How to Plant a Christmas Tree in California

Christmas trees grow well in California.

Christmas trees are a group of evergreen trees that are grown throughout many areas of California. In fact, each year between 250,000 to 300,000 Christmas trees are sold within the State of California, according to the California Christmas Tree Association. All varieties of Christmas trees require regular maintenance and care, such as shearing in order to achieve the ideal Christmas trees look. Before you plant a Christmas tree, take the time to choose a proper planting site that will give the tree plenty of room to grow.

Things You'll Need

• Christmas tree
• Shovel
• 5-gallon bucket
• Metal rake or garden fork
• Soil amendment
• Snips

Instructions

1. Choose a suitable planting area for the Christmas tree. Whatever variety of Christmas tree you are planting, it is essential you choose a site that will provide it with full sun for optimum growth.

2. Test the soil in the planting site for drainage. If you are planting a Douglas fir, a Fraser or balsam fir tree this is a very important step since these trees cannot tolerate wet, soggy soil. To do this, dig a hole 18 inches deep by 18 inches wide. Fill the hole with water and time how long the water takes to fully drain away. Ideally most of the water should have drained away within two to three hours. If the water is still standing in the hole after 24 hours, consider planting the Christmas tree elsewhere.

3. Place the Christmas tree into a bucket or tub that contains about 8 to 10 inches of water. Let the soil in the planting pot become well saturated with water before removing it from the tub or bucket.

4. Dig a planting hole for the Christmas tree that is three times the width of its container and about its same depth. Sift through the soil you extracted from the hole using a metal rake or garden fork to eliminate all debris such as decaying roots, rocks or large clods of dirt.

5. Amend the soil you removed from the planting hole if you live in areas where the soil drains poorly or is clay-like and heavy. This is particularly important for areas around Stockton and in northeastern California around Plumas. Fill up a five-gallon bucket with compost or aged steer manure. Use a fork or shovel to mix this material into the soil you removed from the planting hole.

6. Lay the Christmas tree on the ground or on a potting bench. Place a finger inside one of the drain-holes and gently wiggle the pot free from the root system. If you are experiencing difficulty with this, or you are planting from a five-gallon planting pot, use a pair of sturdy all-purpose snips to cut along the sides of the pot until you can extract the Christmas tree from its planting pot.

7. Plant the Christmas tree into the previously created planting hole. Scoop soil into the hole until it's about two-thirds full. Make sure the tree is sitting vertical and even in the planting hole. Then finish filling the hole with soil. Water the Christmas tree thoroughly with five to 10 gallons of water.

References

• Michigan State University: Growing Christmas Trees
• Texas A&M: Planting Christmas Trees
• California Country.org: Information on Snowy Peaks Christmas Tree Farm
• The University of California at Davis: Christmas Trees in the Sierra Foothills