Oh, Christmas tree! We want you to stay green and safe through the holidays. That means choosing a fresh holiday tree carefully and caring for it attentively as long as it is in the house.
Here are some tips from Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.
Buy a fresh tree. Evergreen trees begin to dry out as soon as they are cut at the tree farm. A dried-out tree can be a fire hazard, especially since it will be covered with electric lights. It will also drop needles in the house. If you can’t cut a tree yourself and set it up the same day, it’s important to buy the freshest one you can find. “Deal with a tree lot you trust and ask them when the trees were cut,” Yiesla said. Bargain trees are likely to be older and more dried out.
Examine a tree carefully for freshness. Run your hand along a branch. The needles should not pull off. They should feel soft, not brittle, and should bend, not break. If you lift the tree and tap its base against the ground, it should not lose many needles. Examine the cut end of the trunk to see if the sap is sticky. That indicates it was cut recently.
Consider the species. The Arboretum’s website includes a comparative guide to Christmas tree species (mortonarb.org/christmas-tree). You may prefer a pine with long, soft needles, while others want a short-needled fir with many branches for ornaments. In general, firs and pines have the strongest fragrance. Choose based not just on looks but on the tree species that last longest.
Make sure the tree fits the stand. The tree trunk must be narrow enough to fit into your stand without making any cuts. If you shave down the trunk, you will destroy the structures beneath the bark that carry water throughout the tree and it will quickly dry out. How can you avoid this mistake? “If possible, bring the stand to the lot so you can be sure to buy a tree that fits,” Yiesla said. “Or measure the stand before you go.” It’s OK to cut off some horizontal branches at the bottom part of the trunk but leave the rest of the trunk’s bark intact.
Make a clean cut. Have the tree lot saw an inch off the bottom of the trunk, or do it yourself when you get the tree home. The fresh cut will remove dried sap and open up the trunk to absorb water. Immediately, within half an hour of the cut, place the tree’s base in a bucket of water while you set up the tree stand. “If you leave that cut surface exposed, the sap will just seal it up again,” she said. “Be sure the cut base of the tree cut is continuously in water to prevent a sap seal from forming.” You can hold the tree for several days until you are ready to set it up, as long as you keep the fresh-cut end underwater.
Choose the right spot. Position the tree away from heat sources such as radiators, heating vents, fireplaces, areas with large amounts of direct sunlight, or candles.
Keep the tree in water. As soon as you set the tree up, fill the stand’s reservoir. Then keep it filled. “Check it often,” Yiesla said. “It’s common for a tree that is newly set up to absorb a gallon of water in just a few hours.” Be vigilant all through the holiday season, so the water level always covers the cut end of the trunk.
Don’t take chances. If the tree begins to lose excessive needles or starts to feel dry and the branches become brittle, remove the tree from the house. “The longer you keep the tree in the house, the more it will dry out,” she said. “For freshness and safety, you may want to wait until mid-December to set up the tree. Take it down promptly after the holidays.”
With common-sense care, you can enjoy the beauty and fragrance of a fresh Christmas tree through the festive season.
For tree and plant advice, contact the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum (630-719-2424, mortonarb.org/plant-clinic, or plantclinic@mortonarb.org). Beth Botts is a staff writer at the Arboretum.