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Northern Gardening: A living Christmas tree that keeps on giving

You may have seen some of those decorated, cute little Christmas trees in the store, or you may have received one as a gift. If you did, chances are you are in possession of a Norfolk Island pine.
Norfolk pine

You may have seen some of those decorated, cute little Christmas trees in the store, or you may have received one as a gift. If you did, chances are you are in possession of a Norfolk Island pine.

The Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is not a true pine – it is a tropical tree. With that in mind you can keep your little tree happy for the holiday season.

It is not cold tolerant, and should be kept away from cold drafts. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, and give it as much light as possible. It likes high humidity, so in our dry winter homes a light misting of water once or twice a week keeps it happy.

When the holiday season is over you can discard the plant, but you can also grow it on as a houseplant.

Remove all decorations and pot wrapping, and have a close look at the base of the plant. Chances are you will see more than one stem or trunk – the Norfolk Island pine is a tree with a single trunk.

These little trees are grown from seed, with several seeds being planted in each pot to give a full appearance.

Individual plants have a regular tiered structure, similar to a spruce tree, but lacy looking. Keep watering and misting regularly but do not fertilize until late winter or spring.

Once you start to notice new growth you can separate out and pot up each little tree, if you have one of those plants with several trees crowded together. A potting soil with peat moss is fine;
they like a slightly acidic soil.

You may have extra trees to share. Keep watering and misting, and keep it in the sunniest window you have.

In spring and summer you can fertilize it with a weak liquid fertilizer, but do not fertilize in late fall and winter when light levels are low.

You can put it outside for the summer, introducing it gradually to the brighter light starting with an hour of sun and increasing the sun exposure each day until it is acclimatized.

Bring it back in before the temperature dips below 5°C, keeping in mind that it is susceptible to aphids, mealybugs and scale, so check it carefully for pests for a few weeks after
bringing it in.

This is a true tree, and where it grows naturally it can attain a height of 200 feet or more. As a houseplant it is slow growing, but may eventually reach
six feet.

Repot into larger pots as it grows. With proper care and using light decorations, it can serve you as a living Christmas tree for years to come.

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