How to keep your christmas tree fresh longer

Nearly 36 million households will purchase a Christmas tree this year, according to the American Christmas Tree Association. Although there’s debate about whether real or fake Christmas trees are better, those who opt for the authentic kind can shell out a collective total of $984 million to deck their halls. But nothing puts a damper on holiday cheer quite like a dry, brittle tree that has lost its fragrance. Thankfully, there’s a simple way to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. This is how driving with a Christmas tree affects your gas mileage.

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First and foremost, you’ll need to place your tree in water as soon as possible. Keeping the base of your tree wet maintains the freshness of the needles for a month or longer, a study found.

As a general rule of thumb, the typical tree will absorb a quart of water for each inch of its diameter, according to Mark Derowitsch, a spokesperson for the Arbor Day Foundation. He recommends placing your tree in a bucket of water and refilling it every day. Find out more secrets your Christmas tree wishes you knew.

Some people also use commercial Christmas tree preservatives, which can be stirred into the water in your tree’s stand. Others mix aspirin or a tablespoon of corn syrup or sugar in the water as an additional food source for the tree, Tchukki Andersen, a staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association, told Popular Mechanics.

But before you run out to the grocery store, take this advice with a grain of salt. Some experts say that adding any type of substance won’t do the tree any good. “Clean water still works the best,” says tree scientist Les Werner.

The bottom line: A little H2O can keep your tree feeling holly and jolly all season long. Now that you have a fresh tree, spruce it up with these cheap, easy DIY Christmas decorations.

• B.S., Forest Resource Management, University of Georgia

Whether you buy your Christmas tree from a lot or hike deep into the woods to cut your own, you’ll need to keep it fresh if you want it to last the holiday season.

Maintaining your evergreen will ensure that it looks its best and prevent potential safety hazards. It will also make cleanup easier when Christmas is over and it’s time to say goodbye to the tree.

Select a Long-Lasting Tree

Consider the kind of tree you want. Most fresh-cut trees, if properly cared for should last at least five weeks before completely drying out. Some species hold their moisture content longer than others.

The trees that retain moisture the longest are the Fraser fir, Noble fir, and Douglas fir. The Eastern red cedar and Atlantic white cedar rapidly lose moisture and should be used only for a week or two.

Whatever type of tree you get, feel the needles to make sure they aren’t already dry before you take the tree home.

‘Refresh’ the Tree

If you’re buying a tree from a lot, odds are the evergreen was harvested days or weeks earlier and has already begun drying out.

When a tree is harvested, the sliced trunk oozes with pitch, sealing the transport cells that provide water to the needles. You will need to “refresh” your Christmas tree and open up the clogged cells so the tree can deliver appropriate moisture to the foliage.

Using a tree saw, make a straight cut along the bottom of the trunk—taking at least one inch off the original harvest cut—and immediately place the new cut in water. This will improve water uptake once the tree is on its stand.

Even if your tree is freshly cut, you should still place the base in a bucket of water until you’re ready to bring it inside.

Use the Proper Stand

The average Christmas tree is about 6 to 7 feet tall and has a trunk diameter of 4 to 6 inches. A standard tree stand should be able to accommodate it.

Trees are thirsty and can absorb a gallon of water a day, so look for a stand that holds 1 to 1.5 gallons.

Water the new tree until water uptake stops and continue to maintain the level of the stand’s full mark. Keep the water at that mark through the season.

There are dozens of Christmas tree stands for sale, ranging from basic metal models that sell for about $15 to elaborate self-leveling plastic units that cost more than $100. How much you choose to spend will depend on your budget, the size of your tree, and how much effort you want to put into making sure your tree is straight and stable.

Keep the Tree Hydrated

Always keep the base of your tree submerged in regular tap water. When the stand’s water remains topped-up, the tree cut will not form a resinous clot over the cut end and the tree will be able to absorb water and retain moisture.

You don’t need to add anything to the tree water, say tree experts, such as commercially prepared mixes, aspirin, sugar, or other additives. Research has shown that plain water will keep a tree fresh.

To make watering your tree easier, consider buying a funnel and a three- to four-foot tube. Slip the tube over the funnel outlet, extend the tubing down into the tree stand, and water without bending over or disturbing the tree skirt. Hide this system in an out-of-the-way part of the tree.

Practice Safety

Keeping your tree fresh does more than maintain its appearance. It’s also a good way to prevent fires caused by strings of tree lights or other electric decorations.

Maintain all electric accessories on and around the tree. Check for worn Christmas tree light electrical cords and always unplug the complete system at night.

Remember that miniature lights produce less heat than large lights and reduce the drying effect on the tree, which lessens the chance of starting a fire.

Also, keep the tree away from heaters, fans, or direct sunlight to keep it from drying out prematurely. A room humidifier also could help keep the needles fresh longer.

Additional safety tips are available from the National Fire Prevention Association.

Dispose of the Tree Properly

Take the tree down before it dries completely and becomes a fire hazard. A tree that is totally dry will have brittle greenish-gray needles.

Be sure to remove all ornaments, lights, tinsel, and other decor before taking down the tree. Many municipalities have laws dictating how to dispose of a tree; you may have to bag the tree for curbside disposal or drop it off for recycling. Check your city’s website for details.

Pro tip: always make sure it has enough water.

Bad news, folks: While you may want your real Christmas tree to stay fresh and last well into the new year, it’s all too easy wind up with a dry, brittle tree before December 25 hits. Just a few days of heat and neglect can be all it takes to dry out your fresh tree. Since that’s the last thing anyone wants during the holiday season, the home care experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute compiled the best tips for making sure that your tree looks alive and well on Christmas morning.

Most Christmas trees can last at least five weeks or more, as long as you take care of ’em right. So if you decorate for Christmas in late November, that means your tree should make it just fine until Christmas. Here’s how to keep a Christmas tree fresh longer:

1. Choose a healthy Christmas tree.

First, note that if you prefer to buy your tree from a garden store or roadside lot, it likely came from out-of-state and has been exposed to drying winds in transit. So if you’re looking to start with the freshest possible tree, opt to pick one up from your local Christmas tree farm. Either way, it’s essential to know how to choose the best Christmas tree. Follow these tips on how to shop for a Christmas tree:

• Look for a healthy, green tree with the least amount of brown needles.
• Select a tree displayed in a shady location. Avoid picking from a sunny area.
• Run a few branches through your hands. The needles should feel pliable and not fall off.
• Raise the tree a few inches, then drop the trunk into the ground. Very few green needles should fall off, but it’s fine if the tree loses a few brown ones.

2. Trim the trunk (and then trim it again).

When you purchase a Christmas tree, make sure the seller makes a fresh cut straight across the base of the trunk to aid water absorption. This gets rid of any dried-over resin that might block the tree from absorbing water. When you get home, if you’re not putting your tree up right away, place it in a bucket of water. (Note that you should always store real trees in an unheated garage or area that’s protected from wind and freezing temperatures.)

When you’re ready to bring it inside, make another fresh one-inch cut off the bottom of the trunk. Once inside, place it in a sturdy stand that holds at least one gallon of water.

3. Make sure your Christmas tree always has enough water.

Don’t forget to regularly give your Christmas tree water — too little can cause resin to form, which means the tree won’t absorb water and it will dry out quickly. Here’s an easy way to figure out how much water your tree needs: For every inch of the trunk’s diameter, fill the stand with one quart of water.

Even though you’ve heard people talk about adding things like bleach, corn syrup, aspirin, and sugar to the water, tree preservatives and additives are probably unnecessary. Most experts agree that plenty of plain water is all you need to keep a tree fresh. Just remember to check the water level daily — it should always cover the cut end of the trunk. Refill as needed.

If you lower the temperature in the room, it can help slow down the drying process (and therefore result in your tree requiring a bit less water), according to the National Christmas Tree Association.

4. Keep it away from heat sources.

Sure, there’s nothing more lovely than a beautifully decorated Christmas tree beside a roaring fireplace — but, along with sunlight radiators, air ducts, and stoves, a regularly used fireplace could contribute to your tree drying out at a much quicker pace.

If your home is prone to dryness, try using a humidifier to add moisture to the room. The Good Housekeeping Institute recommends the Vornado EVAP40 Humidifier for large areas (like the living room!). It performed well in our tests and can add enough moisture to the air to keep your tree fresh longer.

5. Take your tree down before it dries out.

If you wait too long, you’ll have more dead pine needles covering your floor than you want. The easiest way to clean up fallen needles is by using your vacuum’s hose. Skip the fancy attachments and just use the end of the hose to draw needles directly into the bag or canister.

When you’re officially done with your tree, you have a couple options. You can start a new compost pile with it, recycle it, or turn it into mulch yourself. You can also ask your town about what disposal options it offers for more eco-friendly ways to get rid of your Christmas tree.

I’ve had many readers ask this question over the last few years, and earlier this year I had a reader request I do a post on it!

So today we are sharing how to keep Christmas trees alive longer, all thanks to Chemistry!

There are dozens of myths out there on the internet about things, and I have found some pretty strange ones about Christmas trees.

The truth is, some of these suggestions just don’t work because there is no science behind it. Some of them do though, and that is what we are sharing today!

Let’s dive right into it!

Before we start, join us for new Christmas ideas and behind the scenes!

If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on instagram and instagram stories for more fun Christmas ideas this year! We have so many neat things coming up for you!!

One. Choose a Fresh Tree

Well, of course right?? But after talking with some professionals and people who always use real Christmas trees, fresh trees are so important. You might not be choosing a fresh tree like you think. Here are some basic tips to make sure you actually get a FRESH tree:

• First, bend the needles in your fingers to see what they do. Pine trees should not break, but bend well. Fir trees snap easily. This means they are very fresh!
• Go for a rich green color and make sure it has this throughout the entire tree.
• Reach deep inside of the tree and pull on the needles. Fresh trees shouldn’t have any needles that fall off.

Two. Trim the Bottom of the Tree

Once you get the tree home, you want to make sure to trim the bottom of the tree. Just like we do here with cut flowers, you need to do this to fresh trees. Most experts recommend cutting off about ½ to 1 inch off the trunk.

Remember to just cut straight across. No angling is needed.

Three. Set up Your Tree in a Cool Place

I had a friend a few years back whose tree continued to die before Christmas. They couldn’t figure out what in the world was happening, but it turns out, the heat vent in the ceiling was pointing towards the tree. Make sure your heat vents aren’t turned in the direction of the tree.

Also, make sure to keep the tree away from space heaters or fireplaces. Even in a place where the heat might draft over to them.

Keeping the tree next to a cold window is always a good spot. If you live in a warm climate like we do, make sure the window isn’t get a lot of sun though!

