Question
I have a small (about 24" tall) fir tree that is potted and living in my house.  It was a gift to me last Christmas.  It is beginning to show signs of stress and I'm wondering if I should transplant it outside? Or maybe it just needs a bigger pot. If moving it outside, is now the right time?  I live in NW Ohio.

Answer
Hey, Sandy.

If it's the kind of fir that I think it is梐nd it probably is since you got it last Christmas as a gift梚t's time to put it outside. Now's not the best time to be transplanting trees, though, but since yours is only a couple of feet tall, you probably won't have any problems with it, especially since it's an evergeen.

Dig the new hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the pot, and use a good mixture of soil that has a lot of organic material in it. Then water well until the tree gets established. Don't overwater though, so poke your finger in the soil to see how wet it is. If your finger comes out soaked, hold off on the watering until the soil is just barely damp, and then water again.