Evergreens garner much attention this time of year
When choosing a cut 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 needle drop 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 balsam and white firs; red, white and Scots pines; and Douglas fir.
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 the 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.
• Water any evergreen shrubs planted in containers outside for the winter during warm and dry periods. Evergreens continue to lose water through their leaves so providing supplemental water during winter will help prevent winter burn of the leaves.
Some evergreens dropped more needles this fall than I have seen in other years, especially arborvitae. As long as the drop is not very excessive, leaving holes in the trees, and the overall color of the remaining foliage is a normal shade of green, then you should not have to worry.
Generally, the needles fall from the center portion of the tree. Bald cypress, which looks like it should be an evergreen in the summer, is a deciduous conifer and is supposed to lose its leaves in fall.
• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.