Hello! As we mentioned on Monday, we are concentrating on holiday decor. The first of our blog topics that we’re going to offer has to do with making your live Christmas tree last longer. So here are 5 easy tips to help a live Christmas tree last a lot longer this year.
Choose a Live Christmas Tree That’s Healthy
The first thing that you want to do is to make sure that you are choosing a healthy live Christmas tree. If you’re purchasing it from a roadside lot or garden store, chances are that it’s from another state. It also probably was exposed to winds that will dry it out while it was being shipped. If you want to begin with a really fresh tree, choose one that is from the local farm. No matter how you purchase your live Christmas tree, know how you can select the one that is healthiest.
Here are some tips for shopping for a live tree:
- Choose a green, healthy tree with very few brown needles
- Select one that is displayed in the shade. Don’t choose one that is in the sun.
- Take time to run a branch or two through your fingers. Its needles shouldn’t fall off and they should have a pliable feel.
- Raise it a couple of inches and then drop its trunk onto the ground. You should see very few of its needles falling off. However, it’s ok if there are brown ones falling off.
Trim Your Live Christmas Tree’s Trunk
When you are purchasing your live Christmas tree, make sure that the seller’s cutting it freshly across the tree’s trunk. This will help it to absorb water. This is also going to remove any resin that’s dried over because it could block your tree from being able to absorb water. Whenyou arrive home, if you aren’t putting it up immediately, it should be put into a bucket full of water. You also should store it in a garage that is unheated or someplace where it’s protected from freezing temperatures and wind.
When it’s time to bring the tree into the house, cut another 1” from the trunk’s bottom. After it’s inside, put into a sturdy tree stand that has at least 1-gallon of water.
Be Certain the Live Christmas Tree has Ample Water
Make sure that you are regularly watering your Christmas tree. When it doesn’t have enough, resin is going to form. This means your tree isn’t able to absorb the water meaning it will quickly dry out. A general good rule is that the tree should have a quart of water for every diameter inch.
Although you probably have heard of adding things like sugar, aspirin, corn syrup or beach to your tree water, these kinds of things are usually unnecessary. Most of the experts agree that lots of good, clean water will be all you need to keep your tree fresh. But make sure that you are checking your tree level’s daily – it always should be enough to cover it’s trunk’s cut end. Refill the water as necessary.
Lowering the room’s temperature where the tree is can help with keeping your tree fresh while requiring less water.
Keep Your Christmas Tree Far From Heat Sources
Of course, having a roaring fireplace is nice during the winter. However, along with air ducts, stoves, and sunlight radiation, having your tree near any source of heat can make it dry out a lot faster.
If you have a house that is often dry, humidifiers are a great way to put moisture back into the air.
Take the Tree Down Before It Completely Dries Out
If you’re waiting too long to take it down, you are going to have a lot of dead needles to clean up. The simplest way that you can clean up those needles on the floor is to use the hose of your vacuum. Don’t worry about using fancy attachments – simply use the hose’s end for drawing needles right into your canister or bag.
These are 5 tips that you can use to keep your Christmas tree looking fresh longer. Inteerested in finding out more about our holiday decor services? Contact us here and request a quote. We’ll be happy to let you know what we can do for you.
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