NOTHING SAYS “THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE” quite like the fragrance of a natural Christmas tree permeating your living space. And for many families, heading to the local tree farm or lot to find the perfectly sized and shaped pine, spruce, or fir is a cherished holiday tradition. For them, an artificial tree just can’t compare—and no amount of pine scent in a can will ever compensate for the aroma of the real thing.
However, cut trees do require more care than their artificial counterparts to ensure they stay fresh throughout the holiday season. Here’s how to prevent a cut natural tree from drying out and dropping needles or, worse, becoming a significant fire hazard in your home:
Check for initial freshness
If you’re cutting down your own Christmas tree or buying a precut tree from a local farm, you can be relatively confident in its freshness, but precut trees sourced from distant locales are a different story. Many of the trees offered for sale on Christmas tree lots are trucked there from many states away and are harvested weeks in advance. To check for freshness, look over the tree to make sure you don’t see an excessive amount of brown needles, then grasp a branch and pull it through your fingers to verify that the needles feel pliable and aren’t falling off in your hand in large numbers. You might also want to do the “lift-and-drop test,” which involves simply raising the tree up a few inches and thumping the trunk on the ground to ensure it doesn’t drop an excessive amount of needles.
Make a fresh cut
Within hours of harvest, the cut made on the trunk of a Christmas tree will seal over with sap, making it impossible for the tree to take up water. For that reason, it’s essential to make a fresh (at least one-inch) cut straight across the bottom of the trunk before putting the tree in a stand. Oftentimes, tree farm or tree lot employees will do this for you free of charge.
Do not shave or carve away bark on the sides of the trunk. Some tree varieties, for example noble firs, have disproportionately thick trunks relative to their height, and it may be tempting to narrow them down so the trunk fits better in your stand. But remember, it’s the outermost layers of the trunk that actually carry water to the tree. Cut them away and your tree won’t take up water properly.
Store it properly
A cut Christmas tree that will be kept outdoors initially should be placed in a cool (but not freezing), sheltered location where it won’t be exposed to direct sunlight or drying winds. An unheated garage or covered porch is ideal for this purpose. Also, be sure to put the trunk in a bucket of water—and then make another cut on the bottom of the trunk before finally taking the tree inside.
Choose the right stand When it’s time to move the tree
When it’s time to move the tree indoors, place it in a sturdy stand that is properly sized for your tree and has a reservoir that can hold an appropriate amount of water—approximately one quart per inch of trunk diameter.
Wait to decorate
While the family may be anxious to get lights and decorations on the tree as soon as it’s in the stand, it’s best to wait at least 24 hours before decorating. Doing so will allow you to verify that the tree is, indeed, taking up water (it’s no fun to discover that a decorated tree isn’t drinking). Plus, the branches will tend to settle and relax after being introduced to warmer household temperatures, which can affect the placement of decorations.
Avoid heat sources
Heat sources are the nemesis of cut Christmas trees as they tend to accelerate the drying of branches and needles, potentially creating a serious fire hazard. Avoid situating trees near space heaters, radiators, heat vents, fireplaces, woodstoves, candles, oil lamps, etc. Also, setting your home’s thermostat at a cooler setting and/or running a humidifier in the same room as the tree can help extend its freshness.
Never let it dry out!
Cut Christmas trees can take up a surprising amount of water, especially in the first few days after they’ve been brought indoors. Be sure to check the water level in the stand daily and never let it drop below the base of the trunk. Otherwise, in a matter of hours, the dry base will seal over and the tree will no longer take water.
