Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh through the Holidays

Real Christmas trees are kind of controversial. This is not a post about the environmental impact of real vs. faux Christmas trees, though I like to think that the presence of Christmas tree farms is good for the environment!

Last year I wanted to begin decorating earlier, so I bought a faux Christmas tree online! I have only had real Christmas trees in the past. The color and texture of the faux Christmas tree were not what I expected. This year I opted to go back to a real Christmas tree!

I typically like to purchase real Christmas trees right after Thanksgiving so that I have enough time to enjoy them, but also so they still look fresh and feel soft. The optimal time to display a Christmas tree so that it still looks nice and healthy is about 4-6 weeks. I will be detailing a few tips to help your real Christmas tree last through the season!

Choose the right retailer for your budget

Purchasing a Christmas tree in my experience seems to be a balance between budget and the health of the tree. You can assume that the healthiest trees are in the ground where you are cutting it down yourself and quickly getting it home. This would be a lovely winter activity and a great option depending on your location. I would love to do this one day! I imagine being at a tree farm with hot chocolate and smelling all the lush trees.

Some of these tree farms have local pop-up shops in cities for customers to buy directly from the tree farm in a more central location. I looked into this option in the past, and it was a more expensive option but the trees were stunning!

Local plant nurseries sell Christmas trees, as well as big box retail stores. The price I am willing to spend for a real Christmas tree usually has put me in the big box retailer category. For the last several years I have purchased a real Christmas tree from Whole Foods, Lowe’s, and Home Depot. With this being said, purchasing from a big box retailer could be a gamble because it is harder to determine how fresh your tree will be. There could be a longer time between when the tree was cut down, and when the tree is actually purchased. How the retailer cares for the tree matters, but select the best tree from a retailer within your budget.

Choose a healthy Christmas tree

Notice how the trees are maintained. Are they stored in water? Are the bottoms of the tree still wet or are they bone dry? Shake the tree a bit and watch for dropping pine needles. Are the branches soft to touch or are there needles coming off in your hand? My friend sent me a Tiktok with a Praying Mantis in the tree! Shaking the tree and giving it a light bounce hopefully will also dislodge any pests sheltering in the tree.

Watch them cut the stump

The longer your Christmas tree is taking up water, the healthier it will look! It also is important to cut the stump because this gives the tree a better chance of continuing to take in water. It is recommended to remove about one inch from the base of the stump. The employee helping you with your tree can even trim off some lower branches to make room for gifts under the tree!

Make sure your Christmas tree remains hydrated

Once the tree has made it back to your house from a treacherous drive on your vehicle’s roof, let it sit in a bucket of water for several hours or even overnight so it can take up as much water as possible.

Use the proper size Christmas tree stand. When in doubt size up your tree stand so that the basin holds a good amount of water. You don’t want to wake up in the morning and see that your basin is bone dry. The first day I get the tree, I expect to refill the water once or twice a day.

Position the tree away from hot direct sun and certainly away from heat sources like vents or radiators. When the tree is in place in the stand with ample water, I add the strings of lights and decorations!

I check on water levels in the morning and after work. I feel like it is my little pet for a few weeks! It is important not to let the tree stand basin be without water.

A few times a week I mist the Christmas tree with a spray bottle. Make it fun! I have my Charlie Brown Christmas on vinyl playing in the background, and I admire my beautifully decorated Christmas tree! Make sure your Christmas tree stays hydrated so it looks fresh and so green all Christmas season!

Once the tree stops taking in water, it begins to drop needles and it can get rather prickly. Hopefully, if this happens it is after Christmas. There are local tree recycling programs available, and it also can be converted into mulch.

Let me know in the comments if you prefer a real or faux Christmas tree! For more plant resources check out my beginner houseplant recommendations. Thanks for reading! It’s officially time to deck the halls!