When it comes to caring for your cut Christmas tree, a few simple hints go a long way to keep a tree looking sensational all throughout the holiday season. And, keep it from drying out and becoming a major fire hazard!
This has certainly been a crazy, tough year for so many folks around the globe. And perhaps celebrating with a real Christmas tree, and smelling that fresh pine is truly is one of the best ways to bring a little normalcy back into all of our lives.
Maybe that’s exactly why people are heading out in record numbers this holiday season to bring home their own cut Christmas tree.
With that in mind, we thought it was a perfect time to take a look at 5 simple keys to help keep all of those fresh cut Christmas trees safe and looking great all through the holiday season. A few of which may surprise even veteran fresh-cut tree owners!
5 Simple Tips To Keep Your Cut Christmas Tree Looking Great
#1 Start With The Freshest Tree Possible
Quite simply, the fresher the tree, the longer it’s going to last in your home. Unfortunately, in the era of mass transit, many trees are cut and trucked halfway across the country. That means some have already been cut for weeks before ever making it into a home!
If at all possible, choose a local tree farm or local supplier to ensure the freshest tree possible. You-cut tree farms are the best option of all. After all, nothing is more fresh than bending down and sawing off the trunk to your own tree.
It’s just another great example of where supporting local really pays off. And in more ways than one. Not only are you getting the freshest tree possible, you are also supporting the community where you live and work.
#2 Cut A Fresh Tree Base – Cut Christmas Tree Care
Did you know that one of the best ways to keep a tree fresh and healthy longer is to cut an inch or so off the bottom of the trunk before putting it into water?
When a tree is cut from its base, it immediately begins to seal off the cut edge with sap. And that sap prevents fresh water from helping give moisture back to the tree.
But by slicing off an inch or two from the bottom of the base before, you open the pores back up. And doing this right before putting it into the base with water can really help in hydrating the tree and extending its shelf life.
#3 Water The Tree With Warm Water – Cut Christmas Tree Care
Now that you have your tree home and the trunk re-cut, it’s time to put it down into a water-filled base. Keeping a tree well-watered is the single biggest key to success for keeping the needles strong through the Christmas season.
But, and here is a big key, water only with warm water – not cold. Watering with cold water can actually close the cells from the cut end of the tree. And in the process, the water will not absorb in to hydrate the tree.
In addition to the warm water trick, make sure you select a deep watering well tree stand that holds enough water to keep the bottom of the trunk always covered in water.
This helps keep the cut end from closing off once again. And just like before, once it dries out and seals with sap, it is unable to soak in water.
# 4 Keep In A Cool Room – Cut Christmas Tree Care
Once a Christmas tree has been cut, it begins to slowly deteriorate. But heat plays a big part in how quickly the tree will begin to fade away.
Keep the room where your Christmas tree is located cool. In addition, keep it away from windows that are flooded directly by the sun during daylight hours. Also make sure the tree is not directly in front of or covering floor and wall heating vents.
Last but not lease, do not locate it anywhere close to a heat source such as a fireplace or electric heater. Not only is it an extreme fire hazard, the excessive heat will also take a quick toll on the tree’s lifespan.
#5 Use Cool-Burning LED Lights For Decorating – Cut Christmas Tree Care
One of the best things you can do for extending the life of a cut Christmas tree is to use cool-burning LED lights. LED lights are cool to the touch, and keep a tree’s needles and stems from drying out.
Even better, they are also extremely energy efficient, so you will save on keeping it lit all through the Christmas season. LED lights are now available in a huge array of styles, colors, and can be made to even glow like the lights of yesteryear.
One thing is for sure, lights and decorations have sure come a long way from the one’s we had as kids! (See : Remembering Christmas Decorations From The 60’s, 70’s and 80’s)
Finally, when the season is all over, make sure you recycle your tree! Many communities now offer free pick up to turn the trees into valuable mulch. It is a much better option than simply setting it ablaze or throwing it out.
There you have it! 5 simple care tips to keep that cut Christmas tree looking great right through to New Year’s Eve! Happy Gardening & Merry Christmas – Jim and Mary.
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
As always, feel free to email us at thefarm@owgarden.com with comments, questions, or to simply say hello! You can sign up for our free email list in the subscribe now box in the middle of this article. Follow us on Facebook here : OWG Facebook. This article may contain affiliate links.