Hill Gardens of Maine -- Getting More Out of a Cut Christmas Tree

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Getting More Out of Your Christmas Tree

by Fred Davis, MG, Hill Gardens of Maine (To view other articles, click: Archives)
(Don't forget the free, downloadable gardening book, "Keys To The Garden Gate" on this site)

December 5, 2004. Christmas tree and fresh ornament lots have popped up all over the place! And you know when you pay big bucks for freshly-cut trees this early in the holiday season, it just plain makes good sense to do whatever you can to encourage them to last longer. You certainly don't want the thing to droop pitifully and drop its needles long before the milk and cookies hit the mantel on Christmas Eve! Here are a few important pointers that'll make your hard-earned dollars—and your tree—go farther.

Select a fir (Douglas fir, if they have it; if not, then any other variety of fir) rather than a pine, spruce, or cedar because, if kept well watered, a fir will far outlast the other types. When you visit the tree lot, look closely at the ground under and around the tree display. Expect to see a few scattered needles but if the ground is littered with fallen needles, go back to your car. Always insist on the freshest tree possible. A quick freshness test is to grasp a branch and run it through your fingers. If needles fall off in your hand, they'll soon fall in your home.

If the service is offered, ask the lot attendant to slide your fir into one of those snug-fitting poly-net sleeves and, when you tie it to the top of the car, place the cut end ("stump") forward so it faces into the wind. Keep in mind that the sawed trunk end is going to dry out on the way home.

Once home — and just before you stand your new tree in its water-filled support — get out the saw and cut about an inch or a little less from the trunk. That will expose fresh, new wood that has the ability to absorb all the water the tree needs to remain fresh looking for at least three or four weeks providing that the water level is maintained.

Now the most critical factor: Water! Water! Water! A six- to eight-foot tree will take up and consume upwards of a gallon of water every day. Just as happens outdoors in Nature, moisture is constantly transpiring water through its needles or leaves — even more so in the warmth and low humidity of the average winter home. If the water level in the supporting tray goes below the cut surface of the trunk, two very inconvenient things happen: 1. the saw-cut quickly dries out and looses its ability to allow absorption of water, even if water is added later (and we're talking a very few minutes here...not hours or days); 2. drought sets in...and the needles drop. And everyone knows that a dry tree is a dangerous fire hazard.

And speaking of tree stands, select one that fits the tree you purchased...and never whittle the trunk down to fit one that's too small.

One final tip: All those pie-in-the-sky claims about adding this or that to the water to make a cut tree last longer is pure bunk. Forget the soda-pop, floral preservatives, sugar, bleach, aspirin, honey, or anything of the sort. What that tree wants is plain, clean, cool water.

Lastly, don't forget to take your tree down and remove it to out-of-doors no later than the day after ringing in the New Year. The longer it stays up and indoors, the greater the fire hazard.

......All of which will go a long way toward a fresh-looking tree on Christmas morning, and a pleasant, comfortable, and safe Holiday Season!

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