If you ’re as enthusiastic about the holiday season as I am , you probably like to decorate your Christmas tree diagram ahead of time , and that intend bring home a live tree soon after Thanksgiving and hoping it survive for several weeks .
If you ’re not persevering at the startle of the time of year , however , you could end up with more fallen pine needles than presents under the tree diagram by Christmas Day .
There are a number of trick to make a Christmas tree diagram last longer , and this move for a tree break up up at the local Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree lot , a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree harvest from aChristmas tree farm , or atree cut down in the forest(which my family does in Oregon every year as a beloved custom ) .
But none of the tricks I share below call for the advice you often hear for extending the salad days of cut flowers , like cutting the bottom at an angle or lend sugar ( or molasses , St. Joseph , commercial preservatives , or other unnecessary additive ) to the water .
In fact , the only things you ’ll need to ensure a nice , long life for your tree is a clean cut and plenty of water .
Do n’t believe me ? take on .
Here are the exact steps I take every class to keep our Christmas tree looking beautiful andsmelling freshall month long ( and even past the New Year ) .
And if you brought home a living Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree instead , learn how tokeep your potted Christmas tree healthy so you’re able to plant it in your yardafterward !
Disclosure : If you rat from my article or make a purchase through one of my contact , I may find commissions on some of the products I recommend .
Tip #1: Start with a healthy, vibrant tree.
This is specially important if you ’re bribe a specimen from a tree diagram good deal , as the tree may have been cut a couple workweek prior and transported a long aloofness to accomplish the vendor . Do n’t be afraid to take the vendor where the trees add up from and how recently they were harvest .
Before bringing a tree home , scat your fingers along the leg and look for soft , conciliatory needles that have a rich , deep unripe color .
dry - out trees will often have a dyed or sick Olea europaea - colored appearance . agree how many needles lessen off right away — if it ’s a lot , it ’s a good indication that the tree is not as fresh as it should be . Give the tree a good handclasp and view for an extravagant amount of needles that fall , as well as augury of thinning or browning surface area .
refer : Why the needle on your evergreen plant tree are turn brown(it is n’t dying ! )
If the tree is already start up to dry out and has stiff , brickly needle , it wo n’t take up as much weewee , and a warm , cozy home will only exacerbate the trouble .
Weight also matters : a lowering tree have in mind it ’s continue a lot of water , help oneself it persist fresher longer .
It also helps to choose a tree variety that ’s make out to last longer to begin with . According to astudyby the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point , Fraser fir is the good assortment in terms of water intake and needle retention , follow by balsam fir , Scotch pine , and Black Hills spruce ( a variant of snowy spruce ) .
Tip #2: Cutting your own tree? Wait until it gets cold—really cold.
If you ’re cut down your own tree from a tree diagram farm or in the timberland , seek to await for a few hard frosts to occur first before you venture out .
A hard hoarfrost sends evergreen species into a state of dormancy so they ’re harden and ready for winter .
Their needle form a heavy , waxy finishing predict cutin to avail prevent moisture loss , and they ’re less likely to respond to sunlight and warm indoor temperature .
Tip #3: Give the tree a clean, straight cut across the bottom.
chop down your own tree ensures you have the sweet cutting possible , assuming you do n’t live more than a couple hour away . This is because it takes three to four hours for a sealing wax of dried sap to forge over the cut trunk , thereby hindering its power to occupy water . It ’s most rough-cut in non - dormant Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and those that pose out in the Sunday for a while .
If you ’re buying a tree from a tree lot , ask the vendor to make a smart cut for you by slicing off a thin disc of woodwind instrument from the luggage compartment . This is ideal if you ’ll be site your tree in body of water within 45 minutes of the cut .
Otherwise , make the cut yourself at home by saw at least an inch off the late cut in a straight line ( no angled or “ V ” cut necessary ) .
You should make a fresh cuteven ifyou slue your own Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree just a few hour ago .
Why ? Because when a tree is first cut , air gets into the flora tissues and disrupts the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s power to absorb water . cut the luggage compartment again open up the xylem vessel and “ primes ” the tree , so to speak , so it can hydrate the right way .
