Keeping Your Christmas Tree Fresh!
Christmas is coming! Many of you will now be thinking about getting a Christmas tree – the most magical time of the year! But how can you keep your tree fresh throughout the festive season? Here are our top tree tips!
- Try before you buy! When you are choosing your tree, run through the branches with your hands, needles should feel pliable and not fall. You could also lift it slightly and drop it onto the trunk, a healthy tree will drop very few needles.
- Ensure that right from the off you are protecting your tree. Wrap it up on the journey home, especially if you are attaching it to the top of your car. This will stop it drying out or getting damaged by the wind on your drive home.
- If you have bought your Christmas tree from a garden centre, chances are it has been cut for several days, if not weeks. This means that the base of the tree will have been sat on the floor and the tree’s vascular system will have clogged. By cutting a little off the trunk of your tree, you will reopen this system and allow the tree to absorb water again. A straight cut is all that is necessary, drilling holes or cutting at angles will not improve the tree’s water intake.
- You should treat your Christmas tree as if it is a cut flower. It still requires water! The base of the tree must stay moist. Fill your tree stand with water to ensure it does not get thirsty and upkeep this for as long as your tree is out. Tap water is fine, there is no need to worry about any additives or nutrients. Keeping your tree watered will mean that it is less likely to drop, keeping your house nice and tidy!
- Keep your tree alive for longer by picking the ideal location. Keep it away from heating and cold drafts as fluctuating temperatures can dry it out, leading it to drop. Keep it out of direct sunlight to stop the colour fading.
- After Christmas, if you feel your tree is beginning to dry out, it’s time to take it outside! As your tree dries, it will begin dropping more needles as well as becoming much more of a fire hazard. So for minimal mayhem, get it out!
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