Four. Make Sure to Keep Cool Fresh Water on Tree

Fresh trees will soak up quite a bit of water. You need to check the basin a few times a day to make sure it is full. Also, use fresh and cool water.

Five. Use a Large Water Basin

Another issue you might encounter is using too small of a container. The tree will need water well past the truck and it will eliminate the possibility of the tree not having enough water.

Christmas Tree Preservative Mythbusters

Number six on our list is going to be a little mythbusting for you!

Six. Should You Add Anything to Water?

This is where science can bust some myths for you on additives to add to water. Unlike cut flowers that mold easily, large trees probably won’t be as susceptible to this. For cut flowers, we have a fresh cut flower food you can make to keep the mold from collecting.

Here are a few ideas you will find floating around the internet. The question is: do they work?

Adding 7-UP to Christmas Tree Water

There are many tips out there claiming 7-UP can keep tree alive longer. Someone probably came up with this idea because of the sugar. Soft drinks contain sugar and acids. The acids won’t have much bearing on a live tree, but sugar is always something plants need. However, fresh trees don’t really need sugar to stay alive longer.

This won’t increase the lifespan of a tree. If anything, it might create the possibility of mold and bacteria. I wouldn’t do this!

Adding Aspirin to Christmas Tree Water

Acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin, is a pretty amazing chemical in the gardening world. Remember this post from way back about Mind-Blowing Chemistry Tips that Save Time and Money? One of the tips is about using aspirin for preventing black spots on roses.

Another thing aspirin does for plants is open up their pores, allowing them to produce more flowers and buds.

For a Christmas tree though, there really isn’t anything chemically that will help a tree stay alive longer. Christmas trees don’t need to produce more branches or needles. Aspirin may help ward off mold, but again, this is very unlikely for a tree to deal with.

I would say it isn’t worth adding. Christmas tree experts don’t recommend it either.

Other Additives to Christmas Tree Water

Truthfully, there is very little scientific evidence that additives will enhance your live Christmas tree. Trees are so large and don’t continue to grow inside like potted plants or something with soil.

Water, cool temperatures, and making sure to pick the right tree are the best bet!

How to Care for a Potted Christmas Tree

Now, if you choose to pot your Christmas tree after using it for the holidays, then you can check out ways to root and pot the tree! All of our tips below can also work for small potted Christmas trees you have inside or outside.

The biggest thing to keep in mind for potted trees is good drainage and a large enough pot for the root system. Christmas trees have large, deep roots, so many small trees in pots might struggle if the pot is too small.

We dug up a tiny Christmas tree a few years ago, and we kept it in a pot during the Christmas season. It died soon after because the pot was too small.

Anyways, this post is mainly to help keep your cut Christmas tree alive all season. Be sure to follow the tips to make sure you can have a fresh tree for the rest of the year 🙂

Plus, we have the scoop on that “add corn syrup to the water” myth.

Real Christmas trees make for a beautiful and traditional holiday decoration. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 25.9 million real trees at a value of $1.32 billion were purchased by people for Christmas in 2015, which is more than double the number of fake trees (12.5 million) purchased. However, keeping your real tree fresh during the holiday season does require providing your tree with some persistent care—and a good solid base.

Put the tree in water as soon as possible.

Remember: You’re bringing home a live plant. If you want to keep it fresh, it needs to have adequate water. “Water is the absolute most important thing you can do to preserve your tree for Christmas,” says Jane Neubauer, co-owner of Sugar Pines Farm in Chesterland, Ohio. “Get a tree stand with a built-in reservoir and check it regularly. People don’t always realize how much water their Christmas trees will drink up. You’ll need to replenish the water regularly.” You can buy additives to help water absorption and kill bacteria, but they aren’t as necessary as keeping the tree well-watered.

Trim the trunk.

When trees are first cut, sap rushes to close the wound and will seal the bottom. “When that happens, the tree isn’t as able to absorb water,” Neubauer says. “Add a fresh cut at the bottom right before you place it in water, and try to put up your Christmas tree the same day you bring it home.” Using a saw, trim half an inch off the trunk before placing it in water in a reservoir stand. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, you’ll want to make the cut at a perpendicular to the axis of the stem and avoid cutting the trunk at an angle or in a V-shape because it will make it harder to keep the tree upright in the stand. If you have to store the tree for a few days, Neubauer advises keeping the tree in a cool place with water until you’re able to set it up.

Water, water, water (and maybe try additives).

Check the stand daily for water levels—as a general rule, you should provide one quart of water per inch of stem diameter. Despite popular belief, neither drilling a hole in the bottom of the trunk nor the temperature of the water impact the longevity or water retention of the tree. There is some debate among experts as to whether additives such as corn syrup, aspirin, and sugar are necessary to enhance the longevity of a tree. And while they aren’t likely to harm the tree, a recent study affirmed that they were not any more effective than clean water. That isn’t to say you should avoid experimenting!

Be cautious of heat sources including lights.

Direct sunlight or a furnace will quickly dry out the tree. “Your tree will become dry and brittle if it’s too close to a heat source,” says Naubauer. “Place the tree someplace where it isn’t facing direct heat, and that will help your tree not to dry out too fast.” Smaller lights on the tree might also help to slow the drying out process, but you can still do large lights if you keep up on watering the tree. You can also lower the temperature in the room where the tree is located to slow down the drying process. If your tree does dry out, though, you will need to remove it from the house and recycle it. Do not burn the tree in the fireplace or woodstove.

Turn off the lights when leaving the room.

Lights can become very hot and cause a fire hazard if left on the tree unmonitored for hours at a time. Play it safe and turn off the lights if you’re not going to be around to monitor the tree. You also need to make sure that all of your bulbs are in good condition and that the cords for the lights are not worn or frayed. Real trees can catch fire, so follow general fire safety tips when keeping a real Christmas tree indoors. Turning off the lights occasionally will also slow down the drying out process.

If you’re a family who treasure having a real Christmas tree, here are some tips on how to keep it fresh for the entire festive season.

Is your tree up? Send your photos to [email protected]

SELECTION:

The best way to ensure your Christmas tree starts its road to longevity, is to make sure it is cut fresh in front of you. Go to your local Christmas tree farm and choose one yourself.

If you are unable to do this and buying a pre-cut tree is your best option, ask them how recently the tree was cut and where they were sourced from. One that was chopped more than two weeks ago is probably not what you’re looking for.

It’s common sense, but the fresher the tree, the longer it will last in your home.

THE JOURNEY HOME

Once you’ve decided on your tree, you want to make sure you get it home as carefully as possible. Wrapping it in plastic wrap or in a tarpaulin is an effective way to protect it way on the journey home.

With pre-cut trees you want to make sure to make a couple of cuts across the bottom of the trunk. This is important because once a tree is cut, the sap starts to seal over the base and alter the tree’s ability to absorb water. Once the tree is cut, you have roughly a three hour window before this starts to happen.

The same as with any plant, the sooner you get it into water, the better. Make sure the base of the tree never dries out, and this will ensure the needles stay fresh.

If your tree does dry up when it’s in the stand, drill some shallow holes at the base before topping up with water.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

To keep your tree fresh, position it away from direct sunlight or fans – neither of them are friends to your newly cut tree as they speed up the drying process.

Have you ever walked through a pine forest, breathing in the fresh, bright smell of the needles and thinking of Christmas? You aren’t alone; some 30 million people in this country buy real Christmas trees every year. The association of evergreen scents with the holidays is so deeply ingrained that some people burn pine incense to bring on the holiday spirit.

Consider a Christmas tree like a bouquet of cut flowers, serving to ornament the house and celebrate the season. Like flowers, cut trees need to be cared for to help them stay fresh and lush as those presents pile up. Experts say you can keep a cut tree in tip-top shape in your living room for up to five weeks (well past New Year’s!) with proper attention. Here are the hacks to help you achieve that end.

1. Be Choosy

Some say the key to a good marriage is being choosy beforehand, and experts offer the same advice about Christmas trees. You don’t have to pick from the handful in front of the grocery store. Christmas trees are a renewable resource grown on 350,000 acres in 15,000 tree farms in this country. Take your time, inspect the trees in your area, and pick one likely to last. Here are some considerations:

• Varieties: Some evergreens stay fresh longer than others. For long-lasting needles, try balsam fir (Abies balsamea), Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris), and white fir (Abies concolor). Aromatic Scotch pine is extremely popular and its inch-long, bright green needles hold for weeks even when the trees dry out.
• Condition of specimen: It pays to do a careful inspection of your prospective Christmas tree before you buy. Yellow or brown needles are bad signs. Any pests or visible pest damage should also cause you to look elsewhere.
• Freshness: If you cut your own Christmas tree from a local farm, you’ll know exactly how fresh the tree is. However, if you are buying a pre-cut tree, you’ll need to ask where and when they were harvested. If they were cut weeks ago or come from out of state, keep looking. Inspect for freshness yourself by confirming that the needles are flexible, not brittle. Another test: Lift the standing tree up 6 inches, then let the trunk bottom drop to the ground. If lots of green needles fall off, the tree is not fresh.

2. Recut the Tree Trunk

Just like cut flowers, cut Christmas trees need water to keep hydrated and fresh. Once the trunks are cut, they “harden off” with sap within three hours, sealing the transport cells that provide moisture to the foliage. Even plunking the tree into a container of water won’t help after that since the tree cannot deliver water to the needles.

You can solve this in several ways:

• Cut your own tree and bring it home quickly.
• Ask the tree dealer to take off another inch of the trunk as you are buying it, then get the tree home rapidly.
• Cut off an additional inch yourself once you get the tree home.

3. Provide Water

As soon as you can, and certainly within three hours of the final cut, get the cut trunk of the tree into a bucket of water. Select a Christmas tree stand that holds quite a bit of water. You want some 3 or 4 inches of the tree trunk under water to prevent it from forming a sap barrier.

From that point on, you need to keep the base of your tree submerged in water. While some argue that cut trees do not need water, this has been disproved by studies. One study by botanists at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point found a direct correlation between needle retention and moisture content, establishing that cut trees without water lost significant needle moisture while watered trees maintain needle moisture.

4. Feed the Tree

It may be just American mythology, but lots of people believe that adding sugar or corn syrup to the water you give a tree helps keep it fresh. While no studies have proven this to be true, no studies have found the practice to be harmful either. So go ahead and add something sweet to the mixture.

If nothing else, it may help you to keep that water topped up. A general rule is that a typical tree needs a quart of water a day for each inch of its diameter. This means most Christmas tree stands need to be topped up with water every day.

