Decorating With Conifers

by Pat Diaz, from the November 2003 Newsletter

The upcoming fall and winter holidays are the perfect time to decorate indoors with potted, or containerized, conifers. The indoor “experience” for your conifer should be limited to two weeks, and then you can place the pot on the deck or porch indefinitely, or you can plant it in the ground in the spring. There are many new varieties from which to choose and this month we’ll talk about how to keep potted conifers happy.

Potted conifers look marvelous on a deck or porch, or inside for holiday decorating. You can accent a path with one, or flank an entry with two of them. Or use them as an “anchor” around which to display other potted plants or a cluster of patio chairs.

If you choose to decorate indoors with a potted conifer, make sure to keep the plant away from furnace vents or fireplaces that can dry or scorch them. Some gardeners move their conifer outside at night so they can be in their natural environment.

Once you move your conifer outside permanently, place it where it will receive full sun. (Once summer hits, however, you’ll need to watch for sunburn and perhaps move the conifer into partial shade.) Regular watering during summer is essential. Remember, potted plants dry out much faster than those planted in the ground.

If you choose dwarf conifers, you can let them live in containers for years. About every three years, remove the plant from its container and root-prune the root balls. Then add fresh potting soil. Early each spring, put fresh potting mix on top of the soil and work it lightly into the existing soil mix. The pine members of this family don’t need fertilizing. If you purchase a timber-size conifer, after a few years in pots, they should be transplanted into the ground with enough room to grow to full size.

Here are a few conifers that can live for a long time in containers:

Dwarf mugho pine (Pinus mugo mugo) – This dwarf Swiss mountain pine has a beautiful bushy shape. The dark green needles make each branch look like a brush. They grow to four feet tall and about four feet wide and like full sun.

‘Rheingold’ arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’) – This beautiful plant has exceptional golden, almost orange, winter foliage. It grows to about six feet tall and needs summer shade.

Limber pine (Pinus flexilis) – This is a timber-size conifer but it does grow slowly. It will eventually reach 20-30 feet. The needles have a slightly twisted shape and the branches droop in beautiful, irregular and artful cascades. These pines tolerate aridity and will, in fact, do well on hot dry slopes but need well-drained soil.

‘Gray Gleam’ (J. socpulorum) – This conifer looks exceptional decorated with silver balls for the holiday season. It is a moderately slow growing juniper that will reach 15 feet. It is hardy to -30 degrees and likes full sun.

‘Blue Star’ (Juniperus squamata) – All junipers make great holiday greens but this one has brilliant blue foliage. It grows up to two feet and out to about five feet. It likes partial shade during the summer.

Colorado Blue Spruce (P. pungens ‘Glauca’) – This is a favorite live tree for the holidays and will eventually have to be planted in the ground. It grows to about 80-100 feet tall but you can leave it in a pot for several years. It likes full sun or light shade. It has a wonderful blue coloring and a great shape.

Japanese Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica) – This conifer makes unusual holiday greens. It has fluffy gray-green summer foliage that turns purplish bronze in late fall or winter. It is slow growing to about two feet and likes full sun.

Dwarf Alberta Spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’) – This conifer has an elegant cone shape and grows to about seven feet tall. It has short, fine needles that are very soft. It likes full sun or light shade and will need shelter from hot, reflected sun in the summer.

Hinoki False Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtuse) – There are many varieties of this conifer and they all grow to about four feet tall. Some have fern-leafed foliage, some golden, others emerald green. They like full fun or part shade.

I hope that you’ll find the perfect containerized conifer this month. For those of us who just hate to kill a live tree to decorate for the holidays, this is the perfect solution.

Copyright: Copyright on articles, recipes and images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective contributors, except were otherwise noted.

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