You can light trees and shrubs for the holidays without hurting them by choosing the right plants, wrapping loosely, and taking everything down before spring growth starts. Done with care, tree and shrub decorations add a warm glow to your yard all winter, and our landscaping and holiday lighting team in Otsego, MI wants your plants to come through the season healthy.
Here's what you need to know before the first strand goes up.
Start With Plants That Have Good Structure
Not every tree is a good candidate for lights. Low, dense evergreens can be draped from top to bottom, while trees with open shapes look best with lights along the main branches only.
Pick plants you can reach and cover fully. A huge tree that is only half lit tends to look unfinished, so a smaller specimen often makes the better focal point.
Wrap Loosely and Skip the Plastic Ties
Growing tissue sits just under the bark, so avoid anything that nicks or rubs it. The Morton Arboretum warns against and wire twist ties, which chafe the bark as branches move in the wind.
Soft strips of fabric, tied loosely, hold strands in place without squeezing. Never use nails or staples on a living trunk.
Protect Next Spring's Buds
By late fall, deciduous trees and shrubs have already set the buds for next year's leaves and flowers. Pulling a strand across a branch can strip those buds or snap small twigs.
Cold also makes wood brittle, so hang and remove lights on a milder day when you can. Separate strings for nearby sections make removal easier than one long strand wound around a big shrub.
Use Outdoor-Rated Lights and Cords
Check the label to make sure every light set is . Inspect old strands for cracked sockets, frayed wires, or loose connections before they go back on a tree.
Green or brown cords blend into bark and foliage during the day. Energy-saving LEDs are a smart choice for a display that runs every night.
Take the Lights Down Before Spring
Lights left on a tree too long can girdle it. As the trunk or branch widens, a snug wire moving under the bark, and that damage can kill a branch or the whole tree.
Put a removal date on your calendar for the end of January. Once the strands are packed away, berries, bark, and evergreens can still bring winter color to your yard until spring.
Let a Holiday Crew Handle the Ladder Work
Lighting tall trees means ladders, cold hands, and a lot of untangling. That is why many homeowners leave the installation to experts instead of climbing in icy weather.
R&A Landscaping uses commercial-grade LED lights and handles installation, service, takedown, and storage. Our crew also offers landscape maintenance, so we look after the plants as well as the lights.
For theme and color ideas, see these tips on choosing a holiday lighting design for your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon after a consultation can R&A Landscaping light my trees?
For most clients, R&A Landscaping installs Christmas lights 24 to 72 hours after the consultation. Installation can start as early as October 15th, which leaves plenty of room to work before the ground freezes and the snow piles up.
Booking early in the season also gives you more choice of dates once the November rush begins.
Can squirrels or mice chew through tree lights?
Yes, rodents sometimes chew the insulation on light wires over the winter. Chewed insulation can expose bare wire and create a risk of a short circuit in your display.
The Morton Arboretum lists rodent damage as one reason to check outdoor strands regularly. A quick look along the lower branches every few weeks helps you catch a problem before a whole section goes dark.
Do outdoor tree lights need a special outlet?
Outdoor holiday lights should be plugged into a GFCI-protected outlet or a portable GFCI. A ground-fault circuit interrupter cuts power quickly if moisture or damaged wire causes a fault.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends GFCI protection for outdoor lights. Extension cords and timers should be rated for outdoor use too, not borrowed from indoor decorations.
What if a strand on my tree goes out in the middle of the season?
With R&A Landscaping, you do not have to climb up and fix it yourself. Our team proactively services holiday lights while they are up, keeping the display in working order and taking care of issues as they come up.
That way a burned-out section on a shrub or a tree trunk gets handled without a weekend spent on a ladder.
What happens to the lights after the holidays?
Once the season is done, R&A Landscaping takes the lights down and stores them year round in a secure facility. Takedown can happen in January or later if you prefer to keep the glow going a bit longer.
All materials are covered by a lifetime warranty. Your display is ready to go back up the next fall without anything sitting in your garage.
Light Up Your Landscape This Holiday Season
Thoughtful lighting lets you enjoy a festive yard while keeping your trees and shrubs healthy for spring. Our holiday decorators in Otsego, MI can design, install, and remove tree and shrub decorations so your plants stay protected.
Call R&A Landscaping today at (269) 694-1331 or request a consultation online.