These Hacks Will Actually Dry Your Christmas Tree Faster
A live Christmas tree may seem like a great project for someone with a tanned finger. He only needs to be cared for for a month before he gets tossed to the curb. But it’s important to keep your tree fresh and happy during this time to prevent it from becoming a fire hazard . Unfortunately, there are many fake “hacks” that actually increase the likelihood of your tree losing needles. Let’s separate myths from real useful tips.
Don’t put anything in water
It seems that everyone has their own special recipe for “preserving” a Christmas tree. But if you talk to experts on keeping felled trees alive—like Cooperative Extension gardeners and the National Christmas Tree Association—they all agree that the best thing to put in a tree stand is plain water. Nothing added.
Take this study for example. A forestry specialist placed freshly cut Christmas tree branches in water treated with various substances that were supposed to prolong the life of the trees. These included tree preservatives that can be purchased in stores, as well as common DIY products that include corn syrup and bleach.
All the additions caused the branches to lose more needles than if they had simply been in plain water. Similar studies have been done with other supplements, including 7-Up sparkling water, but plain water always wins.
Don’t cut the tree trunk into weird shapes.
If you’re used to cutting flower stems at an angle before placing them in a vase, you might think it’s helpful to do the same with the trunk of your Christmas tree.
But this doesn’t actually help the tree absorb more water and may make the tree less healthy, experts say.
“Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does not improve water absorption,” says the National Christmas Tree Association. Washington State University warns that pruning at an angle or planing the base of a tree can “severely impair” the tree’s ability to absorb water.
What to do instead? Make a flat cut at the bottom of the trunk before placing it on a stand or in a bucket of water. You only need to remove the 1/2-inch disc, and you should only do this if 6 to 12 hours have passed since the tree was cut down. This means that if you cut your own disc at a tree farm, you can simply drive it home and place it in water without cutting.
Keep your watering simple
Christmas trees need a lot of water. Before placing a tree on a stand, find out whether the stand can support it. The rule of thumb is that the tree drinks a liter of water per day per inch of trunk diameter . So if the trunk is 4 inches wide, it will hold a full gallon of water every day.
Of course, this may vary from tree to tree. And while you really shouldn’t let your pets drink water from the tree , you should give the tree extra water if you notice it’s disappearing faster than expected.
Be sure to check the tree at least twice a day to make sure it has enough water. (This goes double if your tree is near a vent or uses old-fashioned lights that generate a lot of heat.) You can even buy an automatic waterer or create your own siphon and bucket trick whenever you feel like it. I’m traveling. Just don’t let the tree dry out.
Don’t assume that every tree in the store is fresh.
The last tip I’ll give you is the first one you should know when purchasing: if the wood is already starting to dry out in the store, don’t give it away. And if all the trees in your Christmas tree lot are showing signs of drying out, you should shop elsewhere.
The easiest way to check is to take a branch and pull your hand towards you. The needles should remain firmly attached to the tree and not come off en masse in your hand.
You can also try bending the needle and see if it breaks. The needles on pine trees should not break at all. Spruce and spruce needles will break if bent enough (as you would expect from bending carrots), but they should not be dry and brittle.
Finally, lift the tree and tap the trunk on the ground a few times. If a few brown needles fall out, it’s okay: it’s like finding a few hairs in a comb. But if a rain of still green needles falls, this tree will not survive. As a bonus, tapping the wood this way will reduce the number of needles you’ll have to vacuum up when installing the wood.