Once you've chosen the best Christmas tree, you can keep it in great holiday shape by caring for it well. Nothing is worse than having a beautiful tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, only to have it turn in to a feeble, brown series of twigs by the time your Christmas company arrives.
Here are a few tips to help you and your tree make it through the full holiday period:
- Pick the right tree. Here we go on tree selection again, but if you choose a tree that we've rated poorly for needle retention, don't expect it to last for 5 weeks. Furthermore, a tree that is wrong for the room -- too big, too small, is never going to be a good fit, no matter what you do.
- Strategically trim the tree when you get it home. If the place you bought from didn't do it, get a handsaw out and cut off the bottom 1-2 inches of the tree. Much like a rose, the tree will absorb water better if the bottom of the trunk is freshly cut. Also, trim any branches that will give the tree poor balance, and I prefer to cut off the bottom row of branches so I can get at the water stand easier, and so I don't have the risk of branches drooping on to the floor.
- Put the tree in a stand and water it. Keep it watered. In the first few days at home, the tree will suck up water like there is no tomorrow. It will slow down eventually, but this early watering will give it enough juice to make it through the holiday season successfully. Don't be surprised if you need to water it more than once per day, and don't let it dry out! A tree stand that can hold at least a gallon of water will make this job a bit easier.
- Ensure the tree is well-balanced. If the tree is falling out of its stand, there will be stress on the trunk and the bottom of the trunk probably isn't getting its full water. Plus, having an accident where the tree falls to one side will probably induce needle-dropping.
- Place the tree in the right spot. Give the tree some room to spread out. If you are tight on space, buy a smaller tree -- don't cram a larger tree into an inadequate space. For safety reasons as well as to keep the tree moist, don't place it near a fireplace, radiators, or any other sources of heat.
- Keep kids and dogs away from the tree. I know as well as you do that this is impossible, but I would be remiss if I didn't say it.