CLEVELAND — It’s a holiday tradition for many that lights up rooms and fills people with joy, but not when the branches get brittle and can no longer hold ornaments.
What You Need To Know
- Christmas tree farms owners say to make sure your Christmas tree has a fresh cut before putting it into the stand to ensure the tree does not sap over
- Get a stand big enough for the tree you plan to buy; this ensures stability as well as adequate water supply
- Keep the tree watered
- Keep the tree away from heat sources like fireplaces and vents, a cooler room will increase tree longevity
Jeff Greig is one of the owners of Greig's Christmas Tree Farm in northeast Ohio, and Graham Grace is one of the owners of Cle Trees.
With proper care, they said, the quality of a tree may be maintained.
“You want to have a fresh cut on the Christmas tree because after that tree is cut from the farm, it'll sap up and like one to two hours,” Grace said. “So at your Christmas tree lots, you want the guys that give it a little fresh cut to cut that sap off so it can absorb water. You want to get it in water as soon as possible.”
“You should make sure you get a stand that’s appropriate for your trees,” Grieg said. “So if you're buying a 10-foot tree, make sure you're reading the box on the stand, and if it's good for a six- to eight-foot tree, get the bigger stand. There's two reasons for that. It's going to make it a little bit more stable in the house. When you stand it up, the other thing is you're going to have a good reservoir for the water.”
Next, they said to check the water levels a few times per day.
“So, trees can drink up to a gallon of water a day. So just make sure you check that stand like once or twice a day and keep it full of water,” said Grace.
And keep it away from heat sources.
“You don't want it by the fireplace. You don't want to buy a heat register. It's always better to keep the house a little bit cooler during the season or especially where the tree is in the house. That's going to help preserve it and make it last a little bit longer,” said Greig.
The tree experts said there is no magic to keeping a tree living long — just tender, love, and care.
“There's tons of myths, like bleach, corn starch, 7-Up stuff, sugar. None of that is necessary at all. Just nice clean water,” said Grace.
The hardest tip for some to hear is to know when to say goodbye.
“At some point, Christmas is over, it’s time to let go. It’s time to give the tree back to Mother Nature and recycle it,” said Grace.
For more tips on how to properly care for a Christmas tree, go to the Ohio Christmas Tree website.