What to do with the Christmas tree
Many people would have bought a real tree for Christmas and are now wondering what they should do with it.
Grow it on for next year, of course, but you will need to know what you’ve got growing.
One of the most popular pot grown trees purchased is the Wollemi pine. They are stunning trees and indeed living fossils. They existed at the same time as dinosaurs roamed around the planet, and, bearing that in mind, they are a rainforest emergent species. Tricky when you live in WA.
Do not believe the tag when it says they can grow in sun; here they sizzle and die in the sun. You have to try to replicate a rainforest in a pot.
Plant it into a quality potting mix for acid-loving plants (pH of less than 6) and put it in a shady spot, away from winds. The southern side of the house is ideal.
Surround it with other plants to increase the humidity and hose the foliage down twice a week in summer.
If it is exposed to winds, put shade cloth around during the hot summer months.
Wollemis can take any slow- release fertiliser for trees as they are not phosphorus sensitive.
They are pretty slow growing, so don’t expect to see a fully grown specimen in your lifetime, but if you are into the rare and unusual you will be growing a piece of our planet's story of plant evolution.
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