Live Christmas Tree

[H20fwler]

We have always liked using real trees at our house for Christmas and were able to use the cut trees as additions to our brush piles after the holidays but it still kind of seemed like the waste of a nice tree.
About three years ago we started using a live tree for Christmas and then plant them in our road screen. So for around $30-$45 we get a root balled tree around 3.5' tall that we have in the house in a rubber tub for about a week then take it out and plant at the farm. Have to stay small because of the weight of the root ball but it is just the wife and I at the house and it's a quick decorate and take down for us.

This year while picking out our tree at the tree farm I noticed a group of ten ugly beat up mixed trees off to the side so asked the guy what he would take for them, he said make an offer I replied $5 a tree and it was a done deal. So I ended up with a few more to plant in the road screen.

 

[scott44]

Looks like you got some Charlie Brown trees.

 

[H20fwler]

Looks like you got some Charlie Brown trees.

That is exactly what my wife said!
A few years ago I bought another bunch like that from one of my sons friends, a few didn't make it...the deer rubbed the crap out of half of them but overall they have survived and are growing. I plant them kind of close together so I am prepared for loss and want a thick screen.

The ones from three years ago

 

[TreeDaddy]

I buy Virginia pines by the thousands(literally) from Arborgen and Superior Trees

I love these trees for shelter/cover/screens

bill

 

[sandbur]

We have always liked using real trees at our house for Christmas and were able to use the cut trees as additions to our brush piles after the holidays but it still kind of seemed like the waste of a nice tree.
About three years ago we started using a live tree for Christmas and then plant them in our road screen. So for around $30-$45 we get a root balled tree around 3.5' tall that we have in the house in a rubber tub for about a week then take it out and plant at the farm. Have to stay small because of the weight of the root ball but it is just the wife and I at the house and it's a quick decorate and take down for us.

This year while picking out our tree at the tree farm I noticed a group of ten ugly beat up mixed trees off to the side so asked the guy what he would take for them, he said make an offer I replied $5 a tree and it was a done deal. So I ended up with a few more to plant in the road screen.

It looks like large diameter trees for the size of the pot. Are they rootbound...circling?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bill]

Man. Now I need to look for some ugly trees.

 

[Bill]

That has to beat seedlings everyday.

 

[H20fwler]

It looks like large diameter trees for the size of the pot. Are they rootbound...circling?


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Those are definitely root bound. They are in some kind of cloth style pots, I’m going to cut the pots off and slice the sides of root balls some when I plant them. Might put them in the ground this afternoon. For the the price I couldn’t pass them up a few of the big ones from the last bunch have really done well.

 

[H20fwler]

This years tree all tucked into its permanent residence as part of road screen.

 

[yoderjac]

For those who use real trees that are cut, another good use is to collect up a few, wire them to cement blocks and drop them in a pond or lake for fish structure.

 

[chucker66]

A lot of local lake residents up here will all put their trees out in piles on the lakes and then they sink in the spring. Looks kind of funny when you go out ice fishing and there are spruce trees on the ice.

 

[H20fwler]

Went with a 4' white pine this year and the wife decorated it traditional old school. It's sitting in the corner of the dining room as a second tree this year and will be out at farm along the road caged and in the ground a week from now . It is officially a tradition to have a root balled live tree at our house...but we did put a big cut tree up in the living room too.

An update on last years bargain cave ugly tree's..they all lived! Can't believe how healthy they look now even though some are kind of bushy but they are growing.
Lost the best road sceen spruce tree a nice seven foot previous ugly from a four years ago when a dillrod drove his truck off the road one Friday night in early September snapping it off along with a caged Bartlett pear...never did find the remesh tree cage.

 

[buckdeer1]

Alot of nurseries have trees they just pile up and burn because they aren't good enough to sell it's worth checking if you have any close.I have bought some 7ft oaks for 50.00