Tips for Watering Christmas Trees: Keep Your Tree Festive and Healthy this Holiday Season
Have you ever asked yourself how to go about watering a Christmas tree? It’s certainly hard to rock around the Christmas tree when dead pine needles are scattered around your tree skirt rather than presents. It’s quite hard to enjoy the full effect of your holiday decor when the epitome of holiday decor—your Christmas tree—is bare and lifeless.
Whether you bundle up your young ones and trudge into the woods to get the perfect real tree or head on over to the local tree farm to pick your beautiful tree out of the bunch, picking out the perfect Christmas tree is an honoured tradition in many households. But without proper care, your glorious holiday tree can crumble right in front of you, and red bows don’t look great with brown needles…
With a few tree tips, our certified Edmonton arborists will take you through some of the most effective ways to ensure your Christmas tree remains fresh, strong, and festive through adequate watering. Christmas trees are living creatures, and like all living things, they require fresh water and lots of it. So, keep reading as Trusty Tree Services takes you through the best tips for watering Christmas trees!
Christmas Tree Watering 101
Now that you’ve chosen a healthy tree, you trimmed it, decorated it, and lit it. Next, it’s time to ensure that it remains vibrant throughout the festive season. However, that will depend on the type of tree you have. Blue spruces are a popular choice for Christmas trees, thanks to their delightful fragrance that evokes cherished childhood memories of the holiday season. The only downfall is their quicker needle loss. However, Douglas firs are also common because they are long-lasting, allowing you to keep your tree up well into January.
Regardless of the types of trees you may have set up for Christmas this year, there is something they all have in common: choosing the right method for watering your Christmas tree. This means checking the water levels every day, keeping it away from heat sources, and not adding any extra chemicals to the water, as this can harm the tree’s natural water absorption.
Let’s take a closer look at the best Christmas tree watering practices to ensure you have a fresh tree all season long!
Choosing the Right Tree Stand for Christmas Tree Watering
The right Christmas tree stand is essential for maintaining both a healthy tree and a sturdy one. A sturdy stand will not only keep your Christmas tree upright but also provide an adequate water capacity and keep your tree hydrated. Many tree stands are built to support extra water as a sort of reservoir for the tree, so you will want to choose one that can support whatever size of tree you’ve selected.
But before you put the Christmas tree in the stand, cut it off about 0.5 to 1 inch in diameter from the tree trunk. This will remove any dried sap that can block water uptake and will help with better water absorption.
Let’s take a look at watering your Christmas tree depending on the size of the tree and its stand:
- Water Capacity: For optimal tree care, use a stand that can hold a few quarts of water per inch of stem diameter. For example, a six-foot Christmas tree with a three-inch tree trunk will require about two to three quarts of water daily to keep the tree fresh and hydrated. It’s important to regularly check the water levels since a dry tree can lead to a more rapid needle drop.
- Accessibility: Make sure your tree stand allows for easy access for Christmas tree watering without having to move the tree frequently. The more disruption you cause to the tree, the more stress it will experience.
- Consider A Tree Watering System: Christmas tree watering systems are handy because they make it easier to water regularly without having to move presents out of the way.
- Branch and Needle Care: As important as the trunk is, the branches and needles are just as important for maintaining the beauty and the health of the tree. Consider using a spray bottle for healthy needles and branches.
To ensure that your Christmas tree is receiving ample water (and to keep the tree alive), watering Christmas trees daily is crucial. Though it may seem excessive, Christmas trees require lots of water. A fresh tree can absorb plenty of water, sometimes even two to three pints per day. Furthermore, never let the water level drop below the base of the tree trunk, as this can cause it to seal over and reduce the water absorption.
Stick To Only Water
Plain water is the way to go when watering your Christmas tree. There have been several myths surrounding the addition of sugars or corn syrups to the water, but research shows that plain, clean water is the most effective method for maintaining a freshly cut tree.
Substances with sugars can actually clog the pores of the tree, preventing it from maintaining a constant water level. So, keep the sugar for your gingerbread houses and sugar cookies; your Christmas tree won’t need it!
Keep Your Christmas Tree in A Cool Location
As important as watering Christmas trees is, it’s equally important to keep your tree in a cool environment, away from heat sources such as radiators, fireplaces, furnace heating vents, and direct sunlight. If you keep your tree near these sources of heat, it will increase the amount of water you have to supply.
And while it may seem that watering more than once a day isn’t a big deal, it can lead to a premature needle drop. Can you imagine it’s December 24th, and the needles have all dropped before Santa can come down the chimney? It would be disappointing. So, keep your Christmas tree in a cold climate, and it will increase its chance of survival.
Trusty (Christmas) Tree Services! Your Source for All Things Trees
Watering Christmas trees is fundamental to maintaining a fresh tree this holiday season. Furthermore, ensure it is in a secure, cool location away from furnace vents to avoid a dried-out tree by the time the big day comes around!
At Trusty Tree Services, we are dedicated to serving Edmonton and the nearby areas with services dedicated to protecting the integrity and the growth of trees—even Christmas trees! If you have any questions regarding Christmas tree watering or what types of trees are best for the holidays, reach out to our customer service team or give us a call at 780-860-5500!