David: Hi, I ma David Epstein and this is Growing Wisdom and today we are going to be talking about sustainable Christmas trees. It is actually using a live Christmas tree instead of a cut one in John Moretti from Weston Nurseries. He is going to help us out. Here he is so let us get right to it. Good afternoon John, nice to see you.
John: Glad to see you.
David: All right, so we are going to be talking trees, are we not?
John: We are talking about the old New England tradition of the living Christmas trees.
David: Tell me about this particular tree and then of course people want to keep it alive, it is different than a cut tree, right?
John: That is right. What we have discovered over the years as only a certain numbers species that do well as living Christmas trees and this particular one which is called the Canaan fir. This is one of those. You can only use Norway spruce or white fir. White spruce works although it has a pungent smell. We had a very good look with balsams, Canaan and also fraser fir. It is important that we pick species that can make the transition from in the house back out into the garden from where we are transplanting them in January.
David: So speaking of in the house, how do I care for this?
John: You have to pick a tree that is manageable, you have to get in to the house physically and then you need to put in to some kind of a container that will protect your floors because being a living tree it needs to be watered and cared for over the course of it. Hopefully, seven to ten days and no longer that you will have the tree in the house.
David: So you do not want it in for month?
John: You did keep in seven to ten day period with other appropriate measures as well. Now, this would be keeping it in a room away from any direct heat source. You do not want it near any kind of radiator or certainly not near the fire place. You want to keep the room cool, so a three season porch might be a good place to put it. Try to keep the temperatures 60-65 max and cooler at night and they will require checking daily for water to make sure that the water that is being transpired is replaced to the root ball.
David: So when you are touching the soil. Moist, how do you want it?
John: It should feel cool and moist just the way a plant in the ground would feel.
David: Can I put light in ornaments just like a regular tree on this?
John: Yes, we can put electric lights and certainly the branches have the strength, just the way a cut tree would have to hold ornaments and a star or a decoration at the top.
David: So John, what about class of trees.
John: There is expense in growing that tree and preparing with the root ball, so you will pay more for a living tree but after the holidays you will have something in the landscape to plant.
David: And then in other video, we are going to be talking about how to plant this in the ground successfully so they do keep those maries going year after year. John thanks a lot for the introduction on living trees.
John: Okay.
David: So, there is our video on sustainable trees. We hope you come back every week and every season for all of our tips and some helps at growingwisdom.com
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