A hydrated Christmas tree is a happy Christmas tree
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You might need a thing or two.
If you celebrate the Christmas holiday, you know how vital a beautiful, healthy Christmas tree is to the festivities. For those who prefer a real Christmas tree over an artificial one, you’ll need to learn how to water a Christmas tree before installing it in your living room.
Watering a live Christmas tree will be on your to-do list during the holiday season. Keep reading to learn how to water a Christmas tree properly to keep it looking fresh and healthy longer.
Like Christmas trees, Christmas tree stands come in all shapes and sizes. Choose a tree stand that is the right size for your Christmas tree so it can receive enough water. A good rule of thumb is to give a tree one quart of water for every inch across the tree trunk. For example, an 8-inch diameter Christmas tree trunk would require a tree stand that holds 8 quarts of water or 2 gallons.
If you place your Christmas tree near a heat source, such as a fireplace, heater, or vent, the heat can dry out the branches and cause the tree to die more quickly. To ensure your tree lasts until Christmas and into the New Year, position it far away from these heat sources.
If your tree must be near a heater, consider keeping the room temperature lower or watering the tree more often to prevent branches from dying. Check the tree often to ensure it does not dry out—a dry Christmas tree, especially near a heat source, is a fire hazard.
After picking the perfect Christmas tree and putting it inside your home, place it in the tree stand and fill the reservoir with water for the initial watering. Using a watering vessel, like a watering can or pitcher, fill the tree stand with water up to the maximum fill line. If there isn’t a maximum fill line on the tree stand, read the specifications and fill with the amount of water noted. If you have difficulty accessing the tree stand to fill the reservoir, consider using a funnel with an extension piece.
To keep the recently-cut tree healthy, complete this step within six to eight hours of arriving home with the tree. If you cannot set up the tree immediately, place the trunk in a bucket of warm water in the meantime.
While purchasing plant food and other plant growth additives for your Christmas tree may be tempting, we don’t recommend it. Fresh, clean water is all you need for Christmas trees. Sugar, bleach, or other additives are not recommended. Stick to simple watering and use your research skills to learn how to decorate a Christmas tree to make it look extra stunning.
After the initial watering, keep tabs on your Christmas tree to note how much water it is taking in. Ensure the water level never drops below the base of the tree trunk. The tree will likely take in the most water during the first week in your home, then slow its water consumption. Water the tree daily for the first week, then reduce watering to once a week or as needed to keep the water above the tree trunk.
If you notice dry, fragile needles on your Christmas tree, it’s a sign that it isn’t absorbing enough water. The bottom of the tree trunk may be covered with sap, preventing the tree from absorbing water. Remove ½ inch or so from the bottom of the tree trunk and place it back into the tree stand so it can absorb water again.
To keep your Christmas tree healthy for longer, consider using a spray bottle to mist the air around your tree in addition to regular watering. Doing so prevents the tree from drying out and can help the tree last well into the New Year. You could also place a humidifier near the Christmas tree to moisten the air.
While you most likely don’t need a pro to help you with your Christmas tree’s daily watering, you may need assistance with other holiday-related tasks. Consider hiring a local Christmas light installer to hang your interior or exterior lights, especially if you have a very tall Christmas tree. The cost of hiring a pro Christmas light installer is $415 on average.
You should water your Christmas tree with hot water the first time you water it, then use cold water for all future watering. After a tree is cut, the sap can harden over the base, preventing water from getting up and inside the tree. The hot water loosens up and removes the sap so the tree can absorb the water.
Adding sugar to water for a Christmas tree does not help. When watering a Christmas tree, use fresh, clean tap water. Do not add anything to the water, like sugar, plant food, or other additives.
Without water, a Christmas tree will last as long as six to eight hours. If you will not be putting your Christmas tree in a stand and watering it within six to eight hours, place the trunk into a bucket of warm water to prevent it from drying out in the meantime.
A Christmas tree will drink water daily for the first week or two after cutting it. From there, the Christmas tree will drink less water but you should still water it regularly. Depending on your tree, water it every few days to once per week.
It is good to spray water on a Christmas tree to help keep the needles hydrated. Spraying a Christmas tree with water prevents dryness, stops needles from falling off, and reduces the risk of fire.
A Christmas tree will only absorb as much water as it desires, so you cannot overwater it. Keep the Christmas tree stand filled with water. The trunk base of the tree should never be exposed; it should always be submerged in water.