With the right care, a live Christmas tree can not only brighten the holidays, but also grace the landscape for years to come. At this time of year, many nurseries carry a variety of live evergreen trees in containers or that have the root ball wrapped in burlap (these are called “balled-and-burlapped,” or B&B in the landscape trade). Here are a few tips for selecting and caring for your tree:

• Before deciding on what kind of tree, determine that the tree is suited to the intended planting site and to your region. Some conifers grow very large at maturity, so be sure there is enough space for it as time goes on.
   
• Check for firmly attached, bright green needles and a trunk that doesn't wobble when touched. These are signs that the tree has a healthy, unbroken root ball. When moving the tree, always lift it using the ball rather than the trunk to keep the root ball intact.
   
• Once you get the tree home, moisten the root ball and store the tree in an unheated garage or outside in a cool, shady place protected from wind.
   
• Before bringing the tree inside, spray the needles with an anti-desiccant.
   
•  Keep the tree inside no longer than five days and--if possible--in a room that can be kept cool most of the time.
   
• Keep the root ball consistently moist, but don't let it stand in water. Use low-wattage lights and turn them on only when necessary.
   
• In the location where you want to ultimately plant the tree, dig a hole that is twice as wide and only slightly deeper than the root ball. Pile soil dug from the hole on a tarp and store it a warm place to keep the soil from freezing. If the ground is already frozen, mound mulch around the root ball until a thaw. Keep a few mulch bags in the garage to keep them from freezing, too.
   
• After the holiday, plant the tree in its pre-prepared hole as soon as possible (be sure to remove the burlap around the root ball). If the ground is not completely frozen, water thoroughly after planting. If the ground is frozen, moisten the root ball before placing it in its hole. Fill in around the root ball with the soil and add a two-inch-thick layer of mulch around, but not touching, the base of the tree.

Carole Ottesen, contributing writer