DATE:    12/11/97
WRITER:  Bob Polomski, (864) 656-2604  

Caring for a Live Christmas Tree

     Q: I have purchased a live Christmas tree this year and plan
to plant it in my landscape after the holidays. Do you have any
words of advice?
     A:  A living tree with its balled roots does require extra
care and planning. The first step is to select the planting site,
considering the mature height and spread of the tree. This is
important, because some species used for Christmas trees will
grow to be 40 to 50 feet tall.  
     The success you have in keeping the tree growing after
Christmas depends on the care you give it while it is in your
home. When you bring it home, keep it in an unheated, sheltered
area, such as a garage or porch, out of the wind and sun. Plan to
keep the tree in the house for no more than two weeks.
     Locate the tree indoors in as cool a location as possible.
Keep it out of drafts and away from heating vents. Provide as
much natural light as possible.
     Place the root ball or container in an attractive tub lined
with heavy plastic to protect the floor from moisture. Water the
tree only when the soil starts to dry out. Keep the root ball
slightly damp, but not flooded. To make watering easier, the root
ball can be wrapped in plastic or placed it in a tub. 
     Decorate the tree with care. If you use lights, they cannot
give off any heat, as heat will damage the growing needles. 
     After the holidays, readjust the tree to outdoor
temperatures by placing it back on the sheltered porch or in the
garage for several days. 
     When you are ready to plant your tree, dig a hole that is
the same depth but wider than the root ball.  A good rule of
thumb is to dig the hole at least three times the diameter of the
root ball. 
     Before you put the tree into the hole, check to see whether
it is balled in natural or synthetic burlap. To determine which
type has been used, hold a match to a small portion of the
burlap. As a rule, natural burlap will burn, synthetic will melt.
     Synthetic burlap does not decompose in the soil and can
girdle roots as they expand through the material. It must be
totally removed.
     To do this, pull away from the sides of the root ball, tip
the root ball -- never the trunk -- to one side and push the
burlap underneath it as far as possible. Then tip the root ball
to the other side, and slide the burlap out from under.
     Natural burlap is biodegradable and can be left along the
sides and bottom of the root ball, but should always be removed 
from the top of the root ball, where it is subject to drying out.
Dry burlap repels water, making it difficult to rewet the root
ball. In poorly-drained areas remove the natural burlap entirely,
if possible, to prevent it from holding too much moisture near
the roots.
     Trees grown in plastic or other hard-sided containers can be
removed from their containers and placed directly in the holes
prepared for them. Cut any circling roots so that they will not
strangle the tree later on. 
     If a tree or shrub is pot-bound, use pruning shears or a
serrated knife to make slices one to two inches deep going from
the top of the root ball to the bottom. Make these slices in
three or four places around the root ball. Roots will regenerate
from behind the cut.
     Next, pull the roots growing along the outside of the root
ball away from the root ball.
     The soil used to fill in around the root ball of the newly
planted tree is called backfill. The loosened original soil from
the planting hole is the best backfill. Loosen and break up any
clods of soil before backfilling. Clods in the backfill create
undesirable air pockets around the root ball and could hinder
root growth and establishment.
     Backfill the bottom half of the space around the root ball.
Tamp the soil lightly with your foot, but do not tamp so much 
that you compact the soil.
     Finish filling the hole with loose, unamended soil, and
gently tamp again. Settle the soil by pushing a hose with running
water in and out of the backfill soil all around the hole.
     Mulch over the top of the root ball with a two- to
three-inch layer of mulch. Again, water only as needed because a
flooded tree may die. 
     Initially the root ball will need to be watered directly
because roots haven't yet spread into the surrounding soil.
Construct a three-inch-high water ring around the edge of the
root ball to hold irrigation water. Water rings should be removed
by the end of the second growing season.
     If it is absolutely necessary to stake the tree to prevent
it from tipping over during the first few months, secure the tree
trunk to a support stake at the lowest position which will hold
the trunk erect. In the spring, remove the stake to see if the
tree can stand on its own.  
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     If you have gardening questions or comments, write to
Agricultural News and Publications, A-101 Poole Agricultural
Center, Box 34033, Clemson University, Clemson, S. C. 
29634-0311.
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