Give your Christmas tree a second life
It’s a familiar sight in January: discarded Christmas trees piling up by the side of the road, forming a Christmas tree graveyard. It fills us with sadness! The festive season is officially over, and the trees are no longer needed. However, Christmas trees that have been grown and kept in a pot are still often in good condition. They can easily be planted in the ground again and given a second life.
With root ball or pot
To give your Christmas tree a second life, it is important that it was grown in a pot or still has a large root ball. Trees that have had their root balls sawn off or which only have a few roots still attached can no longer be planted. If you decide before the festive season that you want to give your tree a second life, always buy a Christmas tree that comes with a root ball or in a pot! These trees will still be in good condition after Christmas and can be replanted in your garden. Make sure to give the Christmas tree enough water at regular intervals when it is still in your living room.
How to plant the Christmas tree in your garden
It is important to give your Christmas tree some time to get used to the outdoor temperature before you plant it. After the tree has stood in your warm living room for several weeks, the difference with the temperatures outside is huge. Allow the tree to acclimatize in a garage or under a roof for a few days first. Also make sure to plant the tree on a day when it is not freezing!
Once you have done these preparations, you can take the following steps to plant your Christmas tree:
- First decide whether you want to use the tree as a Christmas tree again. If you do, leave the tree in the pot if it came in a pot and if you don’t want to, remove the pot.
- Dig a hole in the ground that is twice the depth and width of the tree’s root ball.
- Mix half of the garden soil with half planting soil and fill the hole with this mixture.
- Stamp the ground firmly so that the tree stands up nice and straight in the soil.
- Give the Christmas tree sufficient water immediately afterwards. Don’t forget to give the tree water later on in the year as well, especially in dry periods and when temperatures are high. You can certainly give it a whole bucket of water twice a week. If you forget, there’s a good chance that your tree will not survive!
- In the spring, you can give the tree some organic fertilizer to boost its growth.
A win-win situation
If you’ve completed the above steps, your Christmas tree will have a good chance of a second life. Are you planning to use the tree as a Christmas tree again? If you are, it is best to wait two years before doing so. This gives the tree enough time to take root again and become strong.
Replanting your Christmas tree is a win-win situation for both you and your tree. So get planting!