Living Christmas Trees
Choosing a living tree to bring indoors during the holiday season is a wonderful way to create a festive feeling while encouraging a connection with nature and practicing sustainability.
Plant care & info
Please read and follow these directions carefully. Your tree could die and drop all its needles if brought directly into the house from outdoors. Plan to keep your tree indoors for seven days or less.
Acclimate your tree to warmer, indoor temperatures by keeping it on a porch, unheated garage, or some sheltered area for three to five days before bringing it inside. After this period, you can bring the tree indoors to a cool spot in the house. Choose a place that is away from heating vents, very sunny windows, wood stoves, etc. If you use lights, use only small, cool burning bulbs like LEDs.
After the holiday (or 7 day maximum) remember to recondition your tree to outdoor temperatures. Place the tree back on the porch or in the garage for three to seven days. After this period, the tree can go out into the yard, or be planted in the ground. If you plan to keep the tree in a container for several years, it’s best to keep it in a spot sheltered from strong winds and hard freezing.
Be sure the soil is well-watered before moving the tree indoors. Using a few ice cubes to apply additional moisture while it’s inside is a good way to deliver water at a slow pace. Remember to place a saucer under the pot to catch drips.
Houses are typically dry and warm in winter, so consider placing a humidifier near the tree, or if possible, mist the needles daily to increase humidity.
Portland usually has wet and rainy winters, so it’s easy to forget about watering during winter—but plants can dry out, especially in cold windy weather when plants are grown in containers. Check water needs weekly, and if the top 2″ of soil is dry, water the soil until the water begins to trickle out the bottom of the pot.
When planting trees in the ground, be sure to water immediately after planting, even if it’s a rainy day.
Live trees should only be indoors for up to 7 days. Most conifers need to be in cold, humid environments during winter, but a short holiday inside the home is okay.
Prior to bringing a living Christmas tree into your home, it’s important to consider where it will live after the holiday season is over. Many traditional Christmas trees are fast growing and should be planted in the ground the following spring, but dwarf conifers can live in containers and be brought indoors each winter for years to come.
