Any evergreen you select can be used as a live Christmas tree that can be planted and enjoyed for many years to come. We suggest selecting a tree you most want to have in your landscape.
After bringing the tree home, place it in a protected outdoor spot, such as the north side of the garage. Cover the roots with a bag of mulch to help prevent them from freezing. Mulching a couple of inches beneath the ball will prevent the tree from freezing to the ground. We also recommend placing a bale of straw or hay over the spot where you want to plant the tree to keep the ground from freezing. It really will!
Sometime before Christmas, bring the tree to your chosen spot to celebrate with. Place the root ball in a bucket or garden trug and water. Stash the mulch for later use. Keeping the tree indoors for three days is ideal.
After Christmas, bring the tree out to your planting spot. A spraying with Wilt-Pruf will keep the harsh winter temperatures from drying out the needles. Remove the straw and scrape off the sod. Dig the hole the exact depth of the root ball, no deeper, and two times wider. Plant the tree with the soil you just dug, adding only organic fertilizer to the soil. We use three handfuls of Pro-Gro by North Country Organics. Mulch with the mulch you stashed.
In the springtime, don’t forget this is a newly planted tree and it’s necessary to water it as needed. You can also add three more handfuls of Pro-Gro to the mulched tree ring.
Our Garden Center is happy to help and answer any questions you have. We carry a number of items mentioned above including: evergreens, mulch, bales of straw, rubber trugs, Wilt-Pruf, tools and gloves, Pro-Gro fertilizer, and more.
![Soil pH is a deep topic, so we’ll just scratch the [soil] surface #punny 😉
.
Overall, gardeners should know soil pH influences plant nutrient uptake. 🌱
.
pH measures hydrogen ions in soil on a scale of 0-14. 🔬
•7 is neutral
•0-6 = acidic, increased hydrogen ions
•8-14 = basic, decreased hydrogen ions.
.
⛰Geology of the area and land management influences pH:
•Granite or sand = Acidic 🏖
•Bedrock and limestone = Basic 🗻
•Forested land = Acidic 🌲
•Grassland = Basic 🌾
.
Because of the reactivity of hydrogen in soil, certain nutrients and minerals are more or less available to plants depending on the pH of the soil.
.
Most plants prefer 6-7.5 pH, so if you’re in this range, you’re in a good place for the vast majority of plants. If soil is outside this range, you may notice certain ornamental or edible species planted are surviving but not thriving. Amending your soil pH could help. You can do this with a number of gardening practices and products.
.
Ultimately, we recommend testing your soil pH and planting species that can adapt easily to the conditions.
.
More in story!](http://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/d1aca3d6bacdac53dadd7ff96e3e2c8d/5D4731E9/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/54513413_323317245054181_961791348052572332_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com "Soil pH is a deep topic, so we’ll just scratch the [soil] surface #punny 😉
.
Overall, gardeners should know soil pH influences plant nutrient uptake. 🌱
.
pH measures hydrogen ions in soil on a scale of 0-14. 🔬
•7 is neutral
•0-6 = acidic, increased hydrogen ions
•8-14 = basic, decreased hydrogen ions.
.
⛰Geology of the area and land management influences pH:
•Granite or sand = Acidic 🏖
•Bedrock and limestone = Basic 🗻
•Forested land = Acidic 🌲
•Grassland = Basic 🌾
.
Because of the reactivity of hydrogen in soil, certain nutrients and minerals are more or less available to plants depending on the pH of the soil.
.
Most plants prefer 6-7.5 pH, so if you’re in this range, you’re in a good place for the vast majority of plants. If soil is outside this range, you may notice certain ornamental or edible species planted are surviving but not thriving. Amending your soil pH could help. You can do this with a number of gardening practices and products.
.
Ultimately, we recommend testing your soil pH and planting species that can adapt easily to the conditions.
.
More in story!")
