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| Photo by Karen Hendricks |
According to Rick Bates, professor of horticulture at Penn State University, taking care of a live Christmas tree has become more challenging through the years, as consumer demand has extended the average time commitment from Thanksgiving through early January. Here are Bates’ tips on caring for a live tree.
- The important thing is to put a fresh cut on the bottom of the tree trunk if it’s been a day or two since the tree was cut down.
- Put it in a tree stand that holds an adequate amount of water—at least a gallon. Bates says some tree stands are too small in terms of water, and the average tree can absorb a gallon of water a day. The rule of thumb is a quart of water per stem diameter.
- Check the water level once a day. The amount of water needed will slow down over time.
- Don’t put the tree near heating vents or things that will dry it out.
- There are various products— tablets or powders—that claim to keep needles from dropping, but none of those really work. “Just plain, clean water is fine—it’s pretty straightforward,” Bates says.
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