Christmas Tree Care
Keep your tree watered! If you are not bringing the tree in immediately, let it sit in a bucket of water outdoors or in a cool place inside. When you are ready to place your tree into its stand, make a fresh cut at the bottom of the trunk, at least 1” above the original cut – this will help your Christmas tree better absorb water. In a heated space, a cut tree can absorb up to a quart of water a day, so be sure to refill the reservoir in your stand frequently. Keeping your tree away from heat sources will help preserve its life in your home and avoid fire hazards. Always check your tree lights before putting them on a tree – replace tree lights with loose connections and/or exposed or cracked wires.
When you are ready to take down your Christmas tree, don’t forget to recycle it – you can turn it into mulch, use branches to cover and protect garden perennials or even use it is a bird refuge for the garden!
Potted Christmas trees require watering every few days, to maintain moist but not overly wet soil (ice cubes can be used to provide cool and gentle water for the roots), and they prefer the coolest location in your home. We recommend helping your potted tree to adjust to indoor temperatures by temporarily housing it an unheated shelter such as the garage or porch for a couple of days before transferring it into your home. After a maximum of two weeks in the house, you should begin to readjust the tree to outside life by storing the tree in a sheltered and cool area. If weather permits, plant the tree after Christmas; if the ground is frozen, maintain the tree with water and daylight access in a garage until March or April, when planting is again possible.