When to Put Up Christmas Lights on Trees and Shrubs in Richmond

When to start in Richmond

Remembrance Day is four days away. Some households wait until it has passed before any lights go up. That is a personal choice, and it fits the calendar well. The weeks after it are a sensible time to do trees and shrubs, because the work is easier before December storms arrive.

If you want to do it yourself, use the next few days to get ready. Pull the bins out of the garage, test the strands, and decide what you want lit. Then pick a dry day.

What to do before any lights go up

A little prep saves a lot of time on a cold afternoon.

• Plug in every strand and check it on the ground. A dead section buried in the middle of a tree is a long job to fix once it is wrapped on.
• Use outdoor-rated lights and cords only for anything outside.
• Decide where the timer and power source will sit, so cords do not cross the lawn or the walkway.
• Walk the yard and note which trees you can reach from the ground and which you cannot.
• Set aside clips. Clips are easier on bark and siding than nails or staples, and they come off cleanly in January.

How to light each type of plant

Trunks and larger limbs

Start at the base and wrap upward in even spirals. Keep the spacing the same so the tree looks tidy when lit. Then move out along the main limbs. Wrapping gives a cleaner look than draping, and it is less likely to tangle year after year.

Hedges

Nets are the usual choice for hedges. They lay flat and cover evenly. A hedge can look patchy when lit if the strands are thrown on loosely. Pull the net snug and check it from the street before you call it done.

Cedars and other evergreens

Strands work well on evergreens. Work from the inside of the plant outward, so light sits in the foliage and not only on the surface. Go slowly. Rushing is how strands end up tangled through the branches.

Wind on flat Richmond lots

Richmond is flat, open and close to the water. It gets somewhat less rain than the North Shore, but more wind off the Strait of Georgia. Winter storms here bring wind more often than snow.

That wind tests clips. Lights on an exposed side of a tree or hedge can shake loose over a few weeks. Add extra clips on the side that faces the open ground or the water. Check them after the first windy night.

Large newer homes in Steveston and Terra Nova have long rooflines and several gables, so the wind has more to work on. If your trees sit close to those rooflines, take a look at both after a storm.

Keeping cords and connections dry

Richmond sits on flat delta land near sea level. The high water table keeps ground and concrete damp through the wet season. Flat yards can also hold standing water after rain.

This matters for cords. A plug connection lying on wet soil is a problem. Raise connections off the ground, and keep them away from spots where water pools. Check low corners of the yard in places like Seafair, Broadmoor and Blundell, where lots are wide and flat.

Run the cords along edges and fence lines where you can. That keeps them out of the way of feet and mowers, and keeps them out of the wet.

Townhouses and stratas

Townhouse complexes are common across Richmond, from Brighouse to East Richmond. In many of them, the strata decides what goes on the exterior. Check the bylaws or ask the council before you hang anything. Some stratas have rules about timing, colour or where cords may run. It is better to ask first than to take lights down later.

How long it takes

Most yards take an hour or two on top of the house lights. Large trees take longer. If you are doing it yourself, plan for a full afternoon the first time, and more if the tree is tall.

A tree you cannot reach from a ladder is the usual place people stop. Do not stretch from a ladder to finish a top limb. Leave it, or hand that part to someone with the right equipment.

Taking them down

Plan removal for January. Clips make it quick, and strands come off in the same order they went on, so they store without tangling. Coil each one and label the bin by tree or hedge. Next year you will thank yourself.

When to call a professional

Call someone if the tree is too big to reach safely, if the same strands tangle every year, or if a dead section is buried in the middle of a tree. We hang your own outdoor-rated lights if they work, or supply them. Install, repair and removal can each be booked on their own, even on lights someone else hung. If the roof is slick or windy, we move that work to a better day. There is no yearly plan to sign up for, and you can hire us for one job at a time.