REPLANTING YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE

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Most of the plant's roots will be close to the top of the earth ball, so be sure to keep that area moist at all times: An average-size tree will require about one quart of water a day while it's indoors. Decorate the same as you would a cut tree but go easy on the electric lights, as heat from even the tiniest bulbs will tend to dry out a conifer's needles.

When you're ready to transplant your tree, it's a good idea to give it another transitional stay in the garage (find a site far enough from buildings and other trees to allow for future growth).

To transplant, dig a hole about one and a half times larger than the root mass and gently lower the sapling into place. (If your area has early freezes, you may have to dig the hole before the holidays, store the dirt indoors, and fill the hole with straw until planting time.) Next, remove the nails from the burlap bag and loosen the cloth to give the tree's roots a chance to breathe. Then, fill the hole with a portion of the dirt that was removed, and use the remaining soil to shape a small mound around the edge of the hole. Then dig a V- to 2"-wide ditch just inside that dike. Finally, mulch the tree with straw, and give your tree its first watering by filling the "moat" three times.

If your Christmas tree is carefully planted and cared for, you can expect it to begin an annual tradition that will continue to beautify your land for years to come and serve as a happy reminder of past holiday celebrations.

RECYCLE YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE

IF YOU DIDN'T BUY A LIVE TREE THIS year, there are still a few things you can do other than just throw your cut tree away.

• Take your treeand any extras you might have collected from the neighborsand pile in the comers of fields to make a home for quail, pheasants, and rabbits.
•Tie a couple of rocks to each evergreen and drop it into a pond (if your pond is frozen over, drag the tree out to a strategic spot on the ice and leave it for the first thaw). Small fish appreciate a little brush on the bottom of a farm pond; it gives them a chance to hide from the bigger fish—and maybe grow into big fish themselves!

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