Enjoying the living beauty and fragrance of a live Christmas tree during the Holiday season is wonderful. If you know how to care for a live Christmas tree in a pot, you can enjoy it for years to come.
Depending on the tree species, it could become part of your indoor houseplant decor or it may need to be planted outdoors to live out its life. Whatever variety of potted conifer you select to use as a Christmas tree, with a little maintenance it can live for years.
Tree Choices
Most potted Christmas trees are evergreen conifers, with fir trees being the most popular. Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Blue spruce, Norway spruce, and white pine are some of the common ones sold in pots around the Christmas season.
When making your tree choice, pay attention to the mature size of the potted evergreen if you plan to keep it after the Holiday season. The mature size will determine where it should go after the Holidays.
Dwarf fir and spruce varieties remain under 4-feet (120 cm) tall and make ideal indoor plants or outdoor foundation trees. White pines can reach 100-feet (30 m) when mature and will need to be transplanted outdoors soon after the Holidays.

Acclimate the Tree
Unless the potted Christmas tree has been kept indoors, it will need to be acclimated after bringing it home. Place the tree in a sheltered, warm garage or shed for 3-days to get it acclimated to warm air, then you can bring it indoors.
Indoor Placement
Place the potted Christmas tree away from drafts and heat sources. Place it away from an exterior door, open window, heat vent, heater or a high-traffic areas in your home.
Select a spot where it’s cool and out of natural sunlight.
To keep the potted tree indoors after Christmas, follow these guidelines and the tree will live indefinitely.
Water and Food
Keep the soil consistently moist and never allow it to dry out. Do not feed the tree.
After Christmas
If you plan to transplant the Christmas tree outdoors after Christmas, dig the planting hole before the soil freezes. This will allow you to transplant the tree sooner and give it a better chance for survival.
Place the potted tree back into the sheltered, warm location that it was kept in before Christmas. Keep the soil moist and wait 3-5 days before transplanting outdoors. If the soil is frozen the tree should be kept in the sheltered location until it thaws.
When planting, backfill the planting hole with soil and water tree generously. Feed in spring with organic tree food.
