Hints to keep your Christmas tree fresh longer

Don't let this holiday season's most important centrepiece wither before you've even had a chance to decorate it: here are a few must-know tricks that will help keep your Christmas tree fresher for longer, so it lasts through the festive season looking green and lush.

[Photo Credit: iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages]

The first step to keeping your tree bright for the holiday season and thriving as long as possible is to ensure it's as fresh as can be when you buy it. The solution? Visit a Christmas tree farm.

• An annual trip to a Christmas tree farm is not only a fun family outing, it's also a good way to get a healthy tree that you know is fresh. What's more, it's an "old-fashioned" experience your children will enjoy – and perhaps even the start of a new family tradition.
• If you have no choice but to buy a pre-cut tree at the store, it's better to buy earlier rather than later. Generally, the longer you wait to buy a tree, the longer it has been on the lot without water or maintenance. The tree is better off going home with you at the beginning of December and sitting outside in a bucket of water until about two weeks before Christmas.

If a Christmas tree farm visit is out of the question, or you're too busy to buy one early in the season, you should purchase one that you know is fresher. What should you look for?

Telltale signs of a fresh tree

• The needles should be green, bendable, but not easy to break. Brittle, fragile needles suggest the tree has been sitting around for a while and you should avoid buying the tree.
• When you stroke the tree needles gently, they should not fall off. A few loose needles are acceptable. In addition, the needles should "spring back up" if squeezed lightly.
• Check the branches and bark for green paint. It is sometimes applied to artificially enhance the appearance of freshness.

Keeping your tree hydrated is more than simply setting your tree in a tree stand and filling it with water. Christmas trees can dry out for a number of reasons, other than a lack of water. What should you do?

Trim the tree trunk bottom
If you get a pre-cut tree, get the bottom inch of the trunk sliced off before leaving the lot where you bought it.

• The bottom will likely be coated with a sticky, waterproof sap that protects the tree, but also prevents it from drawing up water.
• It takes the sap coating about three hours to re-form after cutting off the end, so place the tree in water when you get it home to prevent this from happening.

Keep the tree away from heat
Choose a suitable location for the tree away from heat sources, such as hot air vents and radiators.

• Hot air can have a drying effect on a tree, especially in winter. The result is that your tree will be constantly parched and may start to wilt and lose needles before you know it.

If the air is excessively dry in your area, which is usually the case in winter, set up an air humidifier in the room where you keep your tree to help keep it fresh for longer.

• Choose a humidifier that produces cool air to help boost humidity levels in your home. They are effective and don't present a scalding hazard for your children, pets, or even yourself.

Water the tree every day
Check the water levels daily in your tree stand.

• The base of the tree should always be fully immersed.
• Some people add Christmas tree food or plain table sugar to their tree's water to help it get the nutrients it needs.
• If you set up the tree before you plan to decorate it, ensure it always has enough water. Otherwise, you'll find it soon starts to shed needles like crazy, which is a sign the tree wasn't properly watered.

A dry fading Christmas tree is not only disappointing, it's also unnecessary. By picking a fresh tree from the beginning and keeping it well watered, you can set it up and enjoy your Christmas tree for the entire holiday season without any worries.