Cozying up your home with a Christmas Tree for it to only look like a pile of pine needles on the floor?
Oh, Christmas Tree Oh, Christmas Tree…oh how much we love thee! If you want your tree to last through the holiday season – or like me for more than a few days LOL – check out the following tips. If you still do not have one, please call us today for your FREE Christmas Tree at 978-304-0495! For every free appointment to learn how to save money on your energy bills we give each homeowner a FREE Christmas Tree from the Building Center.
It doesn’t take more than a few days of heat and neglect to dry out a fresh tree, but with proper care your tree can last at least 5 weeks. Choose a healthy, green tree whether you cut your own or get one from a home & garden center like the Building Center or a roadside lot. If you did not cut it down yourself, it has most likely come from out-of-state and has been exposed to drying winds in transit. So a good caution is to run a few branches through your hands with crappy gloves (I use the cheap Dollar Store ones that are probably meant for a 5 year old) and the needles should feel pliable and not fall off. Then, use your muscles and lift the tree a few inches off the ground and drop it onto its trunk. When you do this, very few green needles should fall off. Also buy a tree that has been in the shade – not sun and one without brown needles.
1. Trim The Trunk Twice.
I also remember my dad saying measure twice cut once, but this ONE time, cut twice! Make a fresh one-inch cut off the end of the trunk and place the tree in a bucket of warm water, if you’re not putting it up right away to get rid of resin that might be blocking the tree from absorbing water. Then cut it again (yes, Dad I know…) and place it in a sturdy stand that holds at least one gallon of water. Oh, invest in a good stand. You will use it every year right?
2. Away From Heat
Place your tree away from all heat sources: fireplaces, radiators, and air ducts. I know you want to have that Warm & Cozy home with the tree next to the fireplace but it will dry quicker and worse the embers could catch on fire. If your home is usually dry, run a humidifier as it is also good for your health too!
3. Keep the water level above the base of the trunk.
This is KEY! This year I treated David to this plastic long watering tool. I hear him daily as he checks the tree for water crawling under the tree. This way it’s an easy way to water the tree. You can find them at your local hardware store. They look like this (see below).
You want to make sure you have enough water as too little water causes resin to form over the cut end of the trunk. Remember above? Yes, once that happens, the tree stops absorbing water and will dry out quickly. I don’t add anything to the water as some people add bleach, aspirin, or sugar. They probably don’t hurt but experts say that natural H2O is really all you need to keep a tree fresh.Now I am reminded of the movie Water Boy….quality H2O! Make sure you fill the tree stand with one quart of water for every inch of the trunk’s diameter.
BONUS: Create a holiday keepsake when you cute your trunk off (twice). I always get a little sad when it’s time to get rid of our tree. Ask David, most of the time; he has to do it when I am not home. You can battle the post-holiday blues by creating a sentiment and sappy (sorry I had to say it) reminder of this year’s Christmas. With your slice of your tree trunk you can engrave a holiday message, memory or family name, such as Vanderbilt Family Christmas 2014, with a wood-burning tool (cost around $20) to document the year and maybe a special holiday memory.
Spreading joy from our home to yours,
Stephanie Vanderbilt
