Here’s How You Can Make Your Christmas Tree Last All Holiday Season Long
The perfect Christmas tree.
You know the one, full with no gaps, deep green needles, and the smell of sticky sap radiating throughout the living tree!
For many, the Christmas tree is the centerpiece of holiday decor which means we want it looking its best all season long.
Although if you’re worried about needles dropping or browning before presents are left under the tree, here a few tips to keep your Christmas tree alive and well until the new year.
For one, choose a fresh and healthy tree from a local tree farm by running your hand gently on one branch and pulling to see what comes off.
A few needles are fine, a few handfuls, are not.
Plus unlike fake trees, living ones can be recycled.
Consider making a fresh cut if the tree has spent a few hours since it was harvested.
“When the trunk seals over with sap, the tree cannot take up water any longer,” says Tim O’ Connor, executive director of the National Christmas Tree Association.
“Saw about one half inch off the stump to create a fresh cut, and immediately place in water.” Cut it straight across and 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. If your stand is too small, get a bigger stand,” says O’Connor.
You should also be watering your trees every single day and trees that are extra tall, should be watered twice a day depending on how much the tree is drinking; yes Christmas trees are needy plants.
“It generally needs to be watered every day for the first seven to ten days, then it will slow down after,” says O’Connor.
A larger reservoir for your Christmas tree is a good investment for the holiday season.
Less time on your hands and knees and more time decorating with it comes to a water reservoir that can hold multiple cups of water at once rather than just one.
However, keep in mind that the water levels should be checked a few times each day, making sure that the water does not go below the tree trunk.
Say no to preservatives and say yes to LED string lights.
Lights that don’t get hot reduce drying, including keeping your tree away from fireplaces, heat vents, and direct sunlight, no matter how pretty tree looks standing next to the crackling fire.
Remember to recycle your Christmas tree once the holiday season has passed.
We don’t want to start off the new year by having our name put on the naughty list because we didn’t recycle.
