How to keep a real Christmas tree fresh for a month
2 min read
Six simple steps that keep a real Christmas tree green and holding its needles: cutting the trunk, watering, and where to stand it.
A cut tree is like a bunch of flowers: it lasts as long as it can drink. Nearly every tree that sheds early has been allowed to dry out. These steps take ten minutes and make weeks of difference.
1. Let it settle
If the tree has been outside in the cold, a sudden move into a heated room is a shock. If you can, leave it in a porch, garage or sheltered spot for a day first, standing in a bucket of water.
2. Cut the trunk
Within hours of being cut, sap seals the base of the trunk and the tree can no longer take up water. Before you put it in the stand, saw 2 to 3 cm (about an inch) straight off the bottom. Do not cut it at an angle or whittle the sides to fit the stand, as the outer layers are the ones that carry water.
3. Use a stand that holds water
A stand with a reservoir is the single best thing you can buy for a real tree. Get the tree into water as soon as possible after cutting the trunk.
4. Water it every day
A freshly cut tree can drink a litre or more a day in its first week. Check the reservoir daily and never let the water level fall below the base of the trunk, or the cut will seal over again. Plain tap water is all it needs.
5. Keep it cool
Heat is what dries a tree out. Stand it away from radiators, fires and underfloor heating vents, and out of direct sun through a window. If the tree has to be near a radiator, turn that one down.
6. Use LED lights
LED lights give off very little heat, so they do not dry the needles the way older filament bulbs did. Switch lights off overnight and when you go out.
Signs your tree needs help
- Needles feel brittle or fall when you stroke a branch. It is thirsty. Check the water has not dropped below the trunk.
- The water level is not going down. The cut may have sealed. If you can, lift the tree and take another thin slice off the base.
If needles are already falling, see why is my Christmas tree dropping needles.