Christmas Trees are similar to cut flowers. They have a remarkable ability to absorb water by capillary action through their bark. Cut flowers behave in a similar way by drawing water up through their stems.
Be Aware that these trees are natural living things, and once they are cut they begin to die, sad as this is apart from artificial trees we are still without a solution to this simple fact of life. Time the arrival of your Christmas tree with this in mind to increase longevity and get the most out of it.
Here are five key issues to consider:
1 - Prepare the Christmas tree trunk
We do this to all our real trees so you don’t have to! Just before you install your Christmas tree, saw off the bottom 1” (3cm) of the trunk. This creates a fresh cut and opens up the pores in the bark, which otherwise can block up with sap within a few hours of being cut. The real tree is then able to drink water through these pores via capillary action.
2 - They need routine
Do not expose your Christmas tree to sudden changes in temperature. Trees like most people are creatures of habit and prefer steady conditions.
3 - Keep it away from any heat sources
Position your Christmas tree away from any heat sources such as radiators and fireplaces. Heat dries out your real Christmas tree faster, so the further away from potentially damaging heat sources the better, and the fresher your tree will remain.
4 - Water your Real Christmas tree
Place your fresh tree in plain water - not soil or sand which would block the pores in the bark. This is best achieved by using a specially designed Christmas tree stand. Many precious hours can be wasted trying to make a Christmas Tree stand up straight in an ordinary bucket using just bricks or stones! All stands are not created equal, and we strongly recommend the Cinco stands which can be used on trees up to 12ft tall.
5 - Then keep on watering it!
Keep the Christmas tree stand topped up with water. Your Christmas tree may drink 2-3 pints (1-2 litres) of water per day, depending on its size and your central heating settings. This is very important as once the water level drops below the tree’s trunk, sap will re-seal the bark within a few hours, preventing the tree from drinking any further water even if you then re-fill the Christmas tree stand.
Also be aware that dogs often favour the tree stand as a convenient watering hole.
For More information Please see FAQs.
