Ah, that heavenly scent of a freshly cut Christmas tree… there’s certainly nothing like it during the holidays.
But do you really know how to properly take care of your tree so that it maintains its beauty throughout the holiday, while also making sure it doesn’t pose any threat to your home?
One of the most crucial aspects to maintaining your tree is making sure it is adequately hydrated. Upon cutting the tree, more than half its weight is water so that tells you just how important it is to its survival. Properly taken care of, your tree can last up to five or six weeks.
When you get the tree home, put it into water as soon as possible. If you’re not ready to put the tree up, you can store it in a cool location or a few days – just make sure you place it in a bucket of water.
Your tree can “drink” up to a gallon of water a day and the general rule is that tree stands should provide one quart of water per inch of stem diameter. Make sure your tree fits in the stand and try not to shave the sides of the tree’s trunk to make it fit because the outside layers of wood are best in absorbing water. Before putting the tree into the stand cut about ½ inch from the bottom of the trunk. Check the stand every day to make sure the water level doesn’t go beneath the base of the tree.
Before putting lights on your tree, make sure they’re not worn and if possible, try to use smaller lights that don’t produce a lot of heat. Also, always keep your tree away from your fireplace, heaters, direct sunlight or vents (hint: if you can lower the temperature in the room where the tree is, it won’t dry out as quickly).
Finally, recycle your tree! Many areas will collect trees from neighborhood curbs or you can drop it at a recycling/mulching center.
