Hi aspiring rootballers,
I grew up with live Christmas trees--rootball, galvanized bucket, post-Christmas planting and all--and find Umbra's advice a little over the top (though I have no doubt that it's what she was told).  We always kept ours away from the heat and watered regularly. But beyond that, we didn't do anything else that she recommends--having the nursery "swaddle" it, skimping on the lights, acclimatizing it in and out--and they did just fine. My family lived in relatively mild NC, but I'd still argue that live trees aren't as high maintenance as she says. And today, seeing those trees--20 and 30 years later--evokes some of my most pleasant Christmas memories. Happy holidays, Tim

We kept our potted tree on our (enclosed) front porch all winter, leaving it in the cool, but protected environment and watering it.  When we planted it in the spring, it grew several inches within weeks.