It’s About Thyme
by CHRIS WINSLOW
For this holiday season, why not try a living Christmas tree instead of one that’s been cut down, or one of those artificial creations.
Living Christmas trees are grown in containers and you can plant them in the landscape after the holiday season. If you follow this practice year after year, you could wind up with a little conifer forest in your backyard… or at least an effective privacy screen.
First, choose a conifer that will thrive in our climate. For a long time the most popular tree was Afghan pine. Sadly, over the years, these magnificent trees succumbed to a number of different maladies. Basically, it rains too much here for them. Only those that have been planted on hillsides or far away from any irrigation have survived.
There are a number of other conifers that have shown promise in our landscapes. Here are some suggestions:
• Blue Point Juniper: A very dense branching upright shape with beautiful blue-green foliage. Mature height: 12 feet with a spread of 8 feet. This shrub makes an effective screen for privacy or as a windbreak. Loves the sun and needs good drainage.
• Arizona Blue Ice Cypress: Beautiful silver-blue foliage on a dense, upright, cone shape. It can grow 25 feet tall with a 8 to 10 foot spread. The silver-blue foliage contrasts with its reddish bark. It’s hardy, grows fast and loves a location with sun and good drainage. A great accent or specimen tree. When planted in a row, it makes a great screen.
• Aleppo Pine: A green colored conifer. Cone shaped when young, but becomes rounded with age. Some pruning required to maintain a Christmas tree shape. Aleppos can grow more than 30 feet tall. Heat, drought and wind tolerant. Good drainage and sun a must.
• Italian Stone Pine: Cone shaped when young; develops an umbrella shape when mature. Soft blue-green foliage is very attractive. A nice addition to any landscape. Young plants make beautiful tabletop trees. This pine tree has been cultivated in Europe for over 6,000 years as a source of the very expensive edible pine nuts.
Care suggestions for living Christmas trees:
1. Place the tree indoors in as much light as possible, away from heaters and fireplaces.
2. Keep the soil moist, not standing in water. Place a drain pan filled with gravel below the tree to catch the irrigation water (to protect carpets and wood floors). The gravel will keep the roots from standing in the water.
3. After Christmas, repot into a larger container or plant directly into the landscape. Make sure that you pick a sunny location and supply good drainage.
Happy forest building! What a great way to enjoy Christmas. A living tree in the home, and a new tree to the landscape in January 2011.
If you have a question for Chris, send it via email to [email protected]. Or mail a postcard to It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 www.itsaboutthyme.com
