There’s nothing quite like a real Christmas tree. The smell that greets you every time you pass near the tree evokes fond festive memories. If you’re opting for a natural tree this year, one thing you’ll need to spend some thought on is how you are going to keep your tree well maintained.
What you don’t want is to reach Christmas Day only to find your tree has shed all its needles and looks ready for the recycling depot.
Here is How to Maintain Your Christmas Tree
To help, we’ve been searching the web for all the best Christmas tree maintenance tips from around the world. With a little love and care, your tree should last well into the new year.
Buying and Putting Up Your Tree
According to the team at the Christmas Tree Farm at Chesham, you need to buy from a reputable supplier – the more freshly cut your tree is, the better it will keep its condition and the longer it will last.
Before you buy, check the tree out properly and don’t be afraid to give it a good shake. If the needles start falling off there and then, don’t take it.
Prior to putting it up and decorating, you should saw an inch off the base of your tree and then place it in water, not soil to give it a good feed. This helps keep your tree fresh. You’ll find that you’ll have to top up the water level every day as pines can consume up to 2 or 3 pints in a 24 hour period. Trees can quickly dry out if not looked after properly.
If you’ve bought a smaller tree in a pot, then treat it like a normal house plant and water once the soil starts to dry out.
Keep it Cool
You should place your tree in a reasonably cool spot, away from appliances such as heaters, and not in direct sunlight. This will depend on where you normally put your Christmas tree but positioning away from the window is certainly a good idea. For those with underfloor heating in a room, consider moving to another location as the constant low heat can reduce the ‘shelf-life’ of your tree quite dramatically.
Decorating Your Christmas Tree
With heat being such a problem, the key issue when decorating your tree is going to be the lights. Opting for LED is the best option as these don’t actually give off any heat. They also last a lot longer and will consume less electricity. When adding baubles, put the heavier decorations on the thinker branches and take a little extra care not to dislodge too many needles when doing this.
Recycling Your Christmas Tree
Real Christmas trees can easily be recycled. If you are watering it properly, a good tree should last at least four weeks but once the needles start to fall, you may well want to move it outside. If you have a wood burner, you can cut up the tree and use it for this purpose – a lot better than sending the tree to landfill. According to the Metro, if you have bought your tree in a pot, you can also try to replant it in the garden once the festivities are over.
We hope you have found these tips real Christmas tree tips useful, however you choose to celebrate this time of year, we wish you a family filled fun time and a tree that lasts into the new year!