5. Keep Cool and Moist

Evergreens are not tropical or even subtropical trees. Cut or planted, they prefer mild or cool weather and will drop their needles when the air gets too warm. So don’t station the tree near a radiator or even a fireplace. Figure out the coolest area of the room and pick that site for the Christmas tree. Be sure to cut the heat and douse the fire when you leave the room.

Lights on and off the tree are also heat sources and can dry out those green needles. Turn off all electric lights when you leave the room and use LED lights to decorate the tree.

The trees also stay fresh longer if the air is humid. Most of our homes in December aren’t particularly humid, so consider helping the tree stay hydrated by running a humidifier during the day.

Caring for a live Christmas tree is easy, but requires a few specific steps. If you take these steps, you can make a Christmas tree last longer through the season. Let’s take a look at how to keep a Christmas tree alive and fresh.

Tips to Make a Christmas Tree Last Longer

Wrap the tree for the trip home

Most Christmas trees travel to their owner’s home on the top of a vehicle. Without some kind of covering, the wind can dry the Christmas tree out. The first step to keeping your Christmas tree fresh is to cover the tree as you go home in order to keep the wind from damaging it.

Recutting the stem on the Christmas tree

When caring for a live Christmas tree, remember a Christmas tree is essentially a giant cut flower. Unless you cut your own Christmas tree, chances are the tree you buy has been sitting on the lot for several days, possibly weeks. The vascular system that draws water up into the Christmas tree will have clogged up. Cutting off just a ¼ inch (0.5 cm.) of the bottom of the trunk will remove the clogs and open up the vascular system again. You can cut more off, if you need to for height reasons.

Many people wonder if there is a special way to cut the trunk to help with keeping your Christmas tree fresh. A simple straight cut is all that is needed. Drilling holes or cutting at angles will not improve how well the Christmas tree takes up water.

Watering your Christmas tree

To keep a Christmas tree alive, it is essential that once you cut the trunk of the Christmas tree, the cut has to stay moist. Make sure to fill the stand immediately after you cut the trunk. But, if you forget, most trees will be ok if you fill the stand within 24 hours. But your Christmas tree will stay fresh longer if you fill it as soon as possible.

If you want to make a Christmas tree last longer, just use plain water. Studies have shown that plain water will work to keep a Christmas tree alive as well as anything added to the water.

Check the Christmas tree stand twice a day as long as the tree is up. It is important that the stand stayed filled. A Christmas tree stand normally holds a rather small amount of water and a Christmas tree can quickly use up the water in the stand.

Choose an appropriate location for your Christmas tree

Another important part of how to make a Christmas tree last longer is to choose a good location in your house. Place the tree away from heating vents or cold drafts. Constant heat or fluctuating temperatures can speed the drying out of a tree.

Also avoid placing the tree in direct, strong sunlight. The sunlight can also make the tree fade faster.

How to make your Christmas tree last longer this year. These 6 easy tips will keep your Christmas tree fresh and beautiful all through the holiday season.

Are you wondering how you can make your Christmas tree last longer this year?

Real Christmas trees can be a large investment and you would likely want to keep it looking beautiful as long as possible right?

When I was a girl we always had a fake tree but I still loved it. It was huge, reaching almost to our ceiling and nice and full. It was always so much fun working with our Grandma to decorate our family Christmas tree each season.

It wasn’t until I was married that we started using a real Christmas tree and I loved it! It just seemed to make our home so much warmer during the holiday season to have a real Christmas tree.

The downside is that real trees can drop a lot of needles and need a little care to keep them fresh. But it isn’t hard to keep a Christmas tree in good shape and have it last all Christmas season.

To properly care for your Christmas tree you will need to make sure it has the right water, humidity, and food.

How To Make Your Christmas Tree Last Longer

Choose A Longer Lasting Christmas Tree

These 5 types of trees last the longest as Christmas trees.

1. Concolor Fir has soft blue-green needles and a slight citrus smell when you first bring it indoors. These trees when cut, can last for months under the right conditions if you wanted it to.

2. Fraser fir tree is dark green and will last you about 5 weeks indoors. The Fraser fir is a popular tree at Christmas time and for good reason it’s affordable and a beautiful long lasting Christmas tree.

3. Douglas fir has soft and fluffy bright green needles. It will last about 4 weeks indoors and is another beautiful long lasting Christmas tree.

4. Scotch pine is a lower priced Christmas tree with blue-green needles. The Scotch pine will last about 3 weeks indoors and is the most popular Christmas tree in Canada.

5. White Spruce trees are another popular Christmas tree and will last for at least 2 weeks indoors. They have short 2 cm long needles that are dark green. The needles are stiff and slightly curved and give off a strong odor when crushed.

The spruce tree has a dense foliage and symmetrical shape making it a beautiful Christmas tree. Spruce trees need a lot of water when kept indoors, regular watering will keep your tree from losing its needles.

How To Tell If Your Live Christmas Tree Is Fresh

Once you have decided on what type of Christmas tree you want for your family to try to buy a tree grown as locally as possible. Not only will this give you the freshest possible Christmas tree, but you will also be helping to support your local economy.

If you can make a trip to a cut your own tree farm, as a second choice find a tree stand that sells locally grown trees.

Make sure to feel the tree needles before buying. The needles should not fall off when you touch them or it’s not fresh and could have been cut more than a week before.

A good test is to hold a branch about six inches in from the tip between your thumb and finger. Pull your hand towards you allowing the branch to slide through your fingers. The needles should stay firmly attached to the tree and not fall off into your hand.

Care During Transport

Make sure you take extra care bringing your Christmas tree home. Don’t break the branches or bend the top of the tree.

When you get your tree home cut off a 1-inch slice at the bottom of the tree where it was cut. This will allow it to soak up the water after you set the Christmas tree up in your home.

Make Sure To Give Your Tree Water As Soon As Possible

When you buy flowers and bring them home, what do you do? You place them in the water right away of course! Well, trees are the same way, it needs to be placed into water to keep it fresh.

After you have cut the bottom 1 inch off your tree make sure you add warm water to the tree reservoir. Remember to check the water level daily and top it up as needed.

Trees are very thirsty and can drink up to 4 liters of water per day. Make sure to use a tree stand that can hold at least 4 liters of water so you don’t have to fill it up more than once a day.

If you allow the water level to get to low a seal will form on the bottom of the trunk and your tree will not be able to suck up water. If this happens you will need to cut off another inch from the bottom of the trunk.

Feed Your Christmas Tree

To help your Christmas tree stay fresh longer you need to make sure it has the nutrients it needs. You can buy pre-packaged tree preservatives or easily make your own.

Just adding a few tablespoons of white sugar to the warm water before you pour it into your tree stand will help.

Keep Your Christmas Tree Away From Heat

Don’t place your Christmas tree near heat vents, baseboard heaters, or space heaters. Not only is it a safety concern having your tree near these things, the hot dry heat causes the tree to dry out quickly and start dropping its needles.

Raise The Humidity

If possible use a humidifier to raise the humidity in the room you’re keeping the Christmas tree. Not only will your tree stay fresher longer you’ll feel better too! The dry winter air plays havoc on our skin as well.

When Christmas is over be sure to recycle your tree. Most towns have tree pick up days but if not find a local compost center to drop your tree off at.

If you garden consider mulching the tree to use in your flower beds. If you raise goats or rabbits they will love to eat up your tree branches! Just be sure to remove all ornaments before giving it to them.

Once your tree is all set up have fun making Christmas ornaments with your family. These easy to make yarn mini hat ornaments are adorable and a fun project for kids!

Do you have a favourite type of Christmas tree?

Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.

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Nothing makes it feel like the holidays quite like the scent of a natural Christmas tree. For those who love the evergreen smell but can’t abide the falling needles and the mess of a slowly dehydrating tree, help is at hand. Here are some expert tips for improving the overall indoor lifespan of your natural tree.

First things first: make sure you buy your tree from the grower directly and not from a wholesale lot, said Evelyn Clarke of SugarLane Bush Christmas Tree Farm in Dundas. Wholesale lots cut their trees early, said Clarke, often starting as early as October.

By contrast, growers cut their trees much later in the season.

How to keep your Christmas tree fresh

• Buy from the grower directly
• Cut away the bottom few inches of the base
• Keep the tree in 1 to 2 litres of water
• Aspirin keeps a tree fresh

“We start to cut around November 23 and 24,” said Clarke. She and her husband Winston have been selling Christmas trees for 40 years.

Extra time with roots in the ground makes a big difference to the health of a Christmas tree.

“A fresh tree from the grower is going to last three to four to five weeks, because it is a fresh tree,” she added.

This year, trees may last even longer because of the Hamilton area’s wet fall, she said.

“We had a rainy fall so the trees are heavy [with moisture] and haven’t winterized, so they’ll keep longer,” said Clarke.

Another tip is to carefully choose the type of tree you buy. Clarke suggests any variety of fir tree as being the hardiest.

“Scotch Pine used to be the best, but growers aren’t growing them anymore. They have too many diseases.”

Once you’ve brought your tree home, cut away the bottom few inches of the base. Clarke likens the thickness of the cut to a hockey puck. This exposes a fresh section of the tree at its base so that it can absorb water more easily. (If you plan to put up the tree as soon as you get home, ask the tree lot attendant if they can make the cut for you.)

Once you’ve trimmed the base and mounted the tree, place the base in water to keep the tree hydrated. Depending on the size of the tree, the amount of water should be anywhere from one to two litres.

“Keep topping up the water—don’t let it go dry,” said Clarke who advises people to check the water level regularly.

If the water reservoir does go dry, you’ll have to take the tree down and cut off another section of the base.

Clarke says you can also add to the water one tablet of aspirin for a smaller tree, or a couple of tablets to a larger tree, to help preserve its freshness.

It all starts with choosing a healthy tree.

For many of us, it’s simply not Christmas without a live tree. Going to your local Christmas tree farm to pick out the perfect evergreen is a fun holiday activity for most people, and the scent and look of a real Christmas tree simply can’t be duplicated. “Live trees also have environmental benefits,” says Tim O’Connor, executive director of the National Christmas Tree Association. “They support local farmers and are a renewable resource that’s responsibly managed like any other crop.” But knowing how to keep a Christmas tree alive will get you your money’s worth and save you a headache down the road. After all, with proper care, a live tree will typically stay fresh for up to a month. Here’s how to ensure your Christmas tree stays as beautiful as it looks the day you bring it home.

Choose a healthy Christmas tree.

When you’re choosing your tree, run your hand along a branch and pull gently. If lots of needles come off in your hand, find a different tree. The needles should feel soft and springy, not brittle and inflexible, says O’Connor. The exception is spruces, which naturally have sharp, stiff needles.

Get your Christmas tree home and make a fresh cut.

