Are there A$7 (NT$150) Christmas Tree like ones at K Mart

Can you grow those in pots?

Short answer, yes. For a time.

long answer. Issue is indoors has VERY poor air quality. Low air circulation, virtually zero UV sterilization and almost no bio diversity. Bad for humans as well in my opinion, but we at least are mobile and go outside. potted plants need to be grown with care unlike outdoor potted plants. Especially with regards to rot, fugal and bacterial.

A number of rubiaceae species do quite well in shade, like coffee. im not a fan of their shape for christmas, but thats just a matter of preference. We had a christmas tree that was a cactus for many years, its all in good fun.

Something to conside with trees and shrubs. Notice how trees with canopies have relatively little foliage under said canopy. This is light related. Indoors light is very low, and a s such many woody shrub type plants tend to be less bushy for said reason. Etiolation can become a problem as well if lack of light is an issue. think about those poor potted plants in box stores on shelves. There are numerous main reasons they discount them ultra cheap eventually…their looming death being shitty air and light being the top ones, then soil.

But i think having a potted shrub outside 11 months out of the year, and bringing it in for 1 month aint a bad thing. Especially a shade tolerant species. Or just buy a new one each year and gift it to someone afterwards.

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If anyone is looking for a fake tree, Ikea has them, though starting at NT399:

But I bought a real one (~1 meter tall) from Jianguo for NT$200 last week. Needed repotting (they always pot the things in clay!!! Also, the pot it was in wasn’t going to keep it upright in any amount of wind) and it’s chilling on my balcony for now. No Christmas decor til after Thanksgiving, says my grinch/scrooge father. I will put the LED wire/battery lights I got from Costco on it and call it my Christmas tree

Edit to add: there are poinsettias at Jianguo right now too. They are also too big for their pots. While repotting a poinsettia in winter might not be recommended, I slipped the two I bought out of their pots and carefully placed them in pots about 4 inches wider in diameter (didn’t touch the roots; afraid of shocking the plant), and filled them with soil. They’re already looking quite large for their new pots. NT50/ea at most places, but NT40 at some. Waiting for the 4 for NT100 deals, probably December before that happens.

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Nice! Just bear in mind that lights dry trees out via heat. Now they are LED, so maybe not a concern like the old style house burning lights haha. Misting with water is also a bad idea, as the ultra dry spots are dead/damaged cells and constant water is an invitation to pathogens. Something to think about. I assume LED on in the evening and night before led wouldnt be detrimental.

I love poinsettias in taiwan. Back in canada people composted them after what a waste. They are perrenial and grow meters tall. If you have to garden, plant them outside. Every christmas i drive into the mountains and take a pic of us with our car parked under one for the family haha. i guess in northern NZ its probably like here and can grow huge and be long lived outdoors as well.

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Yes, cut trees dry out very fast and also burn fast, so keep safe.

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Even fresh green foliage of species of various conifers (firs, cedars, cypresss etc) are so jam packed with oils they explode in flames once they reach that ignition point. Luckily most christmas lights are led now, and not that hot like back in the day.

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Just put candles on them like they did for centuries before the lightbulb was invented :joy:

Get your insurance sorted post haste

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The coffee tree is alive and well but no fruits

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The pine (??) tree I bought in December got those effing white flies and is slowly dying. I’ll do coffee next time I think.

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Coffee tree can get that too. I put mine outside in front of the house on the sidewalk, its doing better with more fresh air

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prices seems gone up at K-Mart

maybe i will use my small coffee tree as the Christmas tree, what are others in Taiwan doing