How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh

The holidays are an awesome time of year for many reasons, and one of our favorite things about it is putting up a Christmas tree. Whether you take an annual family trip to cut down your own or pick one off your local tree lot (you may even have a smaller Christmas tree as a holiday decoration in your home), the fun doesn’t end after you’ve found the perfect specimen — you get to decorate it, and, best of all, enjoy it all season long!

However, many families aren't sure when the best time is to pick out a tree. They fear that getting one too early will result in a Christmas morning with presents left under a sulking and sagging tree filled with brown needles.

The good news? You can keep your Christmas tree alive and fresh all season long with these five Christmas tree care tips.

1. Trim the trunk

Before you secure your tree in its stand, make sure the trunk undergoes a good trimming. In most cases, cutting a half inch off should suffice. And remember to cut straight across the trunk and not an angle.

2. Water it regularly

A stand that has a reservoir is a must. After all, like any living plant, your Christmas tree needs water to survive. A good rule of thumb is that the water should always remain at a level that is above the trunk. If, for any reason, you won’t be putting your tree up as soon as you get it home, make sure to store it somewhere where the trunk can comfortably sit in a bucket of water, to avoid dehydration.

3. Choose the right stand

Believe it or not, your stand plays an important role in your tree’s ability to thrive. While you may be tempted to just stuff it in there as best you can or shave down some of the trunk to make it fit, doing so can actually prevent the tree from drinking any of the water mixture. It's important to find a stand that is sized appropriately or choose a tree you know will already fit in the stand you have.

4. Nourish it with sugar

Similar to how you keep beautiful blooms thriving with flower food, you can keep your Christmas tree fresh by adding sugar to the water. Just make sure you mix the sugar in warm water to dissolve it, which can be done right in the tree stand. If you plan to purchase a product to help maintain your tree, make sure that two of the active ingredients in it are sugar and water.

5. Find a safe spot

Although you may think your tree looks great in one corner of the room, keep in mind that certain environmental conditions can shorten its lifespan. For example, heat sources such as a radiator and fireplace can cause your tree to dry out more quickly, so you’ll want to place it elsewhere. Not only can a fireplace dry out the tree, but one spark can ignite it, so it’s best to steer clear of fire when deciding where to put your tree.

In addition to following these Christmas tree care tips, remember that the success you have with keeping your tree fresh begins with picking the right one. To make sure you’ve found one that will last all December (and maybe beyond), pound your pick into the ground after holding it upright and see if needles fall — if they do, keep looking!