Tips for Keeping Holiday Greenery Fresh
Cut Christmas wreaths and garland fill your home with the sight and scents of the season. Keeping cut holiday greenery fresh through the season does require some preparation. Start by spraying or soaking your greenery in a room-temperature bath. This allows the foliage to soak up water. Once hydrated, spray the greenery with Wilt-Pruf®. Wilt-Pruf® is a natural pine oil emulsion, that dries to form a clear coating which reduces moisture loss and helps keep cut greens fresher, longer.
TIP: To activate the polymer in Wilt-Pruf®, the greens need to be sprayed in daylight, when the temperatures are above freezing. Spray until liquid runs off and then allow foliage to dry outdoors for 3 – 4 hours, before moving greens indoors. Once indoors, place your greenery away from fireplaces and other heat sources, including exposure to direct sunlight.
Cut Christmas trees also prefer cooler temperatures and should be kept away from fireplaces, heating ducts and other heat sources. The lower the surrounding temperature, the longer your tree will last. The other key to keeping your cut tree fresh is keeping it hydrated. It’s important to know that within four to six hours after trees are cut, the base of the tree will sap over, forming a seal and the tree will no longer take up water. When you buy a tree from us, we’ll offer to put a fresh base cut on it. By doing so, we know the tree will take up water when you get it home. How much water a tree needs depends on the size and the species of tree you’ve selected. Typically, freshly cut trees will easily consume a gallon of water in twenty-four hours, so choose a tree stand that will hold a gallon of water or more.
While you’re at it, add a drop of SUPERthrive for every four ounces of water in your Christmas tree stand. SUPERthrive will help keep your cut tree fresher, longer.
If this is the year you’ve decided to have a living Christmas tree, here are some things to consider. When choosing a living Christmas tree, it’s important to consider the mature size of the tree, exposure requirements and soil conditions, to achieve optimal growth. Colorado Blue Spruce, Austrian Pines, Serbian Spruce are good candidates for living Christmas trees, that will do well in your landscape after Christmas is over.
Once you’ve chosen a tree and gotten it home, place the tree in a sheltered area such as a covered porch or garage. A couple of days before Christmas move the tree inside for decorating. Ideally, your living Christmas tree should not be inside for more than five days. While inside, keep your tree away from fireplaces and other sources of heat. Once Christmas is over, it’s important to gradually introduce the tree back outside. The first day, place the tree outside and place it in an unheated garage or shed for the night. The second day, leave the tree outside until after dark. The third day, leave the tree outside all night. This will give it time to acclimate to the outside environment.
If the soil at the planting site is workable, now would be a good time to dig a hole to plant the tree in. The planting hole should be twice as wide as the container size and deep enough, so the top of the root ball is even with the surrounding soil, when planted. Amend the existing soil with an organic compost at the rate of thirty percent. Water the hole thoroughly, then place the tree in the hole and backfill with amended soil.
If it’s not possible to plant the tree, leave it in its container in a location where it will be sheltered from direct winds. It’s important to always keep your tree well hydrated during this time. If in the ground, plan to water your tree every four to five weeks through the winter, whenever the temperature is above 40⁰F. If the tree is in its container, check the moisture level every two weeks and water if dry. Plant the tree as soon as the soil is workable in the spring.
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