Christmas tree idea

[exeter_acres]

First of all... Great site M!

Question for ya'll (like that?!?)
We have a friend who buys live small evergreens around Christmas to use as their indoor tree and then after the holidays, plants them outside.
Anyone done this.. any ideas for planting, safety, etc.

Thanks
Curtis

[wasabi]

EA,

I did that for eight years straight when living in Indiana. Just keep the tree's ball moist. Speaking of moist, that is what happens to the kids eyes when they see the now border of large evergreens that used to be festooned in the living room. A bit more expensive than cut trees, but worth it IMHO.

[JBREWER]

I plan on starting that tradition this year . My wife and I will be moving into our new home in a feww weeks. This will get two birds with one stone. WE need the tree for landscaping and everyone needs a tree to decorate. Have a great day.... JERRY [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] <font color="orange"> </font color>

My parents did this the first few years of our family's existence. My sister now lives at that home &amp; I get to show my kids the 30'+ tall Christmas trees from when I was a kid.
I have done this the last 3 years &amp; planted the trees at our new property where we just built this summer. I'm placing them up at the front toward our road for a future windblock/fence... I think that it is a great idea... [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]
Here's a shot of me placing the tree with my tractor...

[gobbler]

We’ve done this a couple of times as well. One thing you must do is to have your hole dug prior to the ground freezing. Then pack the hole with some straw or mulch and cover it. Try to keep the spoils from freezing as well. ( I learned this the hard way !!!)

Jim

[Mosey]

Jim - "One thing you must do is to have your hole dug prior to the ground freezing."

Sounds like good advice. Any other tips and tricks?

I have a slew of questions for those of you who have experience with this:

How much do these trees generally cost?

How much do they weigh?

When you bring them in the nice warm house and leave them there for a while, do they "wake up" from their winter sleep and start growing? We usually have our tree up for over a month, is that too long for a live tree?

What do you put them in, a big tub or something so you can water it and still keep the floor dry?

Since these trees are trimmed, do they grow evenly after you put them in the ground? I've seen where people have planted trimmed trees and the top grows out more than the rest and they look funny.

[gobbler]

Danny,

We never had ours in the house for more than a week or so. The one’s we have bought already come balled and burlaped and in a container, so dealing with watering wasn’t a big deal.

The nursery delivered about 2 weeks before xmas and placed it in our unheated garage. According to the nursery, one of the worst things that can happen to a xmas tree is drying out, not by lack of water, but by wind. So a sheltered area to store it is a must. Even if it’s on the lee side of your house.

And yes, they are heavy. Recruit some friends to help move it. A dolly comes in helpful as well. I always choose trees in the 5-6ft range just because of the weight.


Jim

<font color="blue"> How much do these trees generally cost?
</font color> They are more - about $45-$65 here...

<font color="blue"> How much do they weigh?
</font color>
ALOT [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] I imagine 300 lbs+ [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] I'm not sure
It takes 3 adults to struggle to handle them. They use a forklift or loader at the tree farm. I used my tractor as pictured earlier to unload it to plant.
If one has a wash tub or container to fit the bulb in, it can help. Placing it on a rug or blanket that will slide may help...

[Kilt]

We've been doing live trees. I think its a great idea. We don't limit ourselves to the classic pyramid shape, otherwise you end up with only a limited selection of trees. Go for unusual shaped pines, cedars, yews, holly, chameciparis, whatever. Heavy, yes. If you can get it in the door, you can drag it around the house on a mat or blanket. We put ours in the garage before and after it is in the house, as sort of buffer temperature zone. We keep them indoors for a month. Just keep them watered. Use the buffer zone garage idea, keep them out of the wind, watered, and you can probably keep them until spring to plant (if you don't want to pre-dig the hole, etc.)

[Pat]

Live tree thing is real old hat in some areas. If you don't have a wheeled platform to handle the water proof container you can make one easily enough, just some 2x4 with fair sized caster wheels. Cover with a blanket of store bought paper tree thing made for the purpose. You could go to Wally World and pick up a package of "Moving Men" really slick plastic things designed to put under heavy objects and allow them to slide on a floor. I have used them on a concrete floor when moving safes for secret documents. These weighed several hundred pounds but I could move them single handedly. Be careful, it doesn't reduce inertia, just friction.

Pat