These Specific Hacks Accelerate the Drying Process of Your Holiday Pine Tree
A live Christmas tree might appear to be an excellent task for someone with a poor green thumb. You merely need to care for it for a month before it's dumped at the curb. However, maintaining your tree's freshness and happiness during this time is crucial to prevent it from becoming a fire hazard. Regrettably, numerous bogus "hacks" abound that will actually increase your tree's likelihood of shedding its needles. Let's distinguish the myths from the valid advice.
Avoid putting anything in the water
There seems to be a unique recipe for maintaining each person's Christmas tree. But if you consult the experts on keeping cut trees alive, such as horticulturists at cooperative extensions and the National Christmas Tree Association, they all agree that pure water is the best substance to place in your tree stand. No additives.
Consider this study, for example. A forestry specialist introduced fresh Christmas tree branches to water treated with a variety of compounds that were claimed to extend tree life longer. These included store-bought tree preservatives, along with homemade solutions featuring corn syrup and bleach.
All of the additives resulted in the branches losing significantly more needles than if they had merely been in plain water. Similar studies have been conducted with other additives, including 7-Up soda, with plain water triumphing each time.
Opt against chopping your tree trunk into fancy forms
If you're accustomed to cutting flower stems at an angle before placing them in a vase, you may be inclined to do the same to your Christmas tree's trunk.
However, this does not enhance the tree's ability to absorb more water, and can even harm the tree's health, experts say.
"Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does not improve water uptake," the National Christmas Tree Association claims. Washington State University warns that cutting at an angle or whittling the base of a tree can "seriously impede" the ability of the tree to take up water.
Instead, make a flat cut across the base of the trunk before placing it into its stand or bucket of water. You only need to remove approximately a 1/2" disc, and you only need to do this if it's been 6 to 12 hours since the tree was cut. If you cut your own at a tree farm, you can simply drive it home and put it in water without any trimming.
Shun half-hearted watering
Christmas trees require a considerable amount of water. Before even placing the tree in the stand, verify whether its capacity is sufficient. The general rule is that the tree will consume a quart of water per day per inch of trunk diameter. So, if the trunk is 4 inches wide, it will consume a full gallon of water every day.
This may vary from tree to tree, of course. And even though you really shouldn't let your pets drink the tree water, you should give the tree extra water if you observe it consuming water more quickly than forecasted.
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Check your tree at least twice a day to ensure it has sufficient water. (This is particularly important if your tree is near a heating vent or employs vintage lights that produce a lot of heat.) You can even purchase an automatic waterer, or create your own siphon-and-bucket hack for when you're traveling. Just ensure that the tree doesn't dry out.
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The final advice I'll offer is the first piece of advice you should know when shopping: if the tree is already drying out in the store, replace it. And if all the trees at a Christmas tree lot appear to be drying out, you should shop elsewhere.
The simplest way to check is to grasp a branch and pull your hand towards you. The needles should remain attached to the tree and not fall off in large quantities in your hand.
You can also attempt bending a needle to determine if it breaks. Needles on pine trees should not break at all. Needles on fir and spruce trees will break if bent sufficiently—similar to what occurs when bending a carrot—but they should not feel dry and fragile.
Lastly, pick up the tree, tap its trunk on the ground a few times, and shake it gently. If a few brown needles fall, that's acceptable—the tree equivalent of discovering a few hairs in your hairbrush. But if still-green needles continue to fall, that's not a tree that will last. As an added bonus, tapping the tree in this manner will reduce the number of needles you'll have to vacuum when setting up the tree.
To ensure your live Christmas tree lasts longer, avoid adding any additives to the water in the stand. Pure water is recommended by experts to keep the tree fresh and prevent it from shedding needles. Additionally, when it comes to traveling, consider investing in an automatic waterer for your tree to ensure it stays hydrated while you're away. This device will refill the water, keeping the tree fresh and vibrant.
