A real live tree can be a wonderful addition to your home during the Christmas holidays. There is nothing that can quite beat the smell of a fragrant evergreen. Whether you go out into the woods and chop your own, select one from a Christmas Tree farm, or pick one up at one of the numerous road side stands or home improvement stores, you’ll want to keep your tree looking and smelling as fresh as possible for the holidays.
Is your tree precut? If so, make sure that you trim another half an inch off of the bottom of the trunk. Trunks can dry out or seal up, making it hard for the tree to absorb water. Most stands and stores can do this for you, but you’ll probably have to ask.
You’ll want to water the tree every single day. If you tend to forget, why not make it a habit to do it right before you turn on the lights each night? The trunk of your Christmas tree should always be submerged in water. You also need to keep pet away from the tree. Some animals may drink the water out of the tree stand. I guess they like the evergreen taste!
Use an adjustable tree stand or one that fits your tree accurately. This is important because if you have to whittle down your tree trunk to make the tree fit in the stand, you’ll run into trouble. The tree could become off balance and fall, and the whittling will shorten the live tree’s lifespan.
To prevent your Christmas tree from drying out too quickly, keep it away from heat sources. This includes not only baseboard heat and radiators, but also fireplaces (although a tree next tot he fireplace certainly looks pretty).
Finally, if you need one more reason to use LED lights on your tree, know this. Because LED lights stay cool, they will keep your live Christmas tree fresh longer than hot incandescent tree lights.
Have a wonderful holiday season!
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