“When the trunk seals over with sap, the tree cannot take up water,” says O’Connor. “Saw one half to one inch off the stump to create a fresh cut, and immediately place in water.” Don’t drill a hole in the base, because it doesn’t improve water uptake. And don’t whittle down the trunk to fit your stand; the outer layers of wood are the most effective at absorbing water.

Remember to water your Christmas tree.

Here’s the most important tip to keep your Christmas tree alive: Don’t let it go dry! “It will need to be watered every day for the first 7 to 10 days, then it will slow down after that,” says O’Connor. If you let your tree run out of water, the trunk will seal up again.

Get a Christmas tree stand with a large water reservoir.

Forget the teeny vintage-style metal stands that only hold a cup or so of water, or you’ll have to check it too often. For instance, a tree with a four-inch diameter trunk may drink more than a gallon per day! Also, be sure the water level doesn’t go below the base of the trunk; with some Christmas tree stands, there still may be water even though the trunk is no longer submerged.

Keep Your Christmas Tree Alive With These Items

Skip any Christmas tree preservatives.

Trees drink water in the forest, not fruit juice, syrup, bleach, aspirin, sodas, vodka, or whatever other magic potions are available commercially. In fact, university research has shown that the addition of Christmas tree preservatives does not improve needle retention—and in some cases, additives may actually harm the tree.

Decorate your Christmas tree with LED lights.

Those old-school incandescent bulbs throw a lot of heat, so upgrade to LED Christmas tree lights that don’t get hot in order to reduce drying of your tree. Also, keep your tree away from heat sources such as fireplaces, heat vents, and direct sunlight.

Recycle your Christmas tree.

After the holidays, you can still keep your tree “alive,” since there are many ways to recycle it. Lots of communities have organizations that pick up Christmas trees to make mulch for trails (find a recycling program here), or they may submerge them in water to provide fish habitat or stack them to prevent beach erosion. In your own backyard, you can also use your tree as winter protection: Trim off boughs and layer over plants in your garden to protect them from severe cold. In the spring, add branches to your compost pile.

Is Christmas really Christmas without a decked out tree? We don’t think so! But, no matter how pretty it looks, a tree can cause a lot of mess as well. Needles will fall off or the tree might dry out and go brown. No one likes the look of that! With these tips, your Christmas tree will last a lot longer and you’ll also prevent having to spend Christmas morning sweeping up needles.

Six tips to keep your Christmas tree fresh and pretty.

1. Choose the freshest tree there is

While you’re searching for the perfect tree, it’s important to realise you’re dealing with a live plant. The less time there is between felling the tree and decorating it, the bigger the chance the tree will remain in good condition. So, when you’re picking a tree, choose one without dry, brittle-looking branches.

2. Put the tree in water ASAP

Give your tree some water directly after buying it. This will help to maintain its needles and make sure they stay green. The best thing to do is to already fill a bucket with water before you go out to buy the tree, so you can put the tree in it as soon as you get home.

3. Cut a little bit off the bottom

Trees absorb water through a type of tissue called xylem which is responsible for the transport of water within the tree. After cutting off the tree, the vessel elements in this tissue close up, which means no water gets absorbed. By cutting off a little bit of the trunk of the tree, it’ll be able to absorb water again.

Go to the next page for the last three tips!

For those who love a real tree, there are simple tips to ensure your real tree looks fresh all Christmas long.

Tony Smith with Colorado Native Christmas trees says, “if you have an artificial tree you’re having an artificial Christmas.”

As you head out to the Christmas tree lot, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, the type of tree.

Smith says, “The fir and the pine tend to hold their needles a lot longer than the spruce do.”

Once you’ve picked the perfect tree, check the weight of it. The heavier the tree the higher the water content inside which means you’re getting a hydrated fresh tree.

Before leaving the lot, make sure you get a fresh cut at the bottom of the tree. All you need it a few inches off the stump so the tree can soak up lots of water when you get it home and in the stand.

Once you get the tree home, try to keep it away from a window. That tends to dry out the tree faster.

Smith says another is to “put vitamin C in it. Just one time when you start feeding the tree. The other one is put miracle grow that’s for evergreen trees and you just do that once then you just keep it watered.”

If you ever notice your tree looking dry and it’s not drinking up the water; drill a few holes into the side of the stump to allow for more areas the tree can drink water from.

When it comes to decorating the tree, you might want to go with a Charlie Brown looking Christmas tree. Smith says, it’s easier for ornaments to fill out the gaps in those trees, as oppose to fuller trees where ornaments have to sit on the branches.

So, this year think about buying a real tree and try out these tips.

Credit: Sean Gallup

Credit: Sean Gallup

A dead Christmas tree can really put a damper on your holiday celebrations. But did you know that there are ways to make your Christmas tree last longer? Follow the steps below to make sure your tree lasts as long as possible this season!

Choose a good tree

Mark Derowitsch, a spokesperson for the Arbor Day Foundation, says there are several things you can look for in order to select the best Christmas tree that’s sure to last throughout the holiday season.

• Cut your own Christmas tree, or purchase one from a local tree farm.

“That guarantees freshness, and by going to a local tree farm you know it’s going to be sustainable, so trees will be replanted, and it will be a selective harvest,” says Derowitsch. Selecting a tree from a local tree farm also supports local jobs and reduces emissions from transporting trees cross country.

• Choose organic when possible.

Avoid the pesticides! Check localharvest.org for a list of local and organic Christmas tree farmers.

• Inspect the tree.

Feel the needles – they should be flexible, not dry and brittle. If the needles fall off easily, stay away! Also, the tree should be a nice dark green color, not faded. The fresher the tree, the longer it will last.

Once you’ve found the perfect tree, you’ll want to wrap it for the ride home. Wrapping the tree with a tarp or a blanket keeps it from getting dried out and protects it from other damage.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of transporting your own tree though, you can always order one online!

Re-cut the stem

But, avoid whittling away the outer layers of the wood to make the base fit the stand. The outer layers are the most efficient in taking up water!

Choose the right location

For the best kinds of stands, check out these 4 recommended stands from the National Christmas Tree Association.

Use low-heat lights

Keep it watered

When the holidays are finished and you are ready to toss out your tree, consider recycling your tree instead of throwing it away in the trash. Check out ways to recycle your Christmas tree from the NCTA here!

We love getting a live Christmas tree each year—but it can be hard to keep the tree looking fresh and the pine needles on your floor to a minimum! To make your Christmas tree last longer, follow these easy steps.

How to Make Your Tree Last Forever

As we shared in our podcast about getting ready for the holidays, using a humidifier is one of the best ways to keep your tree fresh all December long (and into January!). Why? The heating system in your home can dry out your tree, dulling its color and piney fresh scent. To give your Christmas tree a healthy boost of moisture, place a humidifier in the room to counteract the drying heat—it’ll stay fresh, and you can soak up the holiday spirit as long as possible. If you have a vaporizer (like for colds), you can also run that near the tree once a day to put more moisture into the air.

The Best Water for Your Christmas Tree

What kind of water you feed your tree matters! While tap is fine, it’s the temperature that you should be concerned about. The ideal temperature when you’re watering your tree is 80 degrees—the warmth helps your tree absorb water more efficiently, meaning it will get absorbed all the way up to the very top! Add a pinch of sugar once a week, which is a perfect substitute for tree food.

How to Keep Your Tree Healthy

One of the things that causes a tree to start dying out is bacteria—so keep it away with this handy trick. Just add a shot glass of liquor, a capful of mouthwash, or a drop of rubbing alcohol to the water each time you water your tree. The alcohol will keep bacteria away.

Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh with LED Lights

If it’s time for new Christmas lights this year, choose mini LED lights over the traditional kind. Not only do they save energy (and cut the cost of electricity), they’re also not as hot, preventing your tree from drying out as quickly.

For more holiday tips, follow our Christmas Tips and Ideas board on Pinterest! And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Christmas trees are a cherished symbol of the holiday season, and the displaying of the real deal instead of a plastic tree is on the rise in North America. According to Statistics Canada, in 2016 over 1,800 farms produced trees for the $77 million dollar market, exporting the evergreens across the world.

The American Christmas Tree Association reports that in 2018 over 95 million homes displayed a tree, with 17.9% of households displaying a real tree. The industry advocacy group has a few pointers on how to keep your Christmas tree fresh and thriving throughout the holiday season.

Water is crucial to keeping a tree green and fresh while displaying it in the home. The NCTA recommends fitting the tree in a traditional stand with a water reservoir that holds at least a quart of water for every inch in tree diameter.

Other tips include making a fresh, half inch cut perpendicular to the axis before setting it in the stand. A fancy V-cut is unnecessary, can make the tree unstable, and actually reduces the tree’s ability to absorb water. Keeping the outer layer of bark intact will also help the tree absorb and retain more water.

Photo by Jan Vašek via Pexels

Keeping the tree away from heat sources such as fireplaces, heaters, HVAC vents, and direct sunlight is also a good idea, as is using low heat Christmas lights, and monitoring the water level in the stand, ensuring that the water does not go below the base of the tree.

Other safety tips include never leaving decorative lights turned on when away from home, always inspect light sets before using, do not overload electrical circuits, and promptly remove dry trees from the house.

Lastly, never dispose of a Christmas tree by burning it in a fireplace. The small, dry needles can ignite and burn uncontrollably fast, and send sparks all over the house, quickly setting everything in the domicile on fire. The high sap content can burn hot and long enough to set chimney deposits aflame, starting a flue blaze that can spread rapidly. It’s also unnecessary, as many communities have recycling programs available to households.

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There are a lot of benefits to buying a real tree for your Christmas decorating needs. Real trees smell wonderful, like the holidays, with a scent that’s difficult to replicate, no matter how many companies try. They also look beautiful, they feel super festive, and they’re honestly just a lot of fun to pick out and take home. But there is a major downside to real trees as well: they require a lot of maintenance. You have to vacuum or sweep a lot because they shed and drop leaves, and that gets even worse if you let the tree get too dry. So how often should you water a Christmas tree?

Before you even get into that, though, you’ll want to make sure you’re picking a tree that isn’t already dried out, because bringing it back to life could be really difficult, or even impossible. Tim O’Conner, executive director of the National Christmas Tree Association, a trade organization representing more than 700 farms, told Martha Stewart Living that if you get a tree that’s already dry, it won’t last long. He suggests testing the trees out by running the branch through your hand. If the needles fall off or if the branch seems brittle, it’s too dry and shouldn’t be purchased. Other signs of a dry tree include wrinkled bark, discolored needles, and a musty odor.

