How to take care of a real christmas tree

The key to maintaining a fresh Christmas tree is to keep the bottom 2 inches of the trunk immersed in water, even if that means refilling the stand every day. Keep your tree hydrated and reduce needle drop by adding 1 capful of Miracle-Gro® for Christmas Trees for every quart of water added to your tree stand.

Real Christmas Trees Can Last For…

Around four to five weeks in ideal conditions, which is why the weekend after Thanksgiving is prime time to purchase a Christmas tree. However, there are a few factors that can increase (or decrease) a tree’s lifespan.

It’s important to keep your tree moist to keep it alive. Make sure you fill up the stand immediately after you cut the trunk and place the tree inside — but don’t panic if you can’t do it straight away because most trees will be fine if you fill the stand within 24 hours.

The general guidelines on keeping a living Christmas tree indoors is to limit it to a week to ten days maximum, after which the tree should be moved back to an unheated yet sheltered transition location for at least a few days.

A healthy, fresh-cut Christmas tree will last for four to five weeks if properly cared for. If you’re itching to put up your holiday decorations earlier, start with non-living decorations whenever you like, and finish off with fresh greenery and your Christmas tree around the first of December.

Water your real Christmas tree every day to keep it looking plump and full. A dehydrated tree will start to droop and wilt quickly, so we recommend adding a minimum of 500ml of water a day. A real tree can absorb around 1-2 litres of water per day, however a cut tree will keep hydrated with less.

Purify your air

Having an indoor air purifier in the room with your Christmas tree can remove mold, pollen and dust particles from the air.

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.

The Best Trees Are Harvested Early

You should consider mid-November as the time to plan and follow through on your Christmas tree purchase. Christmas tree farms typically open during the middle of November and start cutting trees for lot sales.

The National Christmas Tree Association says the best way to keep a Christmas tree hydrated is plain fresh water. Adding aspirin, soda, bleach, corn syrup, sugar or preservatives are unnecessary and actually can be detrimental. They can decrease moisture retention and increase needle loss.

In many cases, once the tree gets into your home the mold on the tree begins reproducing, triggering an allergic reaction known as “Christmas Tree Syndrome.” About 7% of the general population with allergies suffers from Christmas tree allergies.

For some people, the scent of a Christmas tree is beautiful, but it can also be a major headache trigger. After a couple of weeks with pine boughs in your home, you might be suffering. Other common holiday scents that give people headaches include scented candles and even cinnamon.

Fresh water

Be sure to replace the water that is used each day and don’t allow the stand to dry out. Do not add sugar, aspirin, bleach or floral preservatives to the water; plain tap water is all that is needed to keep your tree fresh.

But I’ve found 7-Up to be the best addition; it really helps preserve the tree—and it presents no danger to pooch and kitty types. Just add a cup of soda to the water in the reservoir every couple of days. Don’t over do it; no more than one part Seven-Up to every three parts water.

Watering your Christmas Tree:

A freshly-cut six-to-seven foot tree can take in over a quart of water a day. The water basin of the stand should be sufficiently large that the very bottom of the tree will always remain immersed in water. “A tree can’t be overwatered,” John says.

Andersen points out that some people swear by commercial Christmas tree preservatives, which can be mixed into the water in the stand. Others have said that they’ve had success by mixing a tablespoon of corn syrup or sugar into the water as a food source for the tree. Some people even add aspirin to the water.

Cut Again. When setting up a tree the trunk needs to be cut again to allow the tree to begin taking up water. The cut must be at least ¼ of an inch up the trunk in order to remove the section with the dried sap. If the cut is made too close to the end it will not be able to absorb water.

Reviving a Christmas tree is as simple as giving it more water. The more water you give to the tree, the longer it will last, just like cut flowers. It is important to ensure that the tree has enough water and is protected from extreme heat to prevent the needles from drying out.

People who use sugar water for their trees often use a mixture rate of one cup of sugar for every gallon of water added to the reservoir.

You should spray your tree with room temperature water at least once a day but only when the Christmas lights are off and unplugged. Spraying your tree daily will reduce the dryness, prevent excessive amounts of needles from falling off, and make the tree more resistant against fire and flames.