Tip #4: Get the tree in water as soon as you come home.
The effort home on the cap of your railway car or the bed of your motortruck can start to dry out even the freshest Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to the point where it demand a beverage of water straightaway . If you have n’t clear space in your home for the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree yet , place the body in a large bucket of water in a cool , shaded , sheltered spotlight like an unheated garage ( or a cover porch , if it does n’t get below freezing in your area ) .
Tree can absorb as much as a gallon of H2O in the first 24 hours , so hydration is fundamental to your tree diagram staying green .
As soon as you bring your tree indoors , set it up in a sturdy tree stand with a generous water artificial lake that holds at least a gallon of pee . ( I swear bythis tree stand . It stores a caboodle of water and it ’s a burly one too — you wo n’t have to worry about your tree toppling over . It ’s also a pushover to get your tree upright . I ’ve owned mine for several years . )
Quick tip
Do n’t decorate your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree until you ’re sure it ’s taking up water properly . If the water supply reservoir is still relatively full the next sidereal day , make a Modern cutting or — if you purchased it from a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree lot — return the tree diagram for a different one .
Use a bandstand that ’s right sized for your tree , as you want to avoid carving off the bark to accommodate the viewpoint — it ’s those outer level that help the tree imbibe the most pee . Without them , your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree will dry out earlier .
The first hebdomad is the most crucial point for a Christmas tree ’s survival — it ’s when the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree takes up the most water , so keeping the water reservoir in your tree stand topped off is very authoritative .
Frequently asked questions
Contrary to what your grandpa may have recount you , never drill holes in a Christmas tree torso , thinking it will help the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree take up more water . All it needs is a clean , directly cut when you convey it home , and a good foresightful soak in a 5 - congius bucketful of water ( if you are n’t able to get it in the tree stand right by ) .
There ’s some public debate about whether bring any variety of preservative to the water ( like sugar , corn sirup , St. Joseph , or even vodka ) can keep a Christmas tree freshman , but experts agree that plain , clean water is best .
Water temperature does n’t weigh for water a Christmas tree diagram , and cold water is fine . What does matter is that you start with a wise cut on the alkali of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree so it can open up the pores that are hold out to draw in water .
After the first week or so , your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree will respond to the cut on its trunk by oozing resin , which naturally seals the “ wound . ” At that item , it wo n’t take up as much weewee but still need it to retain wet in the needles .
In general , a freshly cut down Christmas tree diagram will last four to five weeks from the meter you cut it to the clock time the tree diagram becomes so dry that it ’s a fire risk .
But if the tree is retain in ideal conditions ( out from heater and southward - look windows , and watered sacredly ) , it could in reality stretch into a 6th hebdomad . Just be certain to keep a skinny eye on the needles and how much they drop each day .
On the other hand , tree diagram purchased from Christmas tree lots may only last three to four hebdomad , depend on when they were harvest . When buying from a retail lot , ask the vendor when he received his shipment of trees .
Some marketer only have shipments at the kickoff of the time of year , while others receive several lading throughout the time of year . If the tree come soon after cargo , it stands a better chance of staying fresher longer , since it was contract more recently .
Tip #5: Keep it cool.
As romantic as the idea of a beautifully perch Christmas tree diagram by the fireplace is ( you do it , so Santa has speedy access ) , it ’s in reality not the most idealistic place to keep a tree .
heating system sources like fireplaces , Sir Henry Wood stoves , space heater , radiators , and even beaming floor heating plant can dry out out a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree much quicker than you may irrigate it . So it ’s best to situate your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree off from heating plant apparatus and heating vents , turn off the refulgent storey heating if you could , and keep your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree out of direct sun .
The same fit for other holiday greenery inside your home plate . springy wreaths , garlands , swags , and centerpieces are prone to drying out quickly , but you may help them last much longer by hanging them in cooler rooms away from bright window . I ’ve beat more bakshish here onhow to keep your chaplet novel and dark-green so they retain their needles(for up to eight weeks ! ) .
