Caring For Your Fresh Cut Christmas Tree

The key concept in care for your fresh cut Christmas tree is to keep the tree from drying out.

It’s estimated that as much as half the weight of a cut tree is water, so work diligently to keep water available for your tree. By starting with a fresh cut at the trunk and keeping the tree watered, it should last throughout the holiday season.

As soon as you select your tree at Hoerr Nursery, a representative will be happy to make a fresh cut, removing about ½ inch at the bottom of the trunk. Some lower branches may also be removed so the tree fits best in your stand.

We recommend purchasing a heavy duty stand that is sturdy and provides a large supply of water to the tree. You may also want to purchase a spray product with an anti-dessicant or anti-wilt property to minimize needle loss and moisture loss.

At home, place the tree in water immediately. If the tree has not been placed in water within 4 to 8 hours following the fresh cut, a new cut must be made.

You may give the tree unsoftened tap water. Although it is not necessary to add preservative to the water, some prefer to add a commercial or homemade tree preservative. The temperature of the water will not affect the tree’s ability to absorb it.

Set the tree up in the garage or an unheated room to immediately start soaking up water before getting everything else prepared for it in your home. Avoid getting dirt on the clean cut end, or bruising it. (If you do, consider making a new clean cut to assure that the tree is able to soak up water.)

For safety, use a stand that is appropriate for your tree. Anticipate that the tree will get jostled and make sure the stand can keep the tree upright. Locate the tree in the coolest part of the room. Turning the heat down will also keep the tree from drying out as quickly.

Keep trees away from any source of heat: radiator, fireplace, space heater, oven, stove, candles. Keeping it out of direct sunlight will also slow the drying process.

Use good sense with what you put on the tree: check to make sure the electrical cords and plugs are in good shape and respond normally when you plug them in. Read the box of lights for correct use and safety information.

Unplug lights when going to bed or leaving the house.

Check the water level daily and use tap water to refill. Do not let the water reservoir go dry. A tree can use a lot of water, typically 1 quart per inch of trunk diameter. For example, a 7 1/2 foot tree with a 4 inch trunk can use 1 gallon of water in a day.

After the holidays, when the tree becomes dry, remove all decorations and take the tree outside. Do not burn the tree in your fireplace. The branches can be added to your perennial beds for the winter and removed in the spring.

Enjoy your fresh tree from Hoerr Nursery!