‘Tis the season for holiday festivities and Christmas trees! In order to maximize the enjoyment time, many families like to put out their Christmas trees as early as possible, but if you don’t have a fake tree that means trying to keep a real tree alive.
If properly cared for a Christmas tree can last for weeks, but it all starts with where you buy it or cut it. The best method for retrieval is to cut the tree yourself aiming to do so a few weeks before Christmas. We know that cutting your own isn’t always a feasible option though so if you’re choosing a pre-cut tree from a local nursery or tree farm, make sure it was cut recently.
What To Look For?
You can do this by brushing your hand across the needles to see how many fall off and how soft and flexible they are. If the needles fall off with a simple brush of your hand that is a good indication that it has been awhile since the tree was cut. A good tree will have flexible needles that don’t fall off and will have a decent weight to it, meaning it hasn’t lost all of its water yet.
The second step is to make sure the cut on your tree is both clean and flat. A clean flat surface will allow the vascular system to pull water up from the tree stand. This also helps to remove any dirt or hardened sap that could have found its way onto the bottom.
Also, placement of your tree is also key. Avoid putting your tree near air vents or heat sources that can cause water to evaporate unnecessarily from the needles. Make sure to continually refill the tree stand with water to keep the tree from running out.
And lastly, always remember to dispose of your tree should needles start excessively dropping. A dry tree is not safe and can be a fire hazard!