Camille’s Blog of the Week – 12/10

Camille’s Blog of the Week

How to keep your Christmas tree fresh and fragrant through the holidays

You love the look and smell of a live Christmas tree, but how do you keep it from drying out through the holidays?

Whether you go on a family outing to a Christmas tree farm or buy a pre-cut tree, fresh trees require care if you want them to look great for the whole season. You should also avoid letting your tree dry out because then it can become a major fire hazard. Keep these handy tips in mind for a healthy, happy tree all through the season.

Choose a tree with good needle retention. Sweeping up shed needles is a necessary chore for those of us who love natural trees, but some species are better at holding on to their needles than others. Some of the better choices are white pine, Fraser fir, Colorado blue spruce, concolor fir and Scotch pine.

Get an adequate tree stand. Make sure your tree stand fits your tree trunk — theNational Christmas Tree Association warns against whittling down the trunk of a tree to fit a stand, because the outer layers are amazing at taking up water, which the tree needs.

Make sure your stand can hold enough water. The NCTA also writes that, in general, you should provide one quart of water per inch of stem diameter. If this sounds like a lot, it is — cut trees need tons of water.

Trim the base of the trunk. Before placing your tree in the stand, saw off about a 1/2-inch thick circle from the base. Resist the urge to cut at an angle or into a V-shape, which would make it more difficult for the tree to draw up water.

Check the water level daily. You want to make sure that the level of water in the stand never dips below the base of the tree. This means you should check on a daily basis, and add water as needed.

Read Full article from SheKnows.com