December 17, 2024
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Science-based tips for making your Christmas tree last
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, where’s your manual? Here’s how to make the most of your Christmas tree
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Ah, December, the month when many people bring a small or not so small piece of the outdoors inside. Christmas tree. But what kind of care does a cut tree need to keep it looking and smelling its best during (supposedly) most festive weeks of the year?
Fortunately, Christmas trees are low maintenance for the holiday interior. “We treat trees like a cut flower, basically,” says Justin Whitehill, a plant pathologist who studies Christmas trees full-time at North Carolina State University. “You don’t have to complicate it.”
To do that, he says, skip the supplements people will try to sell you, and ignore the rumors you hear about giving your tree sugar water or aspirin: just tap water, though Whitehill admits he encourages people to do so. the tree because “fresh and cold water is refreshing to the tree.” (Keeping your Christmas tree well-watered is botanically wise, but also very pragmatic, as holiday tree fires caused an average of 155 fires per year in the U.S. between 2018 and 2022.
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Christmas trees are especially thirsty when they go inside and are still adjusting to not having roots in the ground. “In the first day or two, he’ll drink several gallons of water,” says Whitehill. From then on, he says, the hunger will subside. “Eventually you won’t have to water as much.” Fortunately, all a blackthumb Christmas tree needs to do is check the tree pole’s water level — just keep it topped up, and the tree will take care of itself, Whitehill says.
A quick step before installing the tree can also help it grow: Cut off the bottom inch or half of the trunk. “When you get a tree, you want to make sure you have a fresh cut,” says Whitehill. “That will kind of open it up vascular system,” are tubes that move water, sugar, and nutrients throughout a tree. This helps the tree to take more water that is given to it.
Another small measure to keep your tree in good condition is to keep it in a cool part of your home, says Whitehill, because warm temperatures can dry out the tree and lose aromatic compounds more quickly. (That’s why the stereotypical place next to the fireplace is usually not the best choice, fire hazard aside).
Unfortunately, if the most common pet peeve around Christmas trees is falling needles, there’s no specific treatment that can help, Whitehill says. How a tree hangs on needles tends to vary by species (Christmas trees can come from different conifer species) and individual genetics. For example, Fraser firs tend to hang tight from their needles, and many pines drop their leaves more quickly.
But that’s no reason to fixate on what species your tree might be, Whitehill says, especially since Christmas tree species are often unlabeled or mislabeled. (It can also be difficult to properly identify, he says, though he encourages curiosity to try.) In his expert opinion, an individual’s connection to the tree they grew up with is far more important than its species. “As long as you like the tree,” says Whitehill. “Every tree needs love.”
