More than 30 million living Christmas trees were bought throughout the country last year. And probably about the same number of families worried about their tree drying out and dropping needles!
David Barfield and his wife, Karen, owners of the Tinsel Time Christmas Tree Farm in New Caney, Texas, provide three tips to make sure your tree looks beautiful long after the last of the Christmas cookies have been devoured.
1. Find the Fresh Wood.
After a tree is cut, sap typically seeps out from where it’s been cut. When the sap hardens, the cut end is considered “sapped over,” and a tree’s ability to take up water becomes limited. So before you place your tree in the stand, make sure you cut the trunk down to fresh wood.
Once the tree is in the stand, keep the water level above the cut of the tree. If you don’t, the end will sap over again and this time you won’t be able to see it to know that it’s happened.
2. Slake Your Tree’s Thirst.
Water is very important to the longevity and vibrancy of your Christmas tree. Make sure you’re giving yours plenty of it. A tree can absorb up to a gallon of water during its first day in your home, with the amount of water it requires tapering off over time.
3. Stick with Pure Unadulterated Water.
There are lots of homespun ideas out there that claim to prolong the life of plants. Be it sugar, an ibuprofen tablet, or even a penny! When it comes to you tree, though, David and Karen tell us, there’s no need for any of these or other additives.
Regular, non-chlorinated water is best. If your tap water is chlorinated, use distilled or bottled water instead.
If you buy a fresh cut tree and care for it well, the Barfields say it can stay looking great all the way to Valentine’s Day!
Read David’s inspiring story of how he and Karen saved their Christmas tree farm from going under.
