It’s that time of the year. Company holiday parties, ugly sweater parties and holiday decorations! It’s also time to act on buying your live Christmas tree. Some “do it yourselfers” like to take it to the next level and buy a Christmas tree, one with its roots all wrapped up in burlap so they can plant it outdoors after the holidays… If this sounds like you or are interested in replanting your holiday tree we’ve got a great guide!

If that’s your plan:

• Dig the planting hole on the next nice WARM day so you can actually break through the turf!
• Make it a wide hole, but not a deep one. You should see the top of  the root flare above the soil line. If the tree looks like a lollipop, it’s  planted too low.
• Remove all the burlap and other wrappings before planting. If anyone tells you  otherwise, they are wrong. And wrong. And…
• Don’t position the tree too close to the house. The “skirt” of an evergreen will grow nice and wide. Be sure it has room to do so without touching your timbers.
• Don’t plant it under — or even worse — on top of-power lines
• If the tree must come inside (it’s much better if it stays outdoors), keep the  room it’s in as cold as possible. Don’t string it with incandescent lights or  place near other sources of heat and get it back outside as soon as you can.
• Oh, and be sure to have lots of help on hand whenever the tree has to be  moved.

Holiday lawn care: What can we do now?

“My wife and I recently purchased a new home. The lawn  is in decent shape, but there are several dead spots and a few weeds. What can I  do at this time of year to help my lawn look healthy and green for next spring?”

Absolutely nothing. The time for seeding is long past, and it would be  useless — and illegal in many areas — to try and feed it now.

But this is a good time to start being prepared for a few months from now, when  you’ll have lots to do.

• Make sure you have a mower that can mulch the pulverized clippings back  into the turf, whether it’s yours or the people you hire to cut the lawn. Mulching  mowers practically guarantee a great looking lawn.
• Be prepared to spread corn gluten meal for your spring feeding just as local redbuds begin to bloom in March.
  • Make sure the mower blade stays sharp.
  • Never cut lower than three inches.
  • Only water deeply and Infrequently.
  • Don’t feed your turf in the summer

…The lawn will be much improved by the Fall, when it will be time  for the second and final feeding of the year, and any over-seeding.