Guide to festive trees and the merriest of mulches

This Monday, Feb. 24, 2014 photo shows a small rosemary "tree" sitting on a windowsill that provides beauty, fragrance, and flavoring despite the snowy background on the other side of the window in New Paltz, New York. (AP Photo/Lee Reich)

WASHINGTON -- As the weather cools down and winter looms, new gardening mysteries arise. But with the right plants and proper soil treatments, savvy gardeners can make it through.

The secret to rosemary Christmas tree survival

Yes, I know; it's not even Thanksgiving yet. But one of my favorite holiday plants is already on sale at garden centers and upscale supermarkets across our region, and I feel obligated to help you not kill these treasures right away. I'm talking about the lovely and fragrant living rosemary plants that have been pruned into the shape of Christmas trees and sold in festive pots.

These little trees make great living outdoor decorations. And, as people who do a lot of cooking have learned, there's usually more usable herb on these things than you'd get for three times the price in any other form.

And yes, I do mean outdoors. While rosemary is a Mediterranean plant that won't survive bitter cold temperatures, it's much heartier than the traditional plants of summer and can stay outside as long as the nights don't dip below 30. If they do threaten to plummet deeper, just bring it inside for the night.

But it won't survive any weather if it's trapped in that tiny little pot. The problem with these plants is that the producers have to start with a really big shrub (or multiple shrubs crammed together) to be able to prune them into the desired shape. You'll see when you lift the plant out the pot -- it's all big roots down there, with very little room for soil.

So to prevent the classic "death by browning in three days," these trees should be replanted into a container twice as large as soon as you get them home; otherwise, the root-bound beauties won't last a week. Just lift the plant out of the old pot and get some compost, high-quality garden soil or a bagged potting mix that doesn't contain chemical fertilizers, and a bigger pot with good drainage holes in the bottom.

Put a couple of inches of soil in the new pot, drop the root ball on top and add or remove soil until the old soil line is at the right spot for the new plant. Then fill in the sides, tamp it all down gently and let the whole thing sit in a sink with a few inches of water for an hour. Then let it drain. It's best not to rewrap the pot, but if you must, make sure no water sits down there.

Rock the plant every couple of days. When it seems to be somewhat lighter in weight, repeat the watering process. Don't overwater, or let water sit inside the wrap or in a protective saucer underneath.

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Guide to festive trees and the merriest of mulches