How to Keep a Live Christmas Tree Fresh Throughout the Holidays

Two quick tips to prevent your tree from drying out prematurely

Hello and welcome to Joe Shows How! If you’re decorating your home for the holidays with a live Christmas tree, be sure to watch this week’s video. I, along with my 12-year-old neighbor, Teo, share two tips that will help a live tree stay fresh and supple throughout the long holiday season.

Most Christmas trees dry out and start dropping needles within a week or so, even if you keep the tree stand filled with water, and here’s why: As soon as a live tree is cut down, sticky sap starts to leach out of the fresh cut. The sap then dries and seals up the cut end, greatly reducing the tree’s ability to absorb water. So, here’s the two-step approach to keeping your tree fresh:

Before setting the tree into the tree stand, use a saw to make a fresh cut, removing about 1-1/2 inches from the end of tree. Next, take a drill with a 1/4-inch-diameter bit and drill a hole as deeply as possible straight up through the center of the tree trunk. Then, immediately place the tree in the stand and fill the reservoir with water.

The combination of the fresh cut and center hole allows the tree to suck up water like a sponge; just keep an eye on the water level to ensure the reservoir never runs dry. And stay tuned to the end of the video for a Bonus Tip on how to make a decorative Christmas tree from a couple of wire tomato towers.

Teo and I hope these tips help make your holiday season just a bit more fun and festive. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!