How To Make Your Winter Holiday Containers Last

Winter holiday containers are a fresh and festive statement piece you can add to your front porch or outdoor space. Also known as a fresh greens planter, these holiday containers display an assortment of fresh winter foliage, including evergreen branches, pinecones, accent picks, and many other decorative pieces that are sure to impress guests and neighbors. With the proper care, you can keep these planters looking full and healthy throughout the cold winter season. ​

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Location, location, location

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As with any plant, it’s important to match the environment to its needs. Since the evergreen branches are no longer living, they don’t need any sunlight. Sun and wind exposure on these holiday containers will likely accelerate the drying and browning of the cuttings. If possible, try to pick a location that gets protection from strong winds and afternoon sun to extend their freshness. Most front entryways protect against the elements, but if not, you can place your container under a covered porch or near an exterior wall. Just avoid placing them around outdoor heaters and ceiling fans.  ​

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ENSURE Proper hydration

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Whether you are constructing your container on your own or at one of Family Tree Nursery’s Holiday Container workshops, the most crucial step to keeping your masterpiece looking fresh is to keep your base moist. When you’ve finished and your container is in your desired area at home, give it a thorough primary watering to ensure all the soil, sand, or mixture of both is saturated. Family Tree Workshops provide a ¾ soil to ¼ sand ratio. The soil retains the moisture, and the sand helps to lock the branches in place, especially when it freezes over. For this, you’ll want enough water to fill your pot two to three times over. Make sure there are drainage holes at the bottom so no standing water remains.

For maximum longevity, it’s best to keep the base watered throughout the season. Check on your planter every few days and water as needed, even in freezing conditions. Many evergreen species can withstand cold temperatures and retain their green needles when properly hydrated. It’s okay if that moisture freezes, as that will help keep your branches and picks sturdy and upright. During dry periods or unseasonably warm temperatures, it may even be a good idea to mist the branches with a spray bottle or hose nozzle to rehydrate the needles and help them stay fresher longer.  ​  ​

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Extra Protection for severe weather

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For even more defense against wilting and browning, you can use an anti-desiccant spray such as Wilt-Pruf Winter Plant Protector. These sprays or concentrates form a waxy layer on the branches to reduce “winter burn” and moisture loss through transpiration. To use the Ready-to-Spray product, give the bottle a good shake, spray the tops of the stems and leaves, then let them dry for 2 to 3 hours as it can be quite sticky once its applied. One coating on live plants can typically last 3-4 months, but for cut branches, we would recommend spraying them every month or so (you really can’t overdo it!). If you’ve purchased a concentrate, the recommended dilution rate for evergreen branches is 1:10 solution to water. Try to avoid spraying the accents in your holiday container, such as berry picks, as it will give them a cloudy appearance. You can pick up a bottle of Wilt-Pruf at any of our three locations.  ​

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OUT WITH THE OLD...

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Even after taking all proper steps for protection, harsh conditions can cause damage to the branches of your holiday container. If that is the case, you can always refresh your container by replacing the dead and browned branches with new evergreen cuttings. Family Tree Nursery offers a variety of bundled cuttings for purchase, such as Port Orford Cedar, Princess Pine, Shore Pine, Silver Fir, Western Cedar, Spruce tops, and more. Also, if you have any evergreen trees on your property, you can simply prune off a few small branches and trim them to your liking. Remember to give any new branches a fresh cut before sticking them in your holiday pot, just as you would with a bouquet of flowers before putting them in a vase, as it helps them absorb water.  ​

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Happy Holidays from home

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Following these simple tips will help your winter holiday containers last well through the cold season and give your porch, patio, or balcony a pop of festive cheer. These planters are easy to arrange and maintain for a well-deserved source of satisfaction. Whenever your loved ones ask where you bought them, you can tell them you made them yourself!

Family Tree Nursery offers various ways to add holiday cheer to your outdoor spaces. Join us for our Holiday Container Workshops held every November, where we provide all the materials and guidance needed to create a stunning container. You can also purchase premade containers at any of our three locations for a quick way to enhance your outdoor area. If you prefer to make a container at home, you can buy everything you need, including bundles of cut greens, spruce tops, berry picks, and the container itself. Additionally, you can follow along with our linked video for step-by-step instructions.

From all of us at Family Tree Nursery, we wish you a Merry Christmas and happy holidays!