You also have to make sure you’re setting up the tree correctly to keep it as fresh as possible. The trunk will need a fresh cut. Martha Stewart Living says, “Before placing your tree in water, use a saw to remove a half-inch thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk. Don’t cut the trunk into a V-shape or drill a hole into the base – despite what you may have heard, this will make it harder for your tree to absorb water, not easier.” Once it’s cut, put it in a bucket of water or a water-filled stand as soon as possible. And make sure that stand is large enough to hold one quart of water per inch of stem diameter so that you can ensure it’s getting hydrated enough.

O’Conner says that you should be watering your tree daily, adding, “Especially during the first seven to ten days, which is when they take up the most water.” Get into a habit of watering the tree every single morning so that you don’t forget.

East River Nursery points out that the size of the tree makes a difference on how much water it needs. Smaller trees can be watered less frequently than larger and fuller trees, which need water to reach the tips of every branch. It can also depend on the species of the tree – the longer a tree’s needles, the more water it needs. The climate and location of the tree also make a difference. If your house is warmer with less humidity, the tree will need more water, and if there’s a vent or a draft near the tree, it can dry out faster and will also need more water. Putting the tree next to a fireplace may look pretty, but it dries the tree out faster, and puts you at a higher risk of a house fire.

For a standard size tree (the trunk diameter is in the five-inch range), leave at least five quarts of water in your stand each day. Of course, you can always add extra if you’re nervous. The standard rule is to make sure the trunk is submerged in the water. Check it daily to make sure it’s doing okay.

According to Rick Bates, from the Department of Horticulture at Penn State, you should never add additives to the water (like commercial tree preservatives, sugar, or molasses). You only need fresh, clean water. And remember: a dry tree is more likely to catch on fire. Bates says, “Displaying trees in water with proper care is much more effective in reducing fire hazards than spraying trees with flame retardants. Some flame retardants can damage needles and actually increase the rate of moisture loss from trees.” Keep it hydrated on a regular basis to stay safe!

Last Updated: 18th April, 2020

Keeping this in view, what does aspirin do for Christmas trees?

Martha Mendenhall Opinions vary when it comes to the usefulness of an aspirin tablet in your Christmas tree’s water. Some swear that it keeps it fresher longer, but Christmas tree experts at the National Christmas Tree Association state that there is no evidence supporting this notion.

Also Know, what do you put in the water to make a Christmas tree last longer? When you get your Christmas tree home, first, boil a gallon of water. Then, dissolve one cup of sugar in the water and allow the mixture to cool. Make a fresh, half-inch cut at the base of the Christmas tree trunk. Position the Christmas tree in a sturdy stand, then pour in the warm sugar water.

Beside this, does aspirin make a Christmas tree last longer?

Just plain water is key. Putting aspirin, soda or sugar in your Christmas tree won’t make it last longer.

Should you put an aspirin in Christmas tree water?

A: Do not add molasses, sugar, soft drinks, aspirin or commercial products to the water. Additives provide no real benefit. The keys to keeping a Christmas tree fresh are to place the tree away from any heat sources (fireplace, heater, radiator, etc.) and keep the tree reservoir full of water.

A dead Christmas tree can really put a damper on your holiday celebrations. But did you know that there are ways to make your Christmas tree last longer? Follow the steps below to make sure your tree lasts as long as possible this season!

#1: Choose a good tree!

Mark Derowitsch, a spokesman for the Arbor Day Foundation, says there are several things you can look for to select the best Christmas tree that’s sure to last throughout the holiday season.

• Cut your own Christmas tree, or purchase one from a local tree farm

“That guarantees freshness, and by going to a local tree farm you know it’s going to be sustainable, so trees will be replanted, and it will be a selective harvest,” says Derowitsch. Selecting a tree from a local tree farm also supports local jobs and reduces emissions from transporting trees cross country.

• Choose organic when possible

Avoid the pesticides! Check localharvest.org for a list of local and organic Christmas tree farmers.

• Inspect the tree

Feel the needles -—they should be flexible, not dry and brittle. If the needles fall off easily, stay away! Also, the tree should be a nice dark green color, not faded. The fresher the tree, the longer it will last.

Wrap the tree for the ride home

Once you’ve found the perfect tree, you’ll want to wrap it for the ride home. Wrapping the tree with a tarp or a blanket keeps it from getting dried out and protects it from other damage.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of transporting your own tree though, you can always order one online!

Re-cut the stem

If you bought a pre-cut tree, you’ll want to be sure to re-cut the stem. In order for the tree to get the most water to all the branches, re-cutting it before you place it in the stand will help it to last longer. Cut about half an inch off the bottom perpendicular to the stem access.

But, avoid whittling away the outer layers of the wood to make the base fit the stand. The outer layers are the most efficient in taking up water!

Choose the right location

Location, location, location! Choose a spot in your home away from heating vents, cold drafts, or direct sunlight. Fluctuating temperatures can cause the tree to dry out faster, as can warmer temperatures. Also, putting the tree in a location with a lot of sunlight can lead to quicker fading.

For the best kinds of stands, check out these four recommended stands from The Spruce.

Use low-heat lights

Use smaller lights for your tree, such as miniature bulbs, that emit less heat. This will also keep the tree from drying.

Keep it watered

Lastly, to keep your tree fresh, place the tree in water as soon as you get home, and make sure there is always water in the tree stand. Use a stand that holds at least 1 gallon of water, or 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter.

When the holidays are finished and you are ready to toss out your tree, consider recycling your tree instead of throwing it away in the trash. Check out ways to recycle your Christmas tree from the NCTA here!

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You spend hours searching for the perfect Christmas tree and only hope that it will keep its needles till Christmas day. With an estimated 28 million live Christmas trees to be sold this year, you’re not alone.

Fortunately, if you follow these simple instructions from Rick Dungey, Christmas tree expert with the National Christmas Tree Association, you have a good chance of maintaining the quality of your tree for three to four weeks, regardless of species.

Christmas tree shopping? How to pick a live tree, and keep it green

• 1. Buy a fresh tree

To test for freshness, gently pull on the needles of the outer branches. If the needles come off easily or if the tree loses lots of green needles when it is tapped on the ground, move on. Also, avoid trees that are faded in color.

Because trees are dormant from late summer through winter, Dungey explains that tree lots don’t have an advantage over you-cut-it trees when it comes to staying fresh.

• 2. Give it a fresh cut

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When a tree is first cut, air gets into the plant tissue and interrupts the tree’s ability to absorb water, says Dungey. To re-prime the tree, cut off a half-inch slice from the base of the trunk. Cut straight across, never at an angle or in a V-shape, because doing so reduces the amount of water available to the tree. It also makes it harder for the tree stand to hold the tree. And no matter what Uncle Joe told you, never drill a hole in the base of the trunk thinking it will help the tree draw up more water.

• 3. Select the right tree stand

The NCTA recommends using a reservoir-type tree stand to keep trees fresh indoors and reduce needle loss. A tree stand should hold a gallon of water, or about one quart per inch diameter of the tree trunk.

Make sure the stand fits your tree. If you have to whittle the tree trunk to fit a too-small stand, the tree will not get as much water. That’s because the outer layers of the tree are where the most efficient uptake of water occurs, says Dungey.

• 4. Give it water

Most species of Christmas trees can go without water for as long as 6-8 hours after a fresh cut. Just make sure the surface remains clean and the cut end is not damaged by banging it against the ground. Once you get the tree home, keep it in a bucket filled with water and in a cool location until you bring it inside.

If you’re putting the tree in a stand right away, make sure the reservoir of the stand is kept full of water.

“The absorption rate of water varies from day to day,” says Dungey. “Many people worry if their tree absorbs a lot of water one day, a little the next, and then absorbs more the next day. This is normal. The tree could be full one day and need more water the next. It depends on how fast it loses moisture from its foliage.” To be safe, always top off the reservoir in the tree stand every day.

• 5. Keep it cool

Heat dries out trees, so keep your tree away from fireplaces, heat vents or even direct sunlight. You may want to go so far as to lower the temperature in the room or use a humidifier to keep the air moist.

Lights are okay for trees but do your tree a favor and use only lights that produce low heat, such as miniature lights. The lower the heat, the less the drying effect on the tree and the longer the needles will stay on.

This story was originally published on Dec. 1, 2015.

With all the effort that goes into putting up a Christmas tree every year, the last thing you want is for that tree to start drying out, dropping needles, and looking rough around the edges. And with more and more people choosing to put their trees up earlier in the season, you want to make sure your Christmas tree lasts as long as possible. Maintaining a healthy tree is essential for making sure all of those ornaments, lights, and trim look great all season long, and it’s easier than you think.

1. Cut Your Own Tree

The best way to get a long-lasting tree? Cut it down yourself! Cutting your own tree means you’ll know how fresh it is and exactly how long ago it was cut down, and you won’t have to worry about whether it had been sitting in a parking lot under the sun for days or even weeks.

2. Pick a Healthy Tree

This may seem obvious, but always pay attention to the colour of your tree. Try to avoid choosing a tree that has any brown needles, as this could be a sign that your tree is already dying. And be careful: a green tree doesn’t always mean it’s healthy. Touch the tree’s branches, and see if any needles fall off. If they do, this means it’s already dry, and you may want to consider a different tree.

3. Choose the Right Species

Choosing the right tree species can go a long way to having a tree that lasts through the holiday season. Frasier firs are a popular choice for their needle retention, but balsam firs, white firs, Scotch pines, and some other varieties are great at retaining their needles for longer as well. Avoid species like white spruce, Norway spruce, and blue spruce if needle retention is your primary concern.

4. Trim the Trunk Once or Twice

Even if you’re cutting down your tree yourself, you should try to trim your tree’s trunk about one or two inches before you put it in the stand. If you’re not putting your tree up right after you cut it down, make sure to keep it standing in a bucket of water in your garage to keep it fresh. When you do go to put it up, trim the bottom of the trunk again to ensure that the capillaries are open and can absorb the water.

5. Keep Away From Heat

The quickest way to ensure your Christmas tree dries up and starts looking prematurely haggard is to put it next to a source of heat. Whether it’s a fireplace, radiator, space heater, or window, it’s important to keep your tree away from any source of heat in your home. In addition to drying out the tree, it’s a potential fire hazard!

6. Get a Good Tree Stand

Never underestimate the power of a great tree stand, because not all of them are created equal. A good tree stand is deep and wide and holds enough water to keep your tree fresh. A shallow tree stand will make your tree dry out much more quickly, especially if you’re not filling up the stand on a regular basis.

7. Keep the Water Level High

It’s important to keep the water level in your Christmas tree stand high for two reasons: first, your tree will be less likely to run out of water without you noticing, so you won’t have to keep filling it up as often; second, if the bottom of the trunk is exposed, it will impact the tree’s ability to absorb water. When part of the cut end is exposed, resin will form, preventing it from continuing to take in water. So make sure the bottom of the trunk is completely covered at all times!

