A Christmas tree in a pot is a fantastic choice for the holidays, but do you know how to care for it properly? Here are the best tricks for potted Christmas trees.
Are you looking forward to decorating your Christmas tree in a pot and enjoying it this year? Before we get to the fun part, we’ll give you the most important tips for keeping your Christmas tree fresh by caring for it properly. Furthermore, if you manage to keep your pine tree healthy until after the New Year, why not consider planting it to enjoy more in the long run?
Read on for how to keep your Christmas tree in a pot alive.
How Do I Choose the Right Tree?
If you haven’t yet bought your Christmas tree in a pot, try to get your hands on one from your local nursery. That way, you support local businesses while ensuring you get a high-quality tree — the key to sustaining it for as long as possible. In addition, try to choose a container-grown tree instead of one dug up from a field and then potted.
When trees are grown in containers, the roots develop within the container, which means the tree is accustomed to its environment and more likely to stay strong and healthy. Lastly, you want to ensure the tree is planted in a pot with drainage. Pots with proper drainage have holes in the bottom to allow excess water to drain out. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time balancing the watering to prevent rot or thirst.
Where Should I Keep My Christmas Tree in a Pot?
Generally, you should keep your potted Christmas tree outside when you can. The actual time you keep it indoors should be as short as possible. This is especially true if you plan to keep it alive in the hopes of planting it outside after the holidays.
Ideally, you should keep your Christmas tree in a pot inside for no more than three days, but you can stretch this to five to seven days on the outside. Try to create a smooth transition by placing it in a garage, porch or another cool indoor spot before moving it to your living room.
Once your potted tree is inside, place it near a window or somewhere else with natural light. Moreover, avoid keeping it near a heater, fireplace or vent. These can seriously harm your pine tree’s health because any external heat source can dry out its water source and needles. At the same time, keeping it away from appliances prevents a potential fire hazard.
So, where is the perfect spot for a potted tree? Choose a chilly or drafty corner, and try to keep the room temperature around 60-70°F. Once you find a good location, place a saucer under the pot to catch excess water.
How Much Water Do Christmas Trees Need?
As a general benchmark, you should water Christmas trees daily. But the best way to know if it needs watering is just to check the soil regularly. Find out if it needs watering by sticking your finger into the soil — up to your first knuckle — and checking if it’s dry.
If the soil feels too dry, your tree needs watering. Be careful not to overwater it, however. You should aim for it to be moist, not wet. Ask yourself the following questions — if you answer any of them with a “yes,” your Christmas tree in a pot needs more water:
- Is it losing needles?
- Are the branches drooping?
- When you run your hand over the branches, do the needles fall off?
How Tall Will It Get and Can I Plant It?
Tree roots are incredibly robust and deep. The taller the tree, the more roots are necessary to supply it with water. That means your Christmas tree in a pot will stay quite small, likely between three and five feet. Anything above six feet is going to need more root space. Keep that in mind if you’re planning to plant your potted tree in the yard after the holidays!
Once pine trees reach about six feet high, it’s best to stake them in place. You’d have to chop off a lot of the roots to get them into a pot, which would make them very unstable. The good news is that you can enrich your garden with a beautiful tree long-term. Pine trees can grow to reach a height of 50 to 65 feet in 20 years.
How to Decorate Your Potted Christmas Tree
Decorating your Christmas tree in a pot is the most exciting part of this whole adventure. Make sure you don’t overburden it with too many heavy decorations, which can shorten its lifespan.
Generally, try to choose sustainable options for decorating, for example, recycling your Christmas lights or making your own paper stars. You could also stroll through nature to collect decor or make decorations with what you already have at home. How about adding some pine cones, rose hips or dried oranges to give your potted Christmas tree a minimalistic look?
To learn more about having a minimalist Christmas, read our popular article 10 Simple Tips for a Stress-Free Minimalist Christmas.
Read more:
- How to Dispose Of Your Christmas Tree Correctly This Year
- Real vs Fake Christmas Tree: Which One is More Sustainable?
- Renting a Christmas Tree: Is it More Sustainable?
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