could consider that will last well beyond the Christmas season, including:
Norfolk Island Pine trees are a tropical plant that will die in temperatures of 35 degrees or less. These plants are gaining popularity as a tabletop Christmas tree. While many people discard their tree once the holiday is over, the Norfolk Island Pine makes for a very easy-care houseplant that can live for years indoors.
This variety of tree tends to dry out between watering. Check the soil and be sure it is dry before you water again. Never allow the plant to sit in standing water. Always allow excess water to drain out of the pot and then discard the water. While this plant doesn’t like to be overwatered, it does like humidity.
Provide the humidity by placing the plant on a pebble filled tray with water. That way, the plant roots are not standing in water, but it will enjoy the higher humidity the tray provides. Another solution is to mist your plant regularly.
Norfolk pines have a dormant period in the winter when they will stop growing. You will know they are out of dormancy when the tree starts putting on new growth at the ends of the branches. You can’t miss it because the needles are a vibrant but lighter green than the mature growth. This is a good time to start routine fertilizing with a half strength fertilizer.
Rosemary is one of the most popular culinary herbs. What could be more perfect than a rosemary plant pruned to the shape of a Christmas tree in your kitchen? Not only does it look festive, but it smells and tastes delicious now and for years to come.
Rosemary is a Mediterranean plant that likes lots of warm sun and can’t tolerate much cold. In the winter, put your rosemary tree in a sunny location without any cold drafts. Make sure your pot has drainage holes to release excess water. Do not water until the soil feels dry in the top two inches. Then, water thoroughly allowing the excess water to drain away.
Never allow the plant to stand in water as it will rot. Overwatering is the most frequent cause of a rosemary plant’s death. You probably won’t need to fertilize your rosemary, but if the leaves are a lighter green than normal or the plant seems stunted, use a half strength fertilizer.
Once spring arrives, you can just plant your rosemary outdoors in the herb garden or even continue to grow it in a container. Just remember to bring your plant back indoors before the first killing frost.
No matter what type of tree you buy for Christmas, there are a few things to remember when purchasing a living tree you intend to use indoors, including:
Looking for another Christmas plant that can grow with your living miniature Christmas trees and you can keep after the season’s over? Consider amaryllis bulbs. These huge blossoms are showstoppers in your Christmas holiday displays and make a great gift for friends and family or to gift to the host of a holiday gathering. The flowers come in bright red, deep burgundy red, white, orange and pink.
There are also amaryllis of red with white borders, white with red borders and pink with a white stripe. For an even more exotic amaryllis, check out the Papilio amaryllis with its stripes of reddish-purple. With all these color choices, this flower can fit into any Christmas decorating color theme.
With a few easy steps, amaryllis plants can be maintained and encouraged to bloom each year.
There are plenty of options for what to do with your traditional cut Christmas tree when the holiday is over. As an alternative, living Christmas-themed tabletop trees and plants offer the benefit of not only adding to your décor, but can be kept alive and well for many years of enjoyment in your home or yard.
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