The Christmas season is now in full swing, and our family tradition is that we go and buy our fresh tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. We load up our little family up in the car and then trek off to the local hardware store. Sometimes it is snowy, other times it is slushy, but it is always fun and full of holiday cheer.

We set up the tree and just drink in the crisp, woodsy smell of the outdoors and all things Christmas. It is one of the most delightful parts of the season.

Fast forward four weeks and Christmas has passed and the New Year is closing in and the tree is usually starting to look more than a little shabby. Needles are dropping off everywhere, and you can vacuum them all up and an hour later there’s a thousand more gracing the floor. The holiday charm has definitely worn off and, if you’re like me, you can’t wait to get the tree out the door so it will stop causing so much mess.

Please tell me I am not the only one! Ok, good!

Thankfully I was able to figure out how to keep a Christmas tree fresh, and now we enjoy the tree all the way through the season.

Want me to share? I will!

It is important to do a few things when you bring a fresh Christmas tree home, so make sure you are doing these few things first:

• Make a fresh cut on the bottom of the tree so that it will take up water better.
• Use a tree stand with a large water reservoir. The more water that is available means the less you’ll need to babysit the tree.
• Put it in water as soon as possible, and refill the water as needed over the first 24 hours as the tree drinks its fill.
• Check the water daily and refill as needed.

But here’s the trick we found to keep our Christmas tree fresher over the last several years: Essential Oils!

The idea came to me a few Christmas seasons ago and we gave it a try, and wouldn’t you know, it worked!

So here’s what we do:

When we water the Christmas tree we add 6 drops of Balsam Fir essential oil to the water.

When we bring the tree home we make sure to take all the steps above, but when we add the water we add 6 drops of Balsam Fir essential oil! We chose this oil because we typically get fresh fir trees for Christmas and while we don’t get a Balsam Fir tree specifically, it seems to be a close enough match to do very nicely.

Then every time we add more water we add a few more drops of the Balsam Fir essential oil to the water and the tree stays fresh and beautiful longer!

The years that we have done this it has extended the freshness of our tree past Christmas and it keeps our living area smelling beautiful, too!

Can I try other oils?

I would say you may try matching your oil to your tree type by type, but you will likely notice good results with whatever evergreen tree oil you use, regardless of it matching.

You could consider using:

• Balsam Fir (like we do)
• Blue or Black Spruce
• Evergreen Essence (a blend of several different evergreen oils)
• Pine

It is a beautifully fragrant, incredibly natural, and fabulously simple way to keep the Christmas tree fresh all through the holiday season! We love it!

Credit: Sean Gallup

Credit: Sean Gallup

A dead Christmas tree can really put a damper on your holiday celebrations. But did you know that there are ways to make your Christmas tree last longer? Follow the steps below to make sure your tree lasts as long as possible this season!

Choose a good tree

Mark Derowitsch, a spokesperson for the Arbor Day Foundation, says there are several things you can look for in order to select the best Christmas tree that’s sure to last throughout the holiday season.

• Cut your own Christmas tree, or purchase one from a local tree farm.

“That guarantees freshness, and by going to a local tree farm you know it’s going to be sustainable, so trees will be replanted, and it will be a selective harvest,” says Derowitsch. Selecting a tree from a local tree farm also supports local jobs and reduces emissions from transporting trees cross country.

• Choose organic when possible.

Avoid the pesticides! Check localharvest.org for a list of local and organic Christmas tree farmers.

• Inspect the tree.

Feel the needles – they should be flexible, not dry and brittle. If the needles fall off easily, stay away! Also, the tree should be a nice dark green color, not faded. The fresher the tree, the longer it will last.

Once you’ve found the perfect tree, you’ll want to wrap it for the ride home. Wrapping the tree with a tarp or a blanket keeps it from getting dried out and protects it from other damage.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of transporting your own tree though, you can always order one online!

Re-cut the stem

But, avoid whittling away the outer layers of the wood to make the base fit the stand. The outer layers are the most efficient in taking up water!

Choose the right location

For the best kinds of stands, check out these 4 recommended stands from the National Christmas Tree Association.

Use low-heat lights

Keep it watered

When the holidays are finished and you are ready to toss out your tree, consider recycling your tree instead of throwing it away in the trash. Check out ways to recycle your Christmas tree from the NCTA here!

You have a Christmas tree! Now it’s time to prevent your tree from losing all of its needles and keep your Christmas tree as fresh and green as the day it was cut. If you are wondering how to keep a Christmas tree fresh and green, follow the easy steps below.

Steps for how to keep a Christmas tree fresh and green:

Step 1: Give the trunk of your tree a fresh cut across the bottom. About a half inch should do the trick.

Step 2: Place the tree in water. A Christmas tree is like any other plant, it needs water to survive.

Step 3: Find the ideal spot for your tree. Of course, you want your tree to be in a visually appealing spot, but try to identify a location that is away from a heat source (active fireplaces, heat vents, space heaters, etc.). Heat sources will quickly dry out your tree!

Step 4: Add 1 teaspoon of Mirimichi Green’s Tree & Shrub liquid fertilizer to the water supply. Repeat application for every third watering.

By adding Mirimichi Green’s Tree & Shrub liquid fertilizer, you are giving the tree nutrients that will keep your Christmas tree fresh and green all season. You will see less fallen needles around your tree, which means less clean up. It will help keep your tree deep green and lush until the New Year.

Don’t wait for Santa to bring you this gift! Place an order on Amazon or visit one of our distributor locations.

Keeping a cut Christmas tree fresh comes down to the right preparation and the proper maintenance. By following a few simple tips, you can ensure that your tree will stay fresh for as long as possible, while also reducing potential safety risks.

Tip 1: Select carefully

The first tip is to select a healthy tree. Make sure you conduct a freshness test before you buy: Grab the needles, bend the branches and bounce the stump to determine the tree’s freshness.

“With the color, feel and overall appearance of the tree, it should be pretty obvious whether it’s healthy or not,” says Erik Wochholz, curator of historic landscapes for the Portsmouth, N.H.-based Strawbery Banke Museum.

Wochholz says a fresh Christmas tree should have an overall even green look to it, without any brown coloring, and the needles should be soft as opposed to brittle.

“Feel the needles–if they’re already defoliating, if they’re already dropping, that could be an indication that the tree is not as fresh as it could be,” Wochholz says. “But of course with certain varieties (of trees), it’s natural for the needles to drop.”

Wochholz says two of the most common types of Christmas trees are the Fraser fir and the balsam. The balsam is usually more fragrant than the Fraser, but it does drop its needles more quickly, Wochholz says.

“It depends if you want fragrance or if you’re trying to sustain the needles as long as possible,” Wochholz adds.

Tip 2: Protect during transport

The second tip is to take care in how you transport your tree home, which can impact its eventual freshness. You should attempt to protect the tree from the elements, covering it with a tarp to prevent it from drying out.

“All trees exposed to winds at high speeds will defoliate,” Wochholz says. “So it’s absolutely necessary to wrap the tree in some way.”

Wochholz also says you should position the tree on top of your car with the tip facing toward the back of the car, and the bottom cut facing toward the front of the car.

Tip 3: Hydrate quickly and often

Once you get the tree home, your first step should be to apply a fresh cut to the base. You don’t have to take off much, only about a half-inch, Wochholz says, so long as the cut is clean and straight. This allows the tree to take in as much water as possible, and it also makes it easier for you to mount the tree in its reservoir.

“It needs to be a fresh cut perpendicular to the stem access,” Wochholz says. “You just want to expose that vascular system so it has nice contact with the water to take it up.”

Ideally, get the tree in water within an hour of cutting. The rule of thumb is to use one quart of water per each inch of the tree stem’s diameter, and you should be watering the tree every day, Wochholz says.

“If you don’t check the water every day, the level will fall below where that fresh cut is, and therefore the tree is not taking up any water,” Wochholz says.

In watering the tree, you need only use “straight water,” Wochholz says, and not sugar water, 7-Up or any other “complete misconception of what trees need.”

Tip 4: Avoid heat

Another way to preserve the tree’s freshness for as long as possible is to keep it away from various heat sources, which is also the best way to prevent a potential fire hazard as well.

“Every year, there certainly are home fires that are started as a result of fires from Christmas trees,” says Jim Gustin, senior property specialist, risk control, for Travelers insurance.

Gustin recommends keeping the tree at least three feet away from those heat sources and using good quality, test-laboratory-approved LED lights.

“If you have a choice, LED lights are great – they run a little cooler, and they do actually save energy as well,” Gustin says.

Wochholz agrees that LED lights are a good choice, pointing out that lights with larger bulbs generate more heat around the leaves, therefore stressing the tree and causing it to take up more water. Regardless, it’s a smart move to avoid running the lights 24 hours a day, Wochholz says.

“Timers are great so you don’t have to remember to unplug (the lights),” Wochholz adds. “This saves you electricity, and it reduces the temperature around the leaves of your tree.”

— Tribune Brand Publishing

Here’s how to make sure your tree looks good for longer.

Question: ‘How do we find a reputable Christmas tree grower and make sure our tree looks good for longer?’

Answer: The best way to make sure a real Christmas tree stays at its best for longer is to make sure it’s as fresh as possible when you buy it. One way to do this is to buy from a member of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association, who grow the trees they sell, so you can be sure they’re in top condition. Find a grower near to you by using the searchable database of members on the website.

As a reminder, Grown in Britain urges consumers to choose certified British grown Christmas trees for independent assurance that they are grown in the UK, high on quality and freshness, and low on tree miles.

For example, Forestry England has opened Christmas tree sales centres across the country, offering high-quality real Christmas trees from the heart of the forest. All trees are grown in the UK and certified by Grown in Britain, and all Norway spruce trees are certified by both Grown in Britain and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Wherever you buy your cut tree from, have a really good look at it before you buy, and give it a shake to check that lots of needles don’t fall off. If they do, it’s probably not going to last right through the festivities.

4 tips to make your tree last through holiday season

ORLANDO, Fla. – It seems as though many people are decking the halls earlier and earlier each year, with some decorations even going up before Thanksgiving.

It takes hours to shop for the perfect tree. You load it to the top of the station wagon, lug it home and tediously place hundreds of lights and ornaments to make your holiday centerpiece shine and sparkle. But the work doesn’t stop there. Maintaining a live tree is a whole different story.

