How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh Over the Holiday Season
It pays to be an early buyer to get the tree of your dreams to enjoy over Christmas. If you know how to look after your tree, it will stay fresh well into January. Far from giving you some guesses and myths, we will present to you the findings of the University of Dresden. Students there did in-depth research into Christmas tree lore.
Christmas Wreaths
Berries and Willow Christmas Wreath
Orange and Silver festive Wreath
Cotton and Lime Christmas Wreath
It is only fitting that a German university did the research vital for the survival of the Christmas tree. Students took a close and scientific look into claims made as to what keeps a Christmas tree fresh and green over a long time. Your tree should be green and happy until January if you add the suggestions made by the association of German Christmas tree dealers.
Christmas trees on sale anywhere have done quite some traveling to get to the shops. The time scale from felling a tree through transporting and displaying it is several days; that means several days the tree is left without water albeit in the cold. Some people usually transport their trees home on the roof of a van or a car. This form of transport exposes the tree to a headwind and it dries out the tree to a considerable extent if you don’t get it wrapped properly beforehand.
Tip #1: Don’t rush to take your Christmas tree inside
Buying early doesn’t necessarily mean putting it up early, too, though that depends on how insistent you are. A cut tree is best kept outside in the cold in a bucket filled with water. The tree doesn’t mind being kept tied in its netting for a long time. Keep in mind that before leaving it outside you should re-cut the bottom of the tree and take off about four inches of bark to help it get water into its system.
Tip #2: Keep it away from heat
The chosen place for your tree should be away from open fire, and keeping it away from radiators helps to keep it fresh. If you want to use real candles, spread cellophane or thick paper on the floor to avoid wax stains. Avoid placing the tree next to candles or other places where its branches could be burnt. Also, allow your tree 24 hours to stretch out after taking it from its netting.
Tip #3: Don’t forget watering your tree
Use a tree stand that can be filled with water, and preferably lots of water. The research at the Dresden University has taken detailed measurements on the water use of conifers. The results may shock you. When a small tree is transferred from the cold into a heated apartment, it needs 1.5 litres of water a day for the first three days. After that, it needs 0.5 litres every day. And the measurements were made on small trees. Larger ones need more.
Tip #4: Put some sugar on your tree
The study included some popular myths about how you should add dish washing liquid or sugar to the water to prolong the tree's life. The addition of dishwashing liquid to the water showed no better results when compared to the trees kept in plain water. The addition of sugar, on the other hand, did make a noticeable difference in keeping the trees fresher. The German tree dealers recommend adding three tablespoons of sugar to one litre of water.
Tip #5: Don’t experiment on your own
The recommendations of keeping your tree dry, adding salt to the water, keeping it in wet sand, and spraying it with water were also tested at length. The results were a disaster. The poor trees treated in such a way were dying and losing their needles long before the trees were kept in plain water.
Bonus tip: Preparations before buying your Christmas tree
Before you buy your tree, think about where you would most likely put it. Measure the diameter where you will place the tree, as well as the total height to the ceiling where the tree will fit in. At this point also remember to take the size of your Christmas tree stand into account and minus this away from your total floor to ceiling height. Make sure to choose a proper Christmas tree stand that will hold your tree properly and minimise the chances of it ever falling.
Now you know everything you need to keep your Christmas tree fresh for the holiday and long after. Are you ready to buy yours? Check out our premier Nordmann Fir Christmas tree.
