Which Christmas trees hold their needles the best?
When choosing a Christmas tree, select one with firm needles that don't drop off when the tree is raised up a few inches and dropped to the ground. A small amount of needles dropping is normal. The bottom of the stump should be moist, with some sap present. Trees that were cut many weeks or even months ago will drop their needles shortly after being brought indoors. The trees that retain their needles the longest are the Douglas, balsam, noble, white and Fraser firs; red, white and Scots pines; and Colorado spruce.
Once the tree is at home, cut another 2 inches or so off the stump and immediately place the tree into your stand with water. Make sure the stand is full of water each day. A freshly cut tree can take up as much as one gallon of water in a day, and you may need to refill the basin more than once per day for first few days after installing the tree inside. If left in a stand without water, the tree will form a seal across the stump, which prevents it from taking up any more water.
Dry trees can become serious fire hazards. Keep live Christmas trees away from heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators and furnace vents, and check daily for water to maintain the tree in best possible condition.
• Outdoor evergreens will lose some needles in the fall. As long as the drop is not excessive and the overall color of the remaining foliage is a normal shade of green, you should not worry. Generally, the needles fall from the center portion of the tree. Bald cypress, which looks like it should be an evergreen, is a deciduous conifer and is supposed to lose its leaves in fall.
• Poinsettias like lots of bright, indirect sunlight. They are sensitive to extreme temperatures so it is best to keep away from cold drafts and heat vents. Daytime temperatures of 65 degrees work well for prolonging the display of the colored bracts. Water the plants thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch. There is no need to fertilize them during the holiday season.
• Install protection for plants that are likely to be damaged over the winter by wildlife. Rabbits can cause considerable damage by feeding on shrubs. As snow piles up, rabbits can reach higher and higher to eat. Chicken wire works well to exclude rabbits. I have not found soap or hair hanging in branches to work as a deterrent for deer browsing. Use physical barriers such as wire or netting to protect plants from deer. Yews and arborvitae are deer favorites and will likely be browsed in areas where deer are active.
• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.