How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh and Green

You can keep your Christmas tree fresh and green for 3 to 4 weeks if well cared for. Picking the most green and healthy tree is the obvious thing to do but how you care for your Christmas Tree is what really matters.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• saw
• sand
• water
• pail

1. 
    
   Lovely green Christmas tree

   If you cut your own Christmas tree, you know it is fresh, but if you buy one from a already cut lot you should check a few things first before selecting that perfect Christmas tree. Branches should be soft and pliable, foliage fragrant and of bright color. Feel the trunk. If it is moist with sap, the tree is probably fresh cut. Needles turning brown or crisp to touch indicate a tree has already lost moisture.

2. After bringing the Christmas tree home, keep it in a cold garage for at least 12 hours before bringing it into the warmth of a home. With a saw, cut across the trunk on a slant about 1 inch above the original cut. Set trunk in a pail of warm water, to start with, and sprinkle or spray branches daily with cold water.

3. 
    
   Safety First!

   To keep your tree fresh, support trunk in a container of moist sand and keep wet. You can improvise a stand by corking the drainage hole of a large flower-pot, filling this with sand, and then setting the pot in a large waterproof tub.

Tips & Warnings

• Always try to place your Christmas tree in a cool spot, away from heaters, radiators, fireplaces, and television.
• SAFETY FIRST! Never use lighted candles near or on the tree or near other greens that have become dry and crisp. Check electric lights, light connections and wires. Watch out for frayed wires or loose connections on or near tree. Keep electric toys away from tree; also wrapping paper and othe flammable materials.

Resources

• Willow Nativity
• 27Ft Rope lights; Cool White LED Rope Light Kit 7500K; 2.0"Spacing; Chri" target="_blank">27 ft. rope lights

[2besure]

on 12/18/2008 Great tips as I like to keep my tree as long as possible.

[ljstraight]

on 12/9/2008 Great information!

[dlcass]

on 12/8/2008 Good tips. Fresh water every day also helps.