Here are some easy tips to keep your Christmas tree alive and healthy until Santa comes to town:

1. Purchase the freshest tree available

A Florida Christmas tree farm at sunset (Photo credit: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)

Here in Florida, most trees have been cut and shipped from up North. As you shop around, test a tree’s freshness by taking your hand and gently running it along the branches. The fresher and more hydrated trees will hold their needles more than older ones.

2. Re-cut the trunk

A vendor trims a Christmas tree while wearing a short sleeve shirt December 6, 2001 at a tree stand in New York City. New York has seen unusual temperatures in the high 60’s and low 70’s all week. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

Once you’ve picked your family’s fir, ask to get a fresh cut off the base of the tree. It doesn’t need to be a size-altering cut — just about a half inch from the bottom is fine. Most stores that sell Christmas trees can easily do this before loading the tree onto your vehicle. This will help open the tree’s pores and jump-start the hydrating process.

3. Water the tree

(Photo by Jonathan Wood/Getty Images)

When you get it home, put it in water as quickly as possible. Then make sure to keep the water coming. Store-bought stands usually hold about one gallon of water. A freshly cut tree will drink a surprisingly large amount of water, especially during the first week. For the first week, it would be ideal to water it every day. Through the rest of December, it will start absorbing less and less water. Just make sure to keep the stand full of water. It is a simple step, but with the craze of the holidays, this small task can sometimes be overlooked. Set a reminder on your phone or have one person be in charge of watering duties.

4. Pick the perfect spot in your home

Christmas tree in home.

Make sure your tree is not near a main heat source. This could be an air conditioning or heating vent, space heater or fireplace. Not only will it become an extreme fire hazard, it will also quickly dehydrate your tree. Even a window that gets hot with direct sunlight during the day can dry out your tree. Keeping your house on the cooler side will also extend a tree’s longevity.

In general, the average lifespan of a cut Christmas tree can last about four weeks. Doing your part to keep it healthy will make a big difference by Christmas Day.

Copyright 2018 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.

About the Author:

Candace Campos

Candace joined the News 6 team as the weekend morning meteorologist and reporter. She comes to Central Florida from Miami.

Here’s how to keep your tree’s scent, colour and needles in to January…

? Ensure a fresh cut is made to the stump

When left too long out of moisture your stump will dry up and no longer absorb water. A fresh cut high enough up the remaining stump will allow the tree to drink unrestricted from it’s water supply.

? Use a tree stand with a large water supply

Your tree will eventually absorb 1-2 litres of water a day. Having a large water reservoir will mean less watering and less chance of the water running out leading to a dry stump dry! Unfortunately, traditional cast iron stands have a very low water supply. If you wish to give your tree the best chance of a constant supply of water purchase a Cinco or Krinner tree stand.

? WATER YOUR TREE EVERYDAY

Ensure your tree has more than enough water everyday to not risk running out and drying out your stump. If your stump dries too much it will no longer absorb water, and a fresh stump cut may be needed.

? Spraying your tree with water is a great way to help keep your tree hydrated! Please remember to turn your lights off at the plug before spraying ?

? Keep tree away from large heat sources and be conscious of your thermostat

We want to avoid drying your tree out. High room temperatures as well as radiators and open fires will undoubtedly dry your tree out! Be conscious of these things if you wish to keep your tree fresh for longer.

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Caring for your Christmas tree is extremely important. Cathy Isom gives you some ways to keep your Christmas tree fresher, longer. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.

A fresh Christmas tree is no doubt one of the highlights of the season. Whether its a fragrant fir, spruce, or pine, you’ll want to do everything you can to help the tree stay fresh through the holidays.

Pay attention to the color of your tree. Avoid choosing a tree that has any brown needles, as this could be a sign that your tree is already dying. And be careful: a green tree doesn’t always mean it’s healthy. Touch the tree’s branches, and see if any needles fall off. If they do, this means it’s already dry, and you may want to consider a different tree.

A good tree stand is deep and wide and holds enough water to keep your tree fresh. A shallow tree stand will make your tree dry out much more quickly, especially if you’re not filling up the stand on a regular basis. The key to keeping your tree fresh is to keep the bottom 2 inches of the trunk in water, even if that means refilling the stand every day.

Room temperature is also key. Christmas trees prefer cooler temperatures, so turn down heat whenever possible and place your tree closer to a window, away from radiators and fireplaces.

This Simple Trick Will Make Your Christmas Tree Last Longer

I still remember family trips to cut down the Christmas tree when I was a kid, and cutting our own fresh pine remains a cherished tradition now that I have a daughter of my own. One thing I’ve never known, though, is whether there is truly a way to make a Christmas tree last longer.

Luckily, we learned a new trick for how to make a Christmas tree last longer when we visited Karabin Farms, a Christmas tree farm in Southington, Connecticut.

Christmas tree grower Michael Karabin shared the following tip as we boarded the tractor-pulled wagon for our ride back from the field after cutting down our Christmas tree:

To Make a Christmas Tree Last Longer.

When you get your Christmas tree home, first, boil a gallon of water. Then, dissolve one cup of sugar in the water and allow the mixture to cool. Make a fresh, half-inch cut at the base of the Christmas tree trunk. Position the Christmas tree in a sturdy stand, then pour in the warm sugar water. Continue to add fresh, cool plain water to the tree stand, always ensuring your Christmas tree has an ample supply of water.

We decided to give this tree preservation trick a try, and one thing I noticed in the first week after we brought our Christmas tree home was that it seemed to have retained its woodsy pine scent longer than trees we’d cut in the past. Needle retention was impressive, too.

This photo shows our tree on December 4: right after its sugar water snack. Did this tip from a New England farmer really make our Christmas tree last longer? Here’s a photo that shows how healthy and green our tree still appeared in January: a full month after we cut it down! Taken on January 3, it shows that our Christmas tree was still green and lush and had lost very few needles, particularly considering it was such a large tree.

If you have a real, cut pine tree to decorate for the holidays, it is important to know how to make a Christmas tree last longer so you can enjoy it throughout the season. From choosing the right tree to caring for it properly, there are several ways you can ensure your Christmas tree stays green and fresh as long as possible.

Fresh Trees

The fresher a tree is when you purchase it, the longer it will last as part of your holiday decorations. To find the freshest tree…

• Cut It Yourself: If you cut the tree down or choose it from an uncut tree farm, you will know for certain when it was first cut. Trees that arrive in sales lots may have been cut days or weeks earlier and will not last as long once they are decorated and displayed.
• Choose a Reputable Retailer: If you cannot cut the tree yourself, purchase it from a high-quality retailer. Ask questions about where their stock is from and when it was cut, and see how knowledgeable they are about caring for cut trees. Ideally, their trees should be displayed in buckets of water and kept sheltered from wind and sun, both of which can cause cut trees to dry out more quickly.
• Check Appearance: A fresh, healthy tree will be bright green without dull color or browning needles. The limbs should still be somewhat flexible, and it should shed very few needles when tapped or shaken. Choosing the best tree you can find will ensure that it lasts longer in your home.
• Choose a Potted Tree: If possible, consider choosing a live potted Christmas tree instead of a cut one. They will last longer and can be replanted after the holidays to add to your landscaping.

Related Articles

• Sugar Water for Christmas Trees
• How to Make Christmas Morning Special
• Choosing a Christmas Tree – National Christmas Tree Association Interview

Tips to Make a Christmas Tree Last Longer

Once you have purchased your tree, how long it lasts will depend on how you care for it. With proper care, a cut Christmas tree can last for weeks, easily allowing you to enjoy its beauty for the duration of the holidays.

• As soon as possible, cut approximately 1/2 an inch off the base of the trunk in a smooth, straight cut. This will open the pores through which the tree can absorb water to stay fresh.
• Place the tree in clean, clear water immediately, even if it will not be displayed or decorated for several days.
• When displaying the tree, keep it out of direct sunlight and away from any heat sources such as a fireplace or heating vents. Heat sources will dry the tree out more quickly, causing it to lose its luster sooner.
• If possible, trim away lower branches or any interior branches necessary to shape the tree. Pine trees lose an incredible amount of moisture through their needles, and by removing some of those needles you can help the tree stay fresh longer. Trimming branches will also help the ornaments be more visible and can make it easier to put gifts under the tree.
• Use a tree stand that has a large water capacity. A cut tree can “drink” up to a gallon of water a day, so a stand that can hold at least that much is ideal.
• Refill the water reservoir twice daily to ensure the tree does not run out of fluid. As soon as the bottom of the tree is exposed to air, it will begin forming a sap seal that will prevent it from absorbing water, so it is critical to keep the tree stand filled.
• If the tree appears to be drying out, use warm or hot water to refill the stand. Warmer water can be absorbed more quickly and will help rejuvenate the tree.
• Decorate the tree with LED light strings instead of incandescent bulbs. Incandescent Christmas lights, even mini-lights, give off a lot of heat that will dry out the tree more quickly, but LEDs are a safer option. They also use less electricity, making them a more environmentally-friendly choice.

Tree Preservatives

Commercial preservatives are available that can be added to the water to help make a Christmas tree last longer. While the success of these products can vary, it is easy to make your own solution with the following ingredients.

1. 1 Gallon of Water: Water is the most essential ingredient to keep a tree fresh and lush.
2. 1.5-2 Cups of Corn Syrup: Corn syrup or sugar will serve as “food” for the tree.
3. 3-4 Teaspoons of Lemon Juice: This will raise the acidity of the water, countering hard water and alkaline properties found in most tap water. Vinegar can also be used instead of lemon juice.
4. 3-4 Teaspoons of Bleach: The bleach will act as a disinfectant to prevent mold, fungus, or mildew from growing in the tree stand or infecting the tree itself. Do not be tempted to use extra bleach, however, as too much can be harmful to the tree.

When using this homemade preservative or any commercial product, store the water safely (refrigeration is best), and keep pets from drinking from the tree stand.

It is easy to make a Christmas tree last longer if first you choose a fresh, healthy tree and then you care for it properly. With plenty of water, the right location, and careful monitoring, a cut tree can last for several weeks and bring holiday joy into your home throughout the season.

After spending countless hours searching for the perfect tree, the last thing you want is for it to lose its needles before Christmas Day. We get it. And the good news? Keeping a Christmas tree fresh, vibrant, and — of course — alive is much easier than one might think. In fact, all it takes are a few easy steps. So if you’re joining the estimated 30 million other households that are celebrating the holiday season with a real evergreen, check out the five tips below to ensure yours, too, will merrily make it through all the tidings of comfort and joy.

1. Choose Your Tree Wisely

Of course, when aiming to maintain your tree’s freshness, you’ll want to ensure you choose a fresh, healthy one from the start. Therefore, when it comes to selecting your tree, remember to test for long-lasting freshness, especially if you are buying from a store or roadside lot, as these trees have likely been exposed to drying winds during transit.

