Anyone with space in the garden and a little patience can grow his own Christmas trees. It takes eight years for the first tree to be tall enough, but it’s rewarding.
If a homeowner has a bit of extra space in his garden, he can light up his family’s own trees inside year after year, by starting a Christmas tree plot. The key is to plant a new sapling each spring or fall to replace the one he cut on Christmas Eve. If he begins planting in the spring, he can expect to have his first Christmas tree in six to eight years. Plant one every spring thereafter. The family will love cutting down their very own tree from their own little Christmas tree forest.
The best variety of evergreens for an indoor Christmas tree is the fir tree. It’s a native tree in southern regions. It’s light, which is perfect for a private plot. It rarely sheds its needles and it stays fresh and scented throughout the holidays.
White Spruce is another popular Christmas tree. The crown is cone-shaped with full growth and has the pungent aroma associated with Christmas. White spruces hold its needles better than other spruces, but if the family has heavy ornaments, pick blue spruce. The branches are stronger.
Shape the Christmas tree every year in mid-summer, beginning when they’ve reached three to four feet in height. This ensures the pyramid or cone shape and will give the trees density as new branches form in those trimmed areas.
Growing Christmas trees is fun for the whole family. It’s something to be started while the children are infants, so they will experience a wonderful childhood tradition, taking that tradition with them when they start their own families.