see expert agency to extend the life of your Christmas tree diagram this holiday season .
How long does a Christmas tree lasts ? It depends largely on how well you handle for it . address your live Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree mightily with regular tearing , and it will last four to five workweek . overleap it , and it will dry out up and cast needle all over the floor before the holiday has even arrived . What can you do to keep your tree diagram awake longer ? Here , we apportion a pro ’s tips for the best possible outcome .
Dennis Sonsis a tree expert and the owner of online plant retail merchant Tennessee Nursery .
Credit: David A Land
Tips for Keeping a Real Christmas Tree Alive
1. Choose a Healthy Tree
Start by take the right tree . A healthy tree tends to have few chocolate-brown needles . Also , if you escape your manus along a branch and tug gently , very few leaf or needle should arrive off . Except for spruce , which typically have sharp and stiff phonograph needle , the needles of a overbold tree should feel diffused and supple rather than unannealed .
Thespecies of treecan determine its life . For example , fir and cypress tree can last up to five hebdomad , but pine and spruce tend to make it only about two or three weeks .
2. Water It Well
Water is the most important element to keeping your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree fresh and alive . identify the tree diagram in water as soon as you get home . Get a standstill with a munificently sized built - in artificial lake to keep the trunk submerge . “ Add free H2O as the grade decrease day by day from the high temperature of being inside a base , ” says Dennis Sons of Tennessee Nursery .
Additionally , Sons suggests the following root . “ bestow ½ loving cup of grain sugar to 5 gallons of water with ½ cupful of acetum . Sugar gives nourishment and also preserves the sap in the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to keep it live longer . Vinegar acts as a pH stabiliser and also protects the tree stem from undesirable rot and bacteria . ” agree the piss point daily and fill again it as needed .
bring pennies to the water , Sons suggests . The copper in them acts as an loony toons foil and reduces fungus and mold .
Credit: Ball and Albanese
3. Trim the Trunk
When you prune a tree diagram , sap will form around the stem of the torso within hours . This raw defense chemical mechanism protects and seal the cut , but the sap also prevents the tree from absorbing the water it needs to stay alive . Around eight hours after cutting , water assimilation might slow , so if you ’re cutting the tree directly from the farm , act fast to get it home . If you ’re grease one’s palms a pre - mown tree diagram at a store , ask them to knock off off 2 centimetre of the automobile trunk before you take it off the raft . If you ’re handy , you could do it yourself at home before placing the tree .
4. Buy the Right Size Stand
If the tree does n’t tally the perimeter of the stand you own , you might be tempted to whittle down the trunk to fit the sales booth . However , the outer level of wood are very effective in absorbing H2O , so alternatively of chopping them off , opt for a large tree stand .
5. Be Cautious of Heat Sources
While a warm , intimate room is appeal to people , it is less so to a resilient Christmas tree . In the case of excessive heat , it will shed its needles to conserve wet . Live Tree dry out out quickly if placed near a rut source , include direct sunlight , skylight , furnace , and electric devices . to boot , strong , stagnant water can grow mold .
Also , keep the elbow room ’s temperature broken , and use minor lights on the tree . trade stock lighter with LED Christmas tree luminosity , which do n’t get as hot . To slow the drying operation , always sprain off the spark when leaving the room .
Christmas Tree Safety Tips
When tree diagram dry out and lights become too hot , it can get a fire hazard . Never leave your Christmas lights on for hours neglected . Also , ensure that all the bulb and cord are in good circumstance , which means no fraying or impoverished illumination blanket .
watch fire safety fundamental principle and check that everyone in your home is observe safe care of the tree . Keep the tree diagram well - watered and cool . Fresh H2O and timely trunk concern extend the life of your tree by days , if not weeks .
Frequently Asked Questions
The general estimate is that a tree will drink a quart of water for every in of its trunk ’s diameter , but that diverge by the tree ’s wellness and the environment . It ’s a good rule of pollex to check the water day by day and refill as take .
No . While some masses have a hole drilled in the trunk to help center it on the tree stand , it is not recommended to avail with urine absorption .
Try not to block ! A tree that has has a completely ironic stand for 24 hour or more will have hassle shoot up H2O when you do add together it , and will dry up much more chop-chop than a hydrated tree .
Credit: Kim Cornelison
