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How to Care for a Live Christmas Tree

In a perfect world, your fresh-cut Christmas tree would look as perfect as the one on the cover of a Better Homes and Gardens issue. In the real world, people all over find themselves staring at a crooked, shedding tree that makes Charlie Brown’s look magazine-worthy. It’s bad enough they saw such an atrocity on a Christmas tree lot. Worse yet – at least some would see it this way – that they ended up bringing it home.

Do you have such a Christmas tree “project” currently on your hands? Well, before giving up all hope read on for 4 effective tips for making even the most troublesome natural Christmas tree picture perfect.

Dropping Needles – The best way to prevent a tree from shedding its needles is to buy the freshest one you can (freshly cut, if possible). If you get precut, give the branches and needles a slight tug – if you see needles falling off, keep looking. Once you’ve made your selection, cut about 2 inches off the bottom of the tree before placing it in the stand, and water it several times a day for the first few days. Then continue to water daily, making sure to not let the water level drop below the cut.

Bald Spots – Nothing ruins an otherwise perfect tree quite like a large bare spot. If you plan on placing your tree near a wall or in a corner, you can simply turn the tree just so. Otherwise, you can fill in the empty spot by trimming a few branches from the bottom and securing them to the base of surrounding branches. Then just trim the “new” branches to help them blend in.

Crooked Tree – Getting a tree to stand perfectly straight in its stand takes a little bit of trial and error. So first, place the trunk of the tree into the stand so the tree is as upright as possible. While you hold it, have someone screw in the eye bolts a little at a time. Once the tree is stable, stand away from the tree and direct your helper in the bolt tightening. If the tree is leaning in one direction, tighten the bolt on the opposite side. Keep at it until the tree stands perfectly straight.

Leaky Tree Stand – Whether it’s a crack in your tree stand or just a watering snafu, you can protect your floors by placing a sheet of plastic with a towel underneath the stand. Check the towel for dampness every time you water the tree so that you can head off any issues sooner rather than later.

Whether you have a Christmas tree ready for prime time or one so homely that only a family could love it, enjoy its special light and meaning this year in the company of everyone you hold dear – a wish from all of us at Messmer Mechanical.