Christmas Tree Maintenance: How To Keep up With Your Tree

While artificial Christmas trees are convenient and affordable, some people think that nothing can bring more holiday spirit than a real, freshly cut Christmas tree. Picking out the perfect tree and displaying it as the centerpiece of your home is the highlight of many homeowners’ holidays. However, maintaining a fresh and vibrant tree for the whole Christmas season can be difficult. If you want to make sure your tree stays hydrated and healthy for weeks at a time, follow the guidelines below for keeping up with your Christmas tree.

Selecting the Perfect Christmas Tree

Before you water and decorate your tree, it’s important to pick the right one. Whether you get yours from a Christmas tree farm or a big box store, consider the following factors before buying.

Types of Christmas Trees

While most Christmas trees look the same to the untrained eye, there are several types of trees to choose from. The most popular options are:

• Balsam fir
• Fraser fir
• Douglas fir
• Blue spruce
• Scotch pine

Each tree variety offers unique fragrances, needle retention, and color, so choose wisely. After you narrow down the type of tree you want, it’s time to purchase your one-of-a-kind tree. When selecting your tree, keep these factors in mind:

• Freshness: Look for vibrant colors and flexible needles that don’t fall off easily
• Size: Measure your space (especially ceiling height) to ensure the tree fits in your home
• Shape: Choose a tree with a full, symmetrical shape and no bald spots between branches
• Needle retention: Some varieties hold their needles longer than others
• Fragrance: Consider how much natural scent you prefer

Preparing Your Christmas Tree for Display

Once you get your tree, it’s time to set it up in your home. Before you bring it inside, you’ll need to make sure you have a fresh cut and a proper tree stand. Use the guidelines below to give your tree the best chance for success.

Making the Perfect Cut

If it’s been more than 12 hours since someone cut down your tree, you should recut the trunk. Cutting the tree trunk properly allows the tree to absorb water more efficiently, keeping it fresh for a longer period. If you need to cut the trunk, follow these steps:

1. Remove about 1/2 inch from the base of the trunk.
2. Make a straight cut perpendicular to the trunk’s axis.
3. Avoid cutting the trunk at an angle or drilling holes, as these don’t improve water intake.

This simple step is often overlooked but is essential for maintaining tree health.

Choosing the Right Tree Stand

After cutting the trunk, you’ll need a tree stand like The Krinner Tree Genie, so your tree has easy access to water and won’t tip over. Consider these factors when buying:

• Size: Choose a stand that fits your tree’s trunk diameter
• Water capacity: Look for a stand that holds at least one quart of water per inch of trunk diameter
• Stability: Ensure the stand can support your tree’s weight and height

If your tree stand is especially large or made of metal, consider getting a Christmas tree mat like the Drymate Christmas Tree Stand Mat to protect your floors from water damage and scratching. The mat is big enough to accommodate any sized stand but short enough to be camouflaged with a tree skirt.

Proper Christmas Tree Watering Techniques

Hydration is the most important factor in maintaining your tree’s appearance. If you water your tree consistently, you can help extend its life span.

How Much Water Does Your Tree Need?

A freshly cut tree can consume a gallon of water every 24 hours. To keep your tree properly hydrated:

• Check the water level daily, especially in the first week
• Ensure the water level never drops below the tree’s base
• Refill the stand with fresh, clean water as needed

If you’re not sure how much to water your tree, a good rule of thumb is that your tree could use a quart of water per day for every inch in its trunk diameter. For example, a tree with a 3-inch trunk would need 3 quarts of water every day.

For homeowners who need a little extra help with watering, The Tree Nanny allows you to water your tree via a spout tube that comes up the base and through the branches. As an added bonus, it plays “Jingle Bells” when the tree needs watering and makes a chiming sound to prevent overfilling.

Tips for Consistent Watering

Fresh trees require a lot of maintenance, but it’s worth it to keep your tree healthy. To make watering easier, consider the following tips:

• Set a daily reminder on your phone to check the water level
• Consider using an automatic watering system for convenience
• Avoid letting the water level drop, as this can seal the trunk and reduce absorption

Tree dehydration can lead to increased fire hazards, so make sure you’re paying careful attention to watering your tree. If you need help with consistent watering, there are a few products that make tree maintenance a piece of cake.

Santa’s Tree Helper is an automatic watering bucket that looks like a wrapped gift so it blends in seamlessly with your tree display. This device doubles the stand’s water capacity so that you only need to refill the bucket every two or three days.

Likewise, Elf Logic is a Christmas tree bag that funnels water into your stand. Simply fill the pouch with 3 liters of water and tuck it beneath the branches. Then, it automatically cuts off water flow once the water line rises above the valve to prevent overflow. As the water level drops, water flow resumes.

The Perfect Christmas Tree Environment

Regulating your room temperature and avoiding heat sources that can dry out your tree are two simple ways you can help your tree thrive. Use the following tips to give your tree the best environment.

Ideal Tree Temperature

Maintaining a cooler room temperature helps preserve the tree’s needles and overall freshness. Here’s how temperature plays a role in your tree’s health:

• Keep the room temperature as cool as comfortably possible
• Lower temperatures slow the drying process, reducing water consumption
• Avoid placing the tree in direct sunlight, which can accelerate drying
• Position the tree away from fireplaces, heating vents, and radiators
• Use LED lights, which produce less heat than traditional incandescent bulbs

When To Take Down Your Christmas Tree

If your tree’s health takes a turn for the worst, it’s important to act quickly. You can try giving it the water it craves, but sometimes these efforts won’t help. If your tree doesn’t revive after a few days of receiving adequate water, it may be time to take it down. Here are some signs that it may be time to say goodbye to your tree for the season:

• Excessive needle drop or discoloration
• Brittle or inflexible branches
• Strong, unpleasant odor
• Failure to absorb water

If you’re in doubt about when to take your tree down, remember that most trees only last between four to five weeks with proper care. If you leave your tree up too long or neglect to maintain it, it could dry out and become a fire hazard. You should remove your tree when the needles become dry and brittle.

If you plan on leaving it up for a long time, pay extra close attention to watering. 

Fire Safety Precautions

Prioritizing fire safety is important when displaying a live Christmas tree in your home. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire departments respond to roughly 160 Christmas tree fires every year. To prevent your tree from catching fire, use the following safety tips.

Electrical Safety for Tree Lights

Follow these electrical safety guidelines:

• Use only UL-approved lights and extension cords
• Turn off tree lights when leaving home or going to bed
• Avoid connecting more than three strands of lights to a single outlet

Creating a Fire-Safe Environment

Minimize fire risks with these precautions:

• Keep a fire extinguisher nearby and know how to use it
• Ensure smoke detectors are working properly
• Maintain a clear path to exits in case of emergency

These precautions may seem like overkill, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when you’re entire home is on the line. Nothing ruins holiday cheer like a fire, so be sure to take every precaution when setting up your tree.

The holidays have to end eventually, and when they do, have a plan for tree disposal. Consider local recycling options when removing your tree.