How to Make a Fresh-Cut Christmas Tree Last Longer

Keep a Christmas tree until the needles turn brown and start falling.

Although it may be more expensive and more effort than a fake tree, nothing says Christmas like a real tree. A live tree fills your home with a festive scent and can make even a tiny apartment feel like home. These trees do require maintenance to keep them fresh through the holiday and beyond, but a few minutes a day is all it takes to make your financial investment worthwhile. With proper care, you can keep a fresh-cut Christmas tree alive for up to five weeks.

Instructions

1. Buy a fresh tree. When you buy from a Christmas tree lot, trees may have been cut down several days or weeks previously. Visit a tree farm to cut down your own tree if possible. If you have to buy a pre-cut tree, run your hand through the needles. If the tree is fresh, the needles should bend under your hand rather than fall off. A fresh tree will also have few brown needles.

2. Cut a 1/2-inch slice off the bottom of the trunk if you are buying a tree from a tree lot. This allows more water to move up the trunk. Ask an employee at the tree lot to do this for you.

3. Cover the tree with a tarp if it is strapped to the top of a car and the trip home will take longer than a few minutes. This will prevent the wind from drying out the tree.

4. Take the tree home and immediately put it in water. If you are not ready to set up the tree inside, place it in a bucket of cool water outside. The tree can stay outside in this bucket for a few days, provided you live in a cool location. If the temperature drops below freezing, store the tree in a garage or shed. If the weather is warm, set up the tree inside within a few hours of bringing it home.

5. Choose a spot to set up the tree in your home. Pick an area that is not near a fireplace, any heating vents and uncovered windows, since heat and direct sunlight will dry out the tree.

6. Set up a tree stand filled with water. The stand should contain one quart of water per inch of the stump's diameter. Take note of the level of the water inside the stand.

7. Decorate the tree with miniature lights, which give off less heat than larger lights. This too will help keep the tree from drying out.

8. Replenish the tree's water supply every day. Add water until the level reaches the level you noted when you first placed the tree inside the stand.

References

• National Christmas Tree Association: How to Care for Your Farm-Grown Fresh Christmas Tree
• University of Illinois Extension: Christmas Trees & More: Selection and Care