Christmas Tree Care

12/11/2019 (Permalink)

Christmas time is here! We have brought you some tips to keep your lovely Christmas tree fresh and vibrant, longer.

Be careful during transport. Making sure you take extra care before your tree even goes in your home will be important for keeping it fresh. Use care not to break branches or bend the thin part at the top. Also, you should prepare the truck for water and care. Make a 1-inch slice off the bottom of the trunk where the tree was cut to allow it to soak up nutrients and water when you place it in your home.

Select a longer-lasting variety of trees, to begin with. This means buying as local as possible so that your tree is fresh and grown in an environment that is sustainable and ideal. IF you can, pick a local tree farm to go and select a fresh cut tree if possible. If there are no local tree farms, your next best bet is to cut one yourself by obtaining a permit from the Forest Service. As a last resort, buy from a tree stand but make sure you feel the needles first. They should not fall off when touched or the tree is not fresh and could be more than a week past its cut date.

Make sure to get your tree in water as soon as possible. It needs water as soon as possible and plenty of it during its duration. Make sure the water is not too cold, which can actually “shock” the tree. 

Add nutrients to your tree’s water. There are several tips and tricks for the right nutrients to feed your tree, and there are certainly tree foods you can buy as well. The bottom line is all your tree needs is a sugar source and plenty of water.  This can be as simple as adding a couple of tablespoons of plain sugar in your tree’s water and watching to make sure there is always plenty of fresh water in your tree stand.

Choose a good location for your tree.  Make sure it is far away from anything that could dry it out, not only for preservation's sake but for safety.  This means not placing it near baseboard heaters, fans, vents, or in direct sunlight. A dry location will make your effort to keep it well watered pointless.

Switch to LED lights. Consider using newer LED bulbs for lights on your tree. They produce less heat and therefore, will not be as drying.

Keep a good eye on your water level. Check once or twice a day as some trees tend to be very thirsty. Every time you add water, make sure it is warm and has a tablespoon of sugar dissolved in it.

Try running a humidifier. In the cold and drying months, running a humidifier in the room your tree is in can help prevent your tree from drying out. This is actually really good to do for your own health as well!

We wish you a warm, happy, and SAFE holiday!

As always, if disaster strikes, SERVPRO of Springfield, Sangamon, Morgan, Cass, and Montgomery counties is always here for you. We can be reached 24/7 at 217-528-7775