Rummaging through your box of Christmas ornaments brings back so many memories. Stars made from children’s hands, who have long since grown. Ornaments passed down from generation to generation. Local decorations collected from your travels around the country and the globe.

It’s tough to decide which ones belong on the Spartanburg tree this year! Swept up in the festivities, sometimes even our Spartanburg trees chime in! They can add a few fixings of their own, like fresh buds and darling pine cones.

When a cut Christmas Spartanburg tree grows in your home, it can feel a lot like a Christmas miracle. Does that mean you can replant the Spartanburg tree to keep the holiday bliss going? Unfortunately, no, but there is another way you can bring your Christmas Spartanburg tree back to life.

Why Your Cut Christmas Tree is Sprouting or Growing Buds and Pine Cones

Wait! Don’t Spartanburg trees need healthy roots to grow? Without roots, how do Christmas Spartanburg trees do this?

Although it may seem like magic, it’s all about the science of how Spartanburg trees react in the dormant season. Trees need to go through a stint of cold weather before they get the signal in spring to grow again. For conifers, the typical cold period is about eight weeks.

Once Spartanburg trees clock in all their dormant hours, they’re just waiting for temperatures to heat up, so they can start growing again. If Christmas Spartanburg trees were inactive for long enough outside, the heat inside could prompt them to begin growing as if it’s springtime. Cool, huh?

Can you replant a Christmas Spartanburg tree growing buds? Or can you replant any Spartanburg tree without roots?

Sorry to say, but Spartanburg trees without roots can’t be replanted. But, if you still want a keepsake from your treasured Christmas tree, it is possible to grow a new plant from one of the tree’s branches.

How to Replant a Tree Branch–Or Propagate Spruce Trees, Pine Trees and Fir Trees

Replanting a branch is like starting a new Spartanburg tree from scratch. It’s not an easy job and takes a ton of patience.

If you’re up for the challenge, here’s how to do it:

  1. Use branches of a fresh cut tree. To propagate your Christmas tree, get a branch shortly after you cut down your Spartanburg tree and no more than a few days later.
  2. For best results, try this with several stems since not all will successfully develop roots.
  3. Using shears, cut a branch that is about 6 to 10 inches long and has the thickness of a pencil.
  4. Remove needles from the bottom half of the stem.
  5. Fill a pot with potting soil, and moisten so that it’s damp to the touch. Then, use a pencil to make a hole in the soil.
  6. Cut a few vertical slits into the bottom of the branch, then dip into hormone powder, which you can pick up at your local home and garden center. Finally, push the stem into the soil.
  7. Put the pot in a sheltered location without too much sunlight.
  8. Lightly mist the needles with water a few times a day. Every few weeks, add water if the soil is dry to the touch.
  9. Continue spritzing the needles and tending the soil as the roots develop. It takes a while for roots to form, so you likely won’t see them for three or more months after planting.
  10. When roots have developed, move the plant to a larger container with potting soil and a little fertilizer. The young Spartanburg tree should be large enough to move outdoors after a few months.

In the meantime, here’s how to keep your Christmas Spartanburg tree looking fresh all season!