Extension educator offers tree care tips

CURTIS E. YOUNG/for the Van Wert independent

There appears to be a revived interest in using real Christmas trees for the holidays. A real tree in the house adds to the ambience of the holidays with the scent of pine, spruce or fir wafting through the air.  However, real trees require special care to keep them safe and fresh to last through the holidays.

The following are research-based guidelines that will help you to maintain the freshness and aroma of a fresh-cut Christmas tree through the holidays.

Ultimately water is everything to maintaining a fresh-cut Christmas tree. Doing whatever you can do to prevent a tree from losing excessive amounts of water is the goal from the time that the tree is cut through the end of its display period. One has the greatest control over water loss and water replacement when the tree is cut at the time of purchase. However, many will be buying trees that were cut in other states and hauled to a retailer from whom it is purchased at a tree lot. Thus, many of these trees were probably cut sometime in November, baled in a string mess and shipped to the point of sale.

If this is the type of tree that you have purchased, the first thing that you need to do is get the tree into water to start replacing water that was already lost. But before you put the tree into the water, the cut end of the tree will have to be refreshed by cutting a half-inch to 1-inch thick wafer off the bottom of the tree trunk.  This action removes the ends of the water conduction tubes of the tree that were clogged with resins that were released by the tree when it was originally cut, exposed to the air and left to dry.  Make the cut straight across the width of the trunk. Don’t cut the trunk at an angle, or into a Y-shape, which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree.  Once the cut is made, don’t bruise the cut surface or get it dirty by banging it on the ground.  Without cutting the end off of the trunk, the tree might not be able to absorb water again and the tree will quickly dry out even with the end of the trunk in a reservoir of water.  Drilling holes into the base of the tree does little to help water absorption.

If needed, a tree can be temporarily stored for several days in a cool location (an unheated garage, shed or enclosed porch).  Place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket that is kept full of water.

The next important step in maintaining the freshness of your tree is to have a good tree stand with a water reservoir into which the trunk of the tree easily fits.  A mistake that some people make is shaving the bark and outer wood off the tree trunk to get it to fit into the stand.  Unfortunately, this action damages the most active and efficient water conduction tubes of the tree reducing the ability of the tree to absorb water.

Once the tree is in the water reservoir of the stand, make sure that the reservoir never runs dry and/or that the water level in the reservoir never falls below the bottom of the cut end of the tree trunk during the display period.  As a general rule, a stand should provide 1 quart of water per inch of trunk diameter to get the tree through each day.  You should expect the tree to take up water rapidly at first if it is not a freshly cut tree.  Water the tree frequently until water uptake slows, then continue to maintain the water level in the stand through the season.

For easier watering, buy a funnel and a 3- to 4-foot tube.  Slip the tube over the funnel tip, extend the tubing down into the tree stand, and water through the funnel and tube.  Hide the funnel and tube in an out-of-the-way part of the tree.

You don’t need anything other than regular tap water.  Commercially prepared mixes like aspirin, sugar and other additives to introduce into the water are not necessary.  Research has shown that plain tap water will keep a tree fresh.  The temperature of the water used to fill the stand is not important and does not affect water uptake.

Another step you should take to protect the freshness of your Christmas tree is to avoid placing the tree near any kind of heat source (e.g. fireplaces, heat registers, heaters, or in front of windows through which the sun shines).  Lowering the temperature of the room in which the tree is displayed will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.  Running a humidifier in the room may also slow the rate at which water evaporates from the tree.

Take down the tree before it dries out.  Many fresh-cut trees, if properly cared for, should last at least five weeks before completely drying out.  Some species of evergreen trees keep their moisture longer than others.  Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace.

Care should be taken with Christmas lights as well.  Incandescent lights generate a lot of heat, both twinkle lights as well as older, larger style lights.  The heat from these lights will speed drying of the needles and branches.  Miniature lights produce less heat than the large bulbs, and LED lights produce the least amount of heat.  Always inspect light sets prior to placing them on the tree.  If worn, replace with a new set.  Do not overload electrical circuits or connect more sets of lights together than what is recommended by the manufacturer.  Always turn off the tree lights when leaving the house or when going to bed.

Take care of your tree, delight in its presence, and have a safe and merry Christmas.

Editor’s note: Curtis Young is Van Wert County OSU extension educator-agriculture and natural resources.