Newsletter Articles
Christmas Trees Are Here
Written by Marge B.
Since 1946 Green Thumb Nursery has been a favorite location for Southern California gardeners offering professional Landscape Design Services, Outdoor Patio Furniture, Outdoor Plants and Home & Garden Décor. The Nurseries five convenient locations plus online shopping simplifies ordering garden plants, supplies, and gifts and allows shoppers to have items shipped to their home. Convenient for the holidays, Green Thumb gift cards are available online for the plant lovers on your shopping list.
The Holidays are rapidly approaching and for many people an evergreen tree makes the holidays seem more festive. And if there is a real tree, what kind? Green Thumb Nurseries have a variety of fresh cut Christmas trees in a wide assortment of sizes and heights and living trees that you plant after the holidays. Shoppers at Green Thumb will find a wide assortment of fresh cut Christmas trees ranging from 2 to 12 feet. Although Christmas tree inventory may vary at different Green Thumb locations. The main types of trees are pine, fir, and spruce. Pine trees have needles in groups of two, three or five. You can roll pointed Spruce needles can roll between your fingers. Needles from fir trees are softer and flat and you cannot roll them between your fingers.
Pine trees have been associated with the Christmas season because pine trees are a symbol of strength and the new life that will be in the spring.
A few of the trees that you can find at Green Thumb will include the Fraser fir which has dark green branches, the Grand fir that has a strong pine fragrance, the Noble fir that has blue-green needles and strong, stiff branches, the Nordmann fir that has soft pine needles and the Plantation Douglas fir that is known for its compact lavish soft needles.
The Most Popular Christmas Tree Types include Fraser Fir which is known for its ideal full shape. The Fraser fir is one of the most popular and best-selling Christmas trees in Southern California. If you are planting your Christmas tree in the garden after the holidays consider include tress such as the Nordmann Fir, Norway Spruce, and the Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Dwarf Alberta Spruce has pyramid shape and will add a nice accent to the garden when planted after the holidays. This spruce is easy to maintain and will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. When planted and maintained it can live up to 50 years. Another Spruce tree to consider is the Colorado Spruce . When fully grown maturity the Colorado Spruce can grow to a height of 50 feet with a spread on the branches of 20 feet. The Colorado Spruce has bright green to silver blue color and large firm branches. When planted in the garden the Colorado Spruce needs full sunlight. With ideal growing conditions a Colorado Spruce can live up to 80 years. The Colorado Spruce is drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for gardens that need to conserve water.
Spruce trees are from the family of approximately thirty-five types of conifer evergreen trees. Typically, Spruce trees grow in cool climates, but the tree are adaptable and available throughout the United States. Spruce trees have always been an important product for the lumber and paper industries. Early American settlers had many uses for spruce trees. These early settlers made medicines from the tree barks, young spruce trees to build canoes, many pianos and violins were also made from the wood from spruce trees. Spruce wood was used in making airplanes during World War II.
Baby Blue Spruce has beautiful silvery glue evergreen needles with a gray bark. When planted outside the Baby Blue Spruce keeps the silvery blue appearance throughout the winter months. When mature the Baby Blue Spruce can reach a height of 50 feet with a width up to 25 feet. This spruce needs to be in the yard where it will get full sunlight. With ideal going condition a Baby Blue Spruce can live up to 80 years. This spruce does not require a special soil and it is able to handle urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. The Blue Spruce is a native North American species.
Hoopsii Blue Spruce is a limited maintenance tree. It has narrow pointy silvery-blue needles. It is a hardy and strong-featured tree. After the holidays it will add beauty to the garden landscape with the spruce has year-round silvery blue foliage with dense evergreen branches. You need to plant the Hoopsii Blue Spruce in full sunlight. It will grow to a height of 30 feet spread of 10 feet. This variety of spruce is drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for Southern California gardens. The Hoopsii Blue Spruce is a native American spruce and can tolerant urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments.
In a Green Thumb Newsletter Richard Flowers, ACCNP-Green Thumb Nursery-Ventura shared some interesting information about the popular Nordmann Fir. This tree is popular for its soft needles and resistance to shedding. It is not as fragrant as most fir and pine trees.
When you keep your freshly cut Christmas tree watered, it will last longer. Cypress and Spruce trees can last up to five weeks, but pine trees tend to drop needles after three weeks. If you plan to buy a fresh tree, ask the Green Thumb experts to trim the bottom of the tree. With a fresh Christmas tree sap forms around the base of the trunk. This is a natural defense of the tree, but it also prevents the tree from taking in water. When the experts at Green Thumb trim the bottom of the tree slightly it allows the tree to absorb water and stay fresher. Be careful not to place the tree inside near a heat source such as a furnace or direct sunlight. An old trick suggests adding pennies to the water at the base of the tree will reduce fungus and mold because the copper in the pennies will add acid to the water.
When you bring home a live cut Christmas tree it is best to store it in a cool protected area like a porch or garage before bringing it inside and keep it watered. You should allow your Christmas tree to get adjusted to the conditions inside by keeping it outside for a few days before bringing it inside will reduce falling needles. If you plan to plant the tree in the garden after the holidays let it rest outside or in the garage for a few days before planting. This allows the tree to get accustomed to the change in climate and temperature. Some families have a tradition of planting a living Christmas tree in memory of a first Christmas Shared as a couple or as a memorial to departed relatives.
To complete you holiday decorations you can find a variety of wreaths, pillow and decorative holiday accessories at each of the Green Thumb locations, Visit one of these convenient locations Orange County Garden Center located in Lake Forest, San Diego Garden Center located in San Marcos, the Los Angeles Garden Centers located in Canoga Park or Santa Clarita or the Ventura County Garden Center.
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