Add 1/4 tsp lime per gallon of potting mixture but make sure the pH of the soil is around 7(or neutral). So, although rooting an entire Christmas tree is impossible, you can root smaller branches from a conifer. You probably want to go with a Leyland Cyprus or Virginia Pine. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 165,335 times. The time and effort required is certainly rewarded with the freshest possible Christmas trees. It is grown in many nurseries for this purpose, and is produced for other uses such as lumber and pulpwood for paper making. While it takes some forward thinking, growing your own Christmas trees from seedlings can be a fun project for your entire family that helps builds relationships and can teach children important lessons about nature. If left unchecked, grasses and weeds will out-compete the young trees for water and nutrients and tall weeds can even shade out vulnerable seedlings. or planting pots. The basic guidance for most Christmas trees is that they should be planted in rows spaced 8 feet apart. You may also need to take out any stumps or rocks in the soil with a pickaxe or a shovel. The potting mixture should be made of equal parts peat, vermiculite, and perlite. Well, you can add the compost, but it is not needed. While you could prune the daylights out of it to attempt to keep it short, the results will be unnatural looking. Clean off the pulp and immerse the seed in a solution of 10% percent bleach and water. This is the second most common kind of Christmas tree. GROWING CHRISTMAS TREES IN TEXAS James W. Chandler. However, there are some major drawbacks when utilizing spruces for Christmas trees, including sharp needles and poor needle retention when displayed for more than a week or two. Required fields are marked *. "I learned that in a Christmas tree we do not need to add much water.". If you don’t have land for your Christmas tree farm are there ways to get it for free, very cheap, or … You will need to plant the seedling in a potting mixture in a pot. Through the absence of major light sources (e.g. The seedling is left to grow in the nursery bed for 1 to 2 years, which is enough time for it to develop a good healthy root structure which is the key to vigorous growth. He holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Georgia. You should also ensure the site gets full sun. Heavy clay soils are detrimental to most of these trees unless the planting site is located on a slope, allowing excess moisture to runoff. With over 20 years of gardening experience, Matt specializes in organic vegetable gardening and general gardening practices. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. You can put them in a plastic sandwich bag making sure there’s plenty of air in the bag, then place the bag in your refrigerator’s vegetable crisper drawer for at least four weeks. However the Christmas tree takes a lot of time to grow, but you get a green tree after a time. How to grow a Norway spruce Christmas tree from seed. For this it is necessary to prepare a wide plastic containers with lids (from the store-bought salads, cookies, etc.) Use a white bulb made for plants so you do not burn the plants with the light. Otherwise, just drop old fruits and other things that will turn into compost. You should limit any pruning during the year you are planning to harvest the tree, as you want to avoid any visible cuts to the exterior branches of the tree. In the first year after you’ve planted your tree seedling outside, you will need to … Dig a hole that is the same depth as the hole the seedling was grown in at the nursery or in the greenhouse. All evergreens drop approximately 30 percent of their needles every year. Growing up in the nursery business spurred his passion for unusual plants, the insect world and anything edible. Do note that producing Christmas trees from cuttings is not necessarily the best way to go. Given decent growing conditions, most Christmas tree species will reach 6 or 7 feet within six to nine years. This article was co-authored by Matt Bowman. Fresh seeds are best soaked, then chilled in a freezer before being sown outdoors in a gritty seedbed. The soil test will also give you a pH for the soil. You can sow the seeds at any time of the year and they cost around £2 for 25. Soil-based John Innes No 2 … Some species do well in certain soil pHs, such as Fraser firs, which grow best in well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8. The planting site should be smooth, with no excess vegetation, stumps, or rocks. 21 April 2020. http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/gardening/trees/grow-your-own-christmas-trees/, http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/growing-your-own-christmas-tree.aspx, http://www.ncchristmastrees.com/images/pdfs/PostHarvestPests.pdf, Piantare e Far Crescere il Tuo Albero di Natale, вырастить собственное рождественское дерево, Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow, Fraser Fir: Found in the Appalachians Mountains at high elevations (zones 4-7), Douglas Fir: The most popular Christmas tree species in the U.S. (zones 4-6), Concolor Fir: Also known as the White Fir (zones 4-7), Balsam Fir: This is the best fir for colder climates (zones 3-6), Noble Fir: This is the largest native fir in North America (zones 4-5), White Pine: This is the tallest native pine species in North America (zones 3-8), Virginia Pine: This pine does well in poor soil and has sharp cones (zones 4-8), Scotch Pine: This pine has a high reseeding ability and can thrive in poor soil (zone 3-7), Sand Pine: This pine is ideal for hot climates (zones 7-10), Norway Spruce: This spruce can be found throughout North America but is native to Europe (zones 2-7), Colorado Blue Spruce: This spruce type is known for its blue-green needles (zone 4 to 7a). Not really. If you have questions about whether a certain tree species is appropriate for your local climate zone a great resource is your local cooperative extension agent. When shaping the tree, attempt to maintain a classic Christmas tree shape and remove imperfections, such as double tops. Within each row, seedlings should be planted roughly 7 … For more information on how to cut down or fell a tree, see: If you're interested in replanting the tree after the holiday season, keep its root ball intact by digging up the tree, rather than cutting it. Yes, can grow Christmas trees in Louisiana. The year you窶决e going to harvest your tree, keep the shearing to a minimum to avoid visible cuts on exterior branches. Stratify the seeds, soak your seeds in water for a day then dry then for another day. In the Northeast, you should start preparing your field the fall before you plant by removing competing vegetation. Not all evergreen trees are created equally. 1. % of people told us that this article helped them. The most common of these species are classified in the four genera: pines, spruces, firs, and cypress.Christmas trees can be grown from seed or from root cuttings. This natural shedding process involves the older interior needles of the tree, not the new exterior needles. The basic guidance for most Christmas trees is that they should be planted in rows spaced 8 feet apart. Unfortunately replanting a Christmas tree doesn’t work. Cold Weather Care For Your Farm’s Livestock. Visible needle drop on the exterior or external yellowing are signs of disease or pest problems that will need to be addressed. "Basically, how can we identify species and seed sources that are going to lead to better Christmas trees, and how can growers manage their farms to produce better trees," he says. We also have a farm market where we sell local produce and other local items like honey, jams, and pies just to name a few. The vast majority of Christmas tree farms, for example, start their plants from seed. A tree will take at least 10 years to grow from seed until it is sold as a Christmas tree and during this time each tree will be nurtured and checked regularly. After the initial cut, immediately place the tree in a container with water or the cut will reseal, preventing the tree from taking up water and shortening the lifespan of your Christmas tree. Both species require relatively little shaping and the Leyland cypresses can reach 6 to 7 feet in a relatively short amount of time: four years. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/98\/Grow-Your-Own-Christmas-Tree-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Grow-Your-Own-Christmas-Tree-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/98\/Grow-Your-Own-Christmas-Tree-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid1665367-v4-728px-Grow-Your-Own-Christmas-Tree-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"