Tips for Selecting and Caring For Your Christmas Tree
Posted on December 7, 2021

Selecting a Tree:

If you cut your own Christmas tree, you'll always get a fresh one. If you buy a tree at a lot, select it carefully. The following tips will help you make sure you pick a fresh tree:

• All Christmas trees have the ability to hold their needles for several weeks, if you select one that's not already dry. However, if you plan to keep your tree up for a long time, consider a pine, such as Scots or white pine, because they hold their needles the longest.
• Check for dry needles, grasp a branch firmly, and run your hand back towards the branch tip. If lots of needles fall off, the tree is already dry.
• Check individual needles in different areas of the tree. If they are pliable, and bend without breaking, the tree is still fresh.
• Trees exposed to winds during the drive home could dry out, so wrap the tree securely in a blanket or tarp to protect the needles if you have a long way to drive.

Caring for Your Tree:

• Once you get the tree home, re-cut the trunk an inch or more up from the original cut. Christmas trees can dry out quickly if they are not re-cut. The fresh cut increases the tree's ability to take in water. Put the tree into water as soon as possible even if you do not plan to put it in the tree stand right away. After you make the new cut and put the tree in water, keep the water level above the cut end of the trunk.
• Check the water level in the tree stand daily. You do not need to add anything to the tree water. Just keep the tree stand full of water and the tree will be fine.