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Keep your tree longer
I can’t believe that many of my friends and family have already started to get their homes decorated for Christmas. Personally, I try to hang on until at least December 1st before I turn on the outdoor lights or put up a tree in the window. This is partially because its tradition in my family to wait, but also because I always go with a live tree which won’t survive much longer than five or six weeks indoors before it sheds all of its needles.
If you’re like me and are going with a real tree this year, here are my rules for keeping it looking its best for as long as possible.
Start with a fresh tree! Seems kind of obvious, but so many homeowners rush out early and get a tree that was cut several weeks before and then shipped into the lot. Whenever possible, try to buy a locally grown tree to ensure that it hasn’t been in transit for more than a couple of days. An even better option is to head to a tree farm and cut your own. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon and then you know you have a fresh one.
When you choose your tree, have the base cut at the farm or even at the lot. Then when you get it home, plan of trimming off another one to two inches and get the tree immediately into water so that it can start soaking it up. Much like fresh flowers, a tree will start taking in air if the trimmed trunk is not in a water source. This air is one reason why it looses it needles and begins to die quickly.
In the first few days a tree gets inside of a home, it will need a lot of water. Make sure to keep that reservoir filled. For the first few fillings use HOT Water. This will help melt any sap and allow the tree to drink more easily. I grew up using just use fresh water in the beginning and then based on an online post from another gardening expert, I tried a simple mixture of one litre of water, three tablespoons sugar, two drops vinegar and one drop of bleach to keep the water clean. To be honest, I didn’t notice a difference in the longevity of my tree.
I’ve also heard that you can add a couple of ground up anti-inflammatory pills to the first batch of water to help preserve the tree. Tree farm growers just laugh and say that they’ve heard it all, including using Coke, Sprite and Miracle Grow. The experts all agree though, and say “Skip the additives in favour of clean cold water”
Finally, keep your tree away from bright light or heat sources. Both of these encourage a tree to dry out faster because of the photosynthesis process.
Have a happy holiday season this year by helping your Christmas tree look its best, then make sure to properly dispose of it so that it can be composted or reused, making it the best environmental choice over the artificial ones!
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