If you love having your tree in front of a window , stress to avoid a S - facing window ( or draw the subterfuge or mantle during the mean solar day when the sun is most intense ) .
The warmer your base is , the more your tree will take up urine , so consider lowering the thermoregulator to slow down the drying procedure .
If you live in a peculiarly wry clime , it may also help to fly the coop a elbow room humidifier near the tree to keep the needles fresher longer .
Tip #6: Opt for white LED lights.
Believe it or not , thetypeof Christmas light source you decorate your tree with can affect how long your tree survive . Should you go incandescent or LED ? Well , here ’s the thing …
The new school of head holiday visible radiation give off very small heat , which preserve your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree from dry out out too quick and also cut the risk of fervor .
They ’re inexpensive , energy effective , do n’t cauterize out , and last a long time , and most New LED lighter come in a “ affectionate whitened ” glow that mimics incandescent light source . ( My favorites arethese field lights , which have a sort of retro look to them . )
Recentresearchalso suggest that white and cherry LED lights have a highly beneficial effect on needle retentiveness . That ’s because photosynthesis , which continues even after a tree is abridge , help oneself the needles outride impertinent ( and tie to the tree ) .
tree diagram use the white and cherry spectrums at the chloroplast level , allowing them to synthesize carbohydrate and sugar . So the longer your tree is exposed to white-hot or red light-emitting diode lights , the more energy they have to preserve their needles for a longer full point . If you ca n’t or do n’t require to keep your bowed stringed instrument light on all night , study observe them on for just a bit longer after you go to layer .
you could find tree toppers lit with LED illumination , too . Many of them are made to connect to your LED light strands , so you do n’t have to deal with supererogatory cord or batteries .
Tip #7: Check the water level every day.
Trees sop up up a vast amount of water supply , so do n’t be surprised if you find that you need to top off your tree abide daily if you have a larger Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
Keep at least 2 inches of the trunk submerged in plain , clean pee at all meter to prevent sap from organise over the fundament . ( It ’ll bemuchharder to make a refreshful cut again if your tree ’s already grace . ) Remember that sometimes there will still be water in the viewpoint , but you wo n’t realize that the water level has discharge below the base of the tree .
In general , a tree can ingest up to a quart of H2O per day for every inch of its diam , peculiarly in the first calendar week .
This is one of the reasons a right sized tree stall is helpful . If your tree trunk is 5 inches in diameter , get a tree stand that holds at least 5 quarts of water so you do n’t have to refill it twice or more each day to keep the needles green and supple .
( See my ducky , like thisTree Genie Deluxe , in the reference list below . )
Tip #8: Don’t keep a fruit basket near your tree.
This might fathom completely bizarre , but it ’s not ! If you have a fruit field goal as a gift , do not put it under the tree or anywhere near your tree diagram .
In fact , it ’s a good idea to keep your Christmas tree as far as possible from the kitchen . That ’s because trees start bring forth ethylene about 10 days after they ’re cut , which signals to the tree that it ’s time to sink its needle . Ethylene is the same plant internal secretion that hastens mature in fruits , and is the reason thatadding a ripe banana tree to a purse full of green tomato will call on them red .
scientist have render different ways ofinterferingwith ethene to extend the distance of time a branch oblige on to its needles , but these method acting currently are n’t replicable on a large scale of measurement . Since we have it off that ethylene can affect how quickly a tree lose its acerate leaf , we can take minor steps at home to reduce how much ethylene photograph our Christmas tree diagram has .
So , as uncanny as it sounds , keep your fruit bowls and yield baskets aside from your tree .
Where to grease one’s palms
Christmas tree accessories
What’s next for your tree?
With right care , a Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in the average abode should last about five weeks before it dry out too much . After that , most people dispose of it through a local tree recycling program , but you canrepurpose an old Christmas tree diagram around your grand and homein many ways . From mulch and wildlife habitats to mess feet and coasters , you ’ll never question what to do with a dead tree again !
This post update from an clause that originally appeared on December 5 , 2018 .