During your inspection, gently pull on the needles of the outer branches. If they fall off easily, that will be your cue to move on. The same goes if you notice the tree loses a lot of needles — even green ones — when it’s tapped on the ground. When inspecting the needles, bend them. Make sure they feel flexible, not brittle and dry. And remember: the fewer brown needles, the better. Any trees that have already begun fading in color are to be avoided, as these are the ones that will most likely dry up to a crisp before Santa arrives.

Lastly, don’t forget to examine the trunk. This part of the tree should be as straight as possible so it can easily fit into the stand. Unfortunately, if you have to tear away some of the bark to make it fit, the tree will ultimately dry out sooner.

2. Handle With Care

After choosing your own healthy, green tree, it’s important to start taking care of it right away. For starters, wrap the tree for the journey home. Because the blistering winds it will inevitably experience traveling on the top of your car can dry out the tree, avoid any damage by tightly covering all sides with either a plastic tarp or blanket. This will ensure your tree remains fresh with a capital “F.”

Also, allow your tree to become properly acclimated before bringing it directly into your home. As eager as you might be to start the decorating process, exposing the tree from one extreme to another — such as the cold temperatures outside to the warmer ones indoors — will cause significant stress to the tree. To avoid dryness and the premature loss of needles, set the tree in an unheated area for about a day or two before bringing it inside, and remember to keep it in a bucket of water. Garages and basements are two great options for this transitional period. No matter which unheated area you use, make sure it is protected from wind or freezing temperatures.

3. Take Time to Trim

If you bought a precut tree, there’s a good chance it has been patiently sitting on the lot for several days. Who knows? Maybe even a week or two. What this means is the vascular system that draws up water from the base has most likely become clogged. Therefore, it is crucial to take time to trim the trunk in order to reprime your tree. Cutting off a half-inch slice from the bottom will assist the tree in regaining its ability to absorb water more readily.

When you make the trim, a simple straight cut across is all it takes. As shocking as it might seem, drilling holes in the sides and/or cutting at an angle does not improve how well the tree will take in water. It will only make it harder for the tree stand to securely hold the tree.

Speaking of tree stands, make sure you choose one that properly fits your tree. If you choose one that’s too small in size, your tree will not get as much water as it needs and will lose its healthy state faster. In addition, select a sturdy stand that holds at least one gallon of water.

4. Remember to Hydrate

Just as we humans need constant hydration, Christmas trees need an abundance of H2O, too. So remember to get your tree in water as soon as possible, because the longer the base keeps from drying out, the healthier and fresher your green giant will remain. Although the absorption rate of water varies from day to day, a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that a typical tree drinks approximately a quart of liquid for each inch of its diameter. Therefore, always make a point to top off the tree stand with water each day. And if you want to be extra cautious, check the stand’s reservoir twice a day to ensure it stays completely full.

While many people opt for using Christmas tree preservatives, studies have shown these additives are totally unnecessary. So if you want to make your tree last longer, forget about any magical mixtures. Plain water — and lots of it — will work just fine.

5. Location Is Key

Deciding on a spot to place your tree is one of the most important factors for keeping it healthy. Without a doubt, your tree will last longer if it is placed away from all sources of heat and sunlight. So when it comes to any fireplaces, radiators, vents, or air ducts, avoid them all. To maintain the most freshness, you may want to go as far as using a humidifier or lowering the temperature in the room to keep the air moist. And, if possible, use cool-to-touch LED lights, too. Because, as you might guess, the lower the heat, the longer the tree’s needles will stay intact and the more vibrancy it will maintain.

Above all, remember the importance of safety. Avoid placing the tree in areas where it is likely to be knocked over, and ensure all lights and cords are in fitting working condition before you start decorating. Most importantly, don’t forget to turn off the tree’s lights at night when you sleep or when you leave your house for long periods.

Friday, Dec. 20, 2019

News 12 at 6 O’Clock/NBC at 7

AUGUSTA, GA (WRDW/WAGT) — Believe it or not, we’re only five days away from Christmas, but most of you have probably had your tree up for some time now.

From small trees to little trees, Tom Sawyer’s Christmas Tree Farm in Monetta has it all.

“We have a trees the run from 4 foot to 10 foot,” Sawyer said.

Variety – they have plenty of that.

“We have Virginia Pine, Leyland Cypress, Murray Cypress,” Sawyer said.

But no matter what tree you get, every tree needs a little care.

“The key thing to caring for a tree is to keep it in water so that the water can transpire properly and keep your tree fresh,” Sawyer said.

So here’s a few tips: be sure to check water levels every day as the stand always needs to be full.

What about Old Wives Tales like adding sugar or even a little Sprite into the mix to keep your tree green even longer?

“Research at North Carolina State University shows that nothing is better than pure water and if you just cannot stand it or can’t believe me, you might just put a real mild solution of a house plant fertilizer, but no sugar; it would just cause mold,” Sawyer said.

Did you know Christmas trees like cooler temperatures? That means you should keep the thermostat in your home in the low 70s. And remember — never put your tree near the wood stove or fireplace.

A n essential step to keeping a Christmas supple and fresh is to put it in water. But this will do no good unless you cut a small amount off the bottom of the trunk immediately before putting it in water. This and other steps will help your tree to stay fresh for weeks through the holidays. Read on for more ideas to preserve your Christmas tree for as long as possible.

Whether you cut down a tree fresh or buy one from a lot, it will continue drink water for weeks. But it can do this only if the bottom of has not healed over with a protective layer of sap. Even if a fresh cut is made when you purchase your tree, by the time you get home, it may have already partially or completely sealed itself up. For the longest lifespan for a cut tree, you must ensure it gets water, just like cut flowers in a vase. To guarantee the tree can drink, you should cut 1/2″ to 1″ from the bottom of the trunk immediately before putting it into its tree stand.

Should I Put a Christmas Tree in Water?

A Christmas tree will drink more water during the first few days, so it is very important to check it 2-3 times a day and keep the reservoir filled with water. If the water level drops below the bottom of the trunk, it will begin to heal over and prevent it from taking up water. A tree may drink a gallon of water, or more, every day.

Keeping your tree’s needles soft and on the tree for up to six weeks is possible with proper preparation. But, without water a tree will dry out, shed needles and become a fire hazard. For the best looking and safest tree, it should be mounted in a base with a water reservoir. Choose a base that has a large reservoir or even a second reservoir on the side. An auxiliary reservoir makes adding water easier.

How To Trim a Christmas Tree for a Tree Stand

As mentioned above, remove about 1/2″ off the bottom of the tree’s trunk to reveal fresh wood. Do this immediately prior to placing it in the stand, to minimize the risk of the trunk healing over with sap. Trim off branches from about the bottom 6″ of the tree. You may wish or need to trim off more. If you aren’t able to recut the tree trunk when you get it home, then at least have someone at the tree lot cut it for you and then bring the tree straight home.

Once your tree is set up in its base, fill the reservoir with water. It may take a day or so before your tree drinks any water, but then once it does start drinking, refill it frequently. Do not let the reservoir get below the bottom of the tree or the trunk will start to seal over and the tree will not be able to take up water.

What Should I Add to the Christmas Tree Water?

There are many common practices of adding something to the water in a Christmas tree stand to help keep the tree alive longer. Anything that will keep the needles green and on the tree is worth a shot, right? Adding Aspirin, sugar, 7-Up or bleach are common additives used by many to preserve the tree. These myths are so commonly held that the Mythbusters team tested them in their 2006 TV season. To see the results of their experiments on Christmas tree preservation watch the Mythbusters 2006 Christmas Special. *Spoiler Alert: Water is all you need, nothing else. In fact some things can shorten the time your tree remains fresh. So don’t bother with fertilizer, 7-up, glycerin or anything else; just give your Christmas tree plenty of water.

More Ways to Keep a Christmas Tree Fresh

Warm temperatures will dry out a tree more quickly. Keep them away from heating vents and radiators and of course, fireplaces.

A Christmas tree will benefit from sunlight, so keeping it near a window can be helpful. Light from Christmas tree lights will even help a little bit, especially white or clear bulbs. LED light strings are best because they generate less heat and they output a broad range usable light.

Keep Your Tree Standing

One of the frustrating problems that comes along with an Xmas tree stand is its tendency to tip over. Made all the worse when it is full of water. So here are a few tips to help keep your tree upright and avoid having your Christmas tree fall over.

Hang your tree from the ceiling. Okay, it’s not as weird as it sounds. You don’t really hang the tree, instead by putting a hook or eyelet in the ceiling, you can use a strand or two of high strength fishing line to provide the small amount of extra support to keep the tree upright. It doesn’t to support the weight of the tree, it just supports it enough to keep it from leaning. If you do this, be sure to screw the hook onto a ceiling joist, or use a molly bolt to provide enough strength to hold it in place. Alternatively, you can use two strings mounted from two locations in the walls to help keep the tree standing straight.

Another good solution it to fasten the base to the ground. Because you probably don’t want to drive screws into your floor, screw the base onto a large piece of plywood. The plywood base may be big enough to provide and the needed support, or you can add some weights on top of the plywood to keep it in place.

Christmas just doesn’t feel right without a Christmas tree. This is the element that gets you and your guests into the holiday spirit, the detail that brings joy to your home during the holiday season. Of course, fresh, real Christmas trees are the best. But keeping them healthy and beautiful during Christmas is not that easy. But there are a few things that you can do to make things better.

By keeping the Christmas tree out of direct sunlight you can make sure it won’t dry up. It’s also important to keep it away from the fireplace even if the image of the two elements together is very beautiful and festive.

It’s important to put the Christmas tree in water. But before you do that, you can also make a perpendicular cut in the base of the tree. The cut should be 1.5’’ thick and you can make it with a saw. It’s another trick that can help the tree stay fresh longer.

You also have to be careful when you decorate the Christmas tree because this can damage it as well. Make sure you don’t use too many Christmas lights because this can cause the tree to overheat. The tree will dry out and its needles will fall out quicker.

When you choose the spot where you want to display your Christmas tree, make sure it’s big enough for it to fit easily. It’s not ok to try to squeeze a large tree in a small space. Not only that it won’t look good but this will also damage the tree.

Make sure your Christmas tree has fresh cold water at all times. It needs to be hydrated if you want it to stay fresh and healthy. The water should never be warmer than room temperature so check it periodically.

The Christmas tree also absorbs water through its needles so another way of making sure it stays fresh and healthy is to get a spray bottle, fill it with cold water and spray the tree once a day. Before you do that, make sure all the lights and electrical elements around the tree are unplugged to avoid accidents.