How to Replant a Christmas Tree

Christmas trees are evergreen pines that grow in a range of temperate climates at relatively high altitudes for trees. They are hardy and grow very quickly even in poor soil. However, the tree that is planted indoors in a pot and decorated for Christmas often fails when replanted outside. If you want to successfully replant your Christmas tree, the process starts the moment you purchase it.

Things You'll Need

• Farden spade
• Water soluble fertilizer
• Organic root compound
• Garden twine
• Watering can

Instructions

Buying Your Tree and Setting It Up At Home

1. Look at the root structure. Buyers spend a lot of time studying the decorative qualities of a Christmas tree, but if you are going to replant then what you are looking for is very different. Check if the tree is losing any needles. If it is, move on to the next one. Look at the roots. This is not possible for trees sold in pots, but many trees are sold with the roots contained in a waterproof plastic bag.

2. Get the tree seller to untie the bag and take the root stock out. The soil on the roots should be loam, a kind of organic rich clay. It should be moist and firm enough to stay stuck to the roots and not fall away. Much of the root structure will have been cut off; check it is not too severe and there are a few healthy offshoots still in place. Pop the roots back into the bag and buy a large enough pot and some sandy potting compost. Go home and set up the tree.

3. Position your Christmas tree away from an indoor heat source. Do not over water it, but do give it the occasional drink. The original loam usually protects the tree root structure for the two- to three-week period it is inside your home. Decorate your tree and enjoy your Christmas. When it is time to replant the tree outside, first check that it is not losing pine needles. It will lose a few but if many fall off when you move the tree, this is a sign that it may already be too late to save.

Re-planting Your Tree After Christmas

1. Take the tree outside to a site that is out of the wind, open to sunlight and not in the shade of a taller tree. Water the soil and leave the tree in the pot for two to three days for it to acclimatize to the outside conditions. If the nights turn cold, protect the pot from frost by surrounding it with straw or wrapping it in a thick layer of newspaper.

2. Dig a sizable hole, deeper and wider than the tree root stock. Make up a mixture of sand and organic humus (for drainage and growth), add some to the hole. Christmas trees are very wide at the base, so lift the bottom layers of branches and tie them using twine to the central trunk. You will then be able to set your tree in the hole and fill it with the rest of the soil mixture, without the branches getting in the way.

3. Compact the fresh soil around the tree until it stands firmly upright. The soil level should be the same as it was when the tree was in the pot. Water the tree with the addition of water-soluble fertilizer. Finally, wish it good luck, and hopefully you will be able to use the same Christmas tree from then on: A tree that is free and, each year, just that little bit taller.

Tips & Warnings

• When replanting, dip some of the smaller roots in rooting compound. It comes in the form of a gel and is a mix of enzymes that promote root growth.

References

• The British Christmas Tree Growers Association: Homepage
• The Old Farmers Almanac: Christmas Tree Care Tips
• University of Minnesota: Tree Fertilization