Can I rescue my Christmas tree?

[Emily]

Hi Workshoppers, hope everyone had a great long weekend!

My baby Christmas tree looked great when it was sitting in the lounge room, but unfortunately I failed to do any reading and moved it straight from the lounge room to full, hot sunlight in the backyard.... it's been moved to partial shade on the front porch now, but not before the needles at the top all turned brown and fell off. Will this chunk of needles grow back? Or should I prune the top off and hope more branches grow in its place?

[Helen]

pots dry out very quickly!!

[Emily]

I've been watering it fairly frequently so the soil is always moist but not drenched.. I think it was just the really hot sun which has 'burnt' the top of it

[greygardener · Accepted solution]

I don't think you will have any problems giving it a trim in late summer or early autumn. This family of trees typically respond well to pruning. It will come back strong in the spring. 

[Kermit]

Never understood why people buy cut Christmas trees when they can have a lovely living tree like you have. Nice work, I hope it perks up for you.

[Emily]

Thanks @greygardener - I'll leave it on the porch for now and give it a bit of a prune in a month or so. 

Exactly my thought process @Kermit, it also hardly dropped any pine needles on the floor which was a big bonus.

Will update with some photos after its haircut and hope it looks a little more healthy..

[geewhizbiz1]

give it a feed of slow release fertiliser too