Christmas tree - the main symbol of the holiday, and therefore, it's time to think about how to acquire it. Recently, it became very fashionable to have a living growing Christmas tree in a pot.
According to the assurances of the sellers, she is able to live all year round on the balcony or terrace, and every New Year again becomes a festive decoration of the house. Is this so, and how to care for a live Christmas tree in a pot - in our article.
Myths about living Christmas trees in a pot on New Year's Eve
Recently, people buy and give each other cute little gift Christmas trees in pots, being in full confidence that this gets rid of the need to acquire the symbol of the New Year each year. Like, after the holiday, you can take it out on a balcony or plant it on a plot and grow it like any other plant. And the next New Year again to decorate her with a holiday.
In fact, everything is not so rosy. Spruce - the tree is rather capricious. Even the transplanted seedlings are very reluctant and take a long time to settle down in a new place. If you have ever tried to dig a tree in the neighboring forest to save on buying seedlings in the nursery, you are aware of the difficulties. In most cases, the tree dies after a while.
The root system of living mini-fir trees in pots is very fragile and vulnerable, so it will be very difficult to transplant a plant without damaging it. Most likely, at the time of transplanting them into pots for sale, the root system is already broken. So even a fluffy and healthy-looking herringbone will live no longer than her severed sisters. In the end, you overpay, and buy the same Christmas tree for one holiday.
By the way, the smell of potted Christmas trees is not as saturated as that of felled ones. This is due not to the variety, but to the fact that they are treated with special sprays before selling, which prevent the fast drying of needles and the loss of an attractive appearance by the tree.
Caring for a living tree in a pot
Tips for caring for such a Christmas tree do not differ much from the recommendations for caring for felled trees. They are included in the following: do not put radiators and other heating devices, do not allow direct sunlight, periodically watered and sprinkled with water.
Perhaps you were lucky enough to buy a really live tree, the roots of which were not damaged during the transplant. In this case, immediately after the holidays, take it to the glassed-in loggia where the air temperature does not drop below zero. An open balcony for this case does not fit, because the cold will freeze the ground in the pot and the tree will surely die.
Fertilize the winter tree is not necessary, because it is a period of rest. For top-dressing, the best time is spring. Try with the arrival of a stable heat to transplant the herringbone on your site.
How to choose a live Christmas tree in a pot?
Ideal for growing in a pot and using as a New Year tree dwarf varieties of fir and spruce. You can also experiment with dwarf juniper, pine,
Since we plan to preserve and use the plant for many years, we need to choose a good specimen. The seller immediately ask frost resistance of the plant. It should be a couple of zones higher than in your region of residence. This condition is important due to the fact that in the pot the earth clod freezes faster than the open ground.
Since for spruce winter is a period of rest, you do not need to immediately bring it into a warm house. First, hold it for several days in a cooler room - on the terrace, loggia, greenhouse. Otherwise, it can grow in warmth, and then, when you put it out again in the cold, new shoots will freeze.