I think we all see Christmas trees as the main symbol of the holiday. Green, lush, beautiful and full of holiday spirit. But most of us unfortunately also know that keeping them that way til Christmas Eve and after can be a bit hard to do. Brown and lost needles, hanging branches and a loss of overall flair is far too common for Christmas trees.
I grew up around Christmas trees. And during that time, I picked up on a lot of ways to make sure they stay green and lush during the entire holiday season. So today, I thought I'd share a few of those ways with you.
Choose a nice and fresh tree
The first step to keeping your tree healthy begins right when you buy it. Make sure the tree you get is new and freshly cut. But how do we know that by just looking at it? Sometimes you can tell by just looking at it. Does it look nice, or is it starting to look a bit sad? But to really make sure, you need to get up close and touch the needles of the tree. Try lightly pulling on them, if they come off, that is a sign that the tree might be a bit to old to survive the holiday season. They should also feel firm and not break if you try to bend them, as well as still be green.
The absolute best thing you can do is cut your own tree. But I know that is not an option for a lot of people, so checking the needles is a great substitute to ensure freshness.
Nice and freshly cut
Not only should you be looking at the tree in its entirety and the needles, you also need to look at the stem where it was cut. Most flowers require a fresh cut to absorb water, and Christmas trees are the same. If you see that the cut looks dry, and the needles look lifeless, go for another tree. If the tree looks amazing and all the needles are nice, firm and green, you can always take a good saw and make a new, fresher cut.
After you've checked this or made a fresh cut, try to avoid banging the stump onto the ground or floor, as this can negatively effect your trees ability to absorb water.
Let your tree get acclimated to your home slowly
All the Christmas trees we buy are stored outside until you purchase it, to keep them fresh as long as possible.
And that is the right way to do it, as Christmas trees prefer colder temperatures. But your home is going to be warmer than that, so you need to slowly introduce your tree to that warmth. Once your tree has made it's way to your home, place your tree in the garage or any space that is just a few degrees warmer than the outside for the first day. It will still need water during this time, and go for lukewarm water rather than cold.
After that, you can take your tree inside place it.
Heat and Christmas trees
Your Christmas tree is a bit sensitive to heat, and therefore should be placed far away from any heat sources.
That includes, ovens, fireplaces, radiators and any other heat sources you may have.
The heat can cause your tree to dry out and lose its' needles prematurely, which means no green tree for Christmas Eve. To make sure it is far enough from the heat, you can use a thermometer to make sure the temperature stays around 68–75°F or 20–24°C.
Water, water and more water
The most important part to remember is that Christmas trees are incredibly thirsty. For water and nothing else. You may have heard that the need sugar, magnecyl or whiskey, but those are all myths. The only thing it needs is normal water, and lots of it. Especially when it first enters your home. During the first day and night, a 2 m tree can drink up to 5 liters of water. So make sure to really fill that Christmas tree stand!
And you need to keep an eye on the water level all the time, because if that tree stand is empty, your tree will most likely wilt and start to lose its needles. To do this, I would recommend using a water sensor to make sure it always has water.
I would also recommend choosing a good christmas tree stand that can hold enough water for your tree, so that you don't have to keep refilling it 5 times a day.
These are a few of my tips and tricks to keep your Christmas tree vibrant and lush for the entire holiday season, good luck and Merry Christmas!
Best Holiday wishes!
Anna
