How to Keep a Christmas Tree Alive During the Holidays
It’s that time of year again. The air is fresh, it’s dark at 4 pm, and it’s time for those celebrating to buy a Christmas tree. Do you believe that Santa is going down the chimney, Soviet-era Santa Claus and his faithful companion Snegurochka are going to visit your non-denominational New Year tree, or that the Bishop of Turkey is going to walk by for a small egg gogol, you want this tree to smell good and look good The entire month. Here’s how to keep these needles hydrated during Krampus Night , Winter Solstice, and before Christmas.
1. Make sure your tree can drink
Just as you need to prune the stems of flowers before submerging them in the water, if you are not bringing the tree fresh from the farm, you need to make sure that the stem is not clogged with sap at the bottom. This is not something you can probably do on your own at home if you don’t have a saw and plenty of room on hand. So when you buy a tree, ask the vendor to cut a thin disc at the very end, about half an inch or so, so that the tree has a fresh cut at the bottom and can drink water. Place the tree in the water as soon as you bring it home – don’t let the bottom of the trunk dry out again.
2. Find a suitable tree stand.
You want your tree to be raised so that there is space between the end of the trunk and the bowl. You also want the stand to hold a gallon of water or more. A simple plastic stand consisting of a water tank with several screws is ideal to hold the tree securely above the bottom of the water tank. Make sure you tighten the screws to hold the wood securely in place. Leave about an inch of space between the bottom of the tree trunk and the water bowl.
3. Accommodation
This may seem obvious, but don’t place the tree next to a radiator. Since you usually don’t place furniture next to a radiator, this is often a free corner of the room that works best for wood, but it will also dry out the wood much faster and can end up being a fire hazard as well. The same goes for heaters and any other heat sources in the house – remember to keep the tree away from them.
4. Water, water and water.
Trees drink an amazing amount of water – as soon as you think you’ve refilled the water dish on the tree, it empties, so check it every day. In fact, for the first week and a half when you have a tree at home, it doesn’t hurt to check the water level twice a day, morning and evening. It is normal for a tree to drink up to a gallon a day, or more , depending on the diameter of the tree trunk. According to the University of Pennsylvania Department of Horticulture , you don’t need to use any commercial tree feed or preservatives – good old water is best.