How To Care For Real Christmas Trees

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

If you decide to decorate your home with a real Christmas tree, there are three basic steps to follow so that you can keep it green and healthy for the duration of the holiday. If you love its distinctive smell, you need to maintain it by taking care of the source. It is important to know how to choose a tree and take care of it appropriately in full respect of the environment and so that it can last longer.

Steps

Part 1 of 6: Choosing the Right Tree

Step 1. Buy a healthy tree

If possible, buy it in a nursery where you can practically pick it while it is still planted. A freshly cut Christmas tree will last longer than what you can find in a store.

Step 2. Avoid trees full of dead or brown needles

Gently shake a branch to make sure the needles are flexible and won't detach from the shrub.

Part 2 of 6: Making Room in the House

Step 1. Decide where to place it

Keep it away from the fireplace or other heat sources, which could cause it to dry out prematurely or cause a fire. Corners are a good place to put a Christmas tree because they allow you to keep it safe from accidental bumps.

• If you decorate it with fairy lights, place it near an electrical outlet. If you cannot do this, you will need an extension cable, which you will slide along the wall to avoid tangling.

  

Step 2. Cover the area of the floor where you will be placing the tree

You can use a Christmas-themed playmat or some wrapping paper. This element not only has a decorative function, but is also a protection from any splashes of water.

You can put the protective mat on the tree pot after you have assembled everything. In addition to making the tree more presentable, it will prevent your pets from going to drink the water

Part 3 of 6: Assemble the Tree

Step 1. Prepare the base of the tree

Using a small saw, cut the lower part of the trunk about 2 cm to allow the shrub to absorb the water.

• The cut must be straight; any other method will not allow the water to be absorbed properly and will adversely affect the stability of the tree.
• Avoid cutting with a jigsaw or any blade that moves so fast it creates friction. The friction would cause too much heat which in turn would harden the sap inside the tree, which would make it impossible to absorb water. A chainsaw or manual is fine.

Step 2. Assemble the tree within eight hours of cutting:

this is the maximum period of time during which a shrub can resist without water before its absorption capacities are damaged. A Christmas tree should never be placed dry: much better to place it in a vase to be filled regularly with water. You can buy a special container, which will provide him with all the space he will need, or you can opt for a more homemade method, which is to use a bucket full of small stones (first insert the tree, then put the pebbles around the trunk). The tree needs 950 ml of water for every 2.5 cm of trunk diameter.

The tree must have an evenly cut base and be stable. Do not remove part of the bark to get it into the support - the outer part is the one that absorbs the most

Step 3. Make sure the tree is straight

Cut the shrub together with another person: one holds it while the other takes care of the base. Make sure it's straight before you start decorating it.

Part 4 of 6: Decorate the Tree

Step 1. Decorate the tree

This is the fun part! But do it safely:

• Check each row of lights to make sure the bulbs are working properly.

  

• Check that the threads are not frayed or that your dog hasn't chewed them and that the connections are secure.

  

• Discard any dodgy ornaments and replace them. Tree decorations aren't expensive to replace, other elements in your home are.

  

• Hang small and fragile decorations out of the reach of children and pets, to prevent them from accidentally breaking or swallowing them.

Part 5 of 6: Caring for the Tree

Step 1. Water it, especially immediately after fixing it

On the first day, he will need about four liters of water. Next, fill the jar almost daily. Regular watering is not just to keep the tree healthy, but a hydrated tree will be less prone to drying out and consequently there are fewer fire hazards. Make sure the water level is always above the base of the tree.

Some put an aspirin in the water to keep it cool, others also add some Sprite or other lemon soda to feed the tree. Just be careful not to spill the liquid on the gifts

Step 2. Pay attention to the resin

Check every so often that the resin does not go on furniture or carpets near the tree. The sooner you know it, the easier you can fix it.

Step 3. Collect the fallen needles with a dust cloth and a brush or a small vacuum cleaner (if there are a lot of needles, a normal vacuum cleaner could get stuck and even break, while the one you can hold in one hand will force you to empty during the process)

• This all has to be a daily routine, unless you want to pick up a huge pile of needles when you go to remove the tree at the end of the holiday. In addition, the needles are dangerous for children and curious animals.

  

• A well-fed tree will lose fewer needles, but all real trees still lose some.

  

Part 6 of 6: Remove the Shaft

Step 1. Your tree gave its life for you and supported your Christmas spirit

Contact the eventual tree harvesting program in your municipality of residence. If you have space in the garden, leave it there until spring arrives, when you can make shavings for mulch. If you live in a place where Christmas is celebrated in the summer, you can chip the shrub as soon as you remove it.

Some throw the tree into a lake: the plant will become a natural refuge for fish or other aquatic creatures who want to use it as a hiding place. In this case, it is best to consult the forest ranger first

Advice

• Use LED Christmas lights to keep tree heat to a minimum. Turn them off when you're not using it. Both of these tips are good for the environment and help you prevent fires.
• Do not use water that has been treated with a home softening system. This type of water is characterized by high levels of sodium, which will lower the life of the tree. Use ordinary, distilled or bottled water (this too can have traces of sodium, although lower than that of softened water).
• Turn off the tree lights when you go out. If you go away for a few days but want to keep them on, ask a neighbor to check them.
• If you forget to water it, the tree may dry out and lose needles. The only way to fix this is to cut another 2.5cm from the base and hydrate it generously.

Warnings

• The lights go out if no one is home.
• Unplug the lights from the socket when you water it.
• Do not overdo the electrical circuits.
• Dogs and cats are known to hit Christmas trees and make a mess. If you have a pet, keep it away from the room where you have placed the tree or take appropriate measures.
• Never place flammable or heat-producing items, such as candles, TVs, stereos, electric heaters, etc., near the tree.
• Don't put a fir tree in a shredder. The combination of resin and needles could clog it and it will be difficult to clean.