It’s that time of the year when families who decorate for Christmas might be thinking about selecting that perfect live tree for their homes. If you are choosing the real thing this year, here are some tips to keep your Christmas tree as healthy as possible this holiday season.
Every year, about 25 million Christmas trees are purchased in the United States, according to the 
National Christmas Tree Association. Keeping it fresh is very important, not only for preserving its beauty, but also to prevent it from becoming a fire hazard.
With proper care, a Christmas tree can stay fresh for a month or even longer. Everyone knows that you must add water to the reservoir in the base of a Christmas tree — and as a rule of thumb, a typical tree absorbs a quart of water for each inch of its diameter. Will adding other household products to the water help keep them fresher longer? There is some debate about whether adding any kind of mixture to the water helps keep a tree fresher longer. Tchukki Anderson, a staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association, says many people have had success by mixing a tablespoon of sugar or corn syrup in the water. However, she says, water is usually enough.
First off, pick the right tree. The best trees that retain moisture the longest are Fraser fir, Noble fir and Douglas fir. Eastern red cedar and Atlantic white cedar rapidly lose moisture and should be used only for a week or two. True firs nearly always have good needle retention. Frasier Firs are a better option.
At the lot, give your choice a shake and watch the type of needles that fall. Brown needles, which come from the center near the trunk, are fine, but fallen green needles means the tree has gotten dry.
Because trees are often cut several weeks before appearing on the lot, they have a lot of time to dehydrate—if they aren’t sprayed often with water or are stored in the sun, you’ll end up with more needles under the tree than presents. You will likely need to "refresh" a Christmas tree if it has been harvested for several days. When trees are harvested, the cut will ooze with pitch sealing the transport cells that provide water to the needles. Removing a portion of the tree butt above the cut will open up the clogged cells and the tree will be able to maintain appropriate moisture to the foliage.
Refresh by making a straight cut taking at least one inch off the original harvest cut and immediately place the new cut in water. This action will improve water uptake, especially if the tree was purchased from a lot and not freshly cut. After getting a fresh cut on the trunk, rush your tree home to get it into water as soon as possible. If you don’t plan on putting it up right away, store your tree in a cool place, like the garage, in a bucket of water. Once you’re ready to deck the boughs, find a good quality tree stand. The biggest mistake people make is getting a cheap tree stand that doesn’t hold enough water.
Those that require a hole drilled in the base of the trunk are good for providing stability, but they don’t affect the water intake. Keep replenishing with fresh water daily, and if possible, mix in floral preservative, which you can pick up at the florist, or at the Christmas tree lot. Make sure to place the tree in a cooler area of the house, away from heat sources and preferably away from the sun (or just keep the blind drawn). As long as your tree stays moist, it should last several weeks, maybe even until New Years. Feel free to leave comments and be sure to hit the “Like” button at the bottom of this post.