How to make christmas tree drink water
What To Do When Christmas Tree Won’t Drink Water? [Keep Chopped Tree Fresh] – Your Indoor Herbs and Garden
Real, living Christmas trees have an aesthetic beauty and fragrance that artificial Christmas trees simply cannot match. But watering a real tree, especially if indoors in a container, is not an easy task! It requires consistency.
The only way to keep a chopped Christmas tree hydrated throughout the holiday season is to 1) remove the layer of sap through a new cut and 2) keep the exposed wood stump submerged in water. If left to dry, the sap seals off the Christmas tree and prevents water absorption.
If you find yourself struggling with a droopy, drying Christmas tree, read on to see how you can turn your evergreen, well, green and happy again.
Table of Contents
- 1 The Correct Way To Water Your Chopped Christmas Tree
- 1.1 Why Won’t My Chopped Christmas Tree Drink Water?
- 1.2 Do’s and Don’ts in Fresh Christmas Tree Shopping
- 1.
3 How Much Water Does A Freshly-Cut Christmas Tree Need?
- 2 More Ways To Keep a Christmas Tree Hydrated and Fresh [Advanced Tips]
- 3 Christmas Tree Species That Retain Water Best
- 4 Christmas Trees as a Fire Hazard
- 5 Takeaways
- 6 Sources
The Correct Way To Water Your Chopped Christmas Tree
Water is your best friend during the holidays. Without it, your Christmas tree won’t stand a chance of looking lively throughout the festivities.
To maintain the maximum health of your tree for Christmas, let’s take a look at the Why’s, How’s, Dos, and Don’ts of watering and choosing your evergreen.
Why Won’t My Chopped Christmas Tree Drink Water?
The root system of a tree not only absorbs water, it also filters the nutrients and synthesizes the hormones which the plant needs.
When you cut off the roots of a Christmas tree, the tree continues to absorb and transport water through a network of “pipes” in its trunk and its leaves for some weeks, yet it is unable to receive the nutrients which only the roots can provide.
This eventually weakens and kills the tree.
After cutting down a Christmas tree, the sap flowing out of the fresh wound hardens within 4-6 hours preventing any water uptake through the trunk. To keep your tree alive, saw off an inch off the stump to remove the sap which has sealed and then submerge the tree in a bucket of water.
To avoid fires and to maintain a perky Christmas tree which can hold up its ornaments, you should never allow your tree to dry out. Generally, a tree that has lost more than 85% of its original moisture will not regain its freshness [1].
You can also repeat this approach for a couple of days before Christmas so by then, your tree will be at the peak of its freshness!
Do’s and Don’ts in Fresh Christmas Tree Shopping
Ultimately, how long your Christmas tree can flourish in your house depends on the tree’s freshness upon buying. Therefore, it is important to pick out a tree which is strong and healthy from the beginning.
Keep these in mind when shopping for a freshly-cut Christmas tree:
- DON’T buy old trees. Trees quickly dry out after being cut down. Some retailers will have old stocks of Christmas trees which had been hurriedly distributed for Thanksgiving sales. Choose a reputable grower or seller from your area who will tell you how far away and how long ago the trees had been harvested.
- Do a freshness test. Take a branch and run your fingers from the innermost part, pulling outwards towards the tip. If a lot of needles fall off, that means the tree has been cut for a long time and is beginning to dry. If so, look for a fresher tree. You can also break a few needles. They should feel flexible, moist, and sticky.
- Check the appearance. Fresh trees should have a natural waxy, green look and a fragrant smell. Watch out for droopy branches, yellowing needles, and some peeling bark. Also look out for bugs and spiders.
- Choose a long, straight handle.
The base of the tree should be straight, and at least 6-8 inches long to allow for easy mounting on the tree stand. - Wrap and secure the tree. On the way home, wrap the tree to keep the wind from drying off the needles. Tie down the tree properly to avoid needle loss from too much shaking.
- Make a fresh cut. Upon arriving home, saw 1 inch off the base of the tree. Immediately let the tree sit in a bucket of water.
- DON’T peel off the bark. When mounting the tree to its stand, make sure you don’t peel off the bark at the base. The bark contains a specialized layer of cells which is responsible for transporting the water to the rest of the tree [2].
- DON’T keep the tree near sources of heat. Choose a display location which is far from vents, fireplaces, windows, televisions and other appliances which can generate heat that will cause the tree to dry out faster.
How Much Water Does A Freshly-Cut Christmas Tree Need?
After sawing off a fresh cut at the base of your Christmas tree, you can now mount the tree on your stand and fill it with water.
As a general rule, never allow the water level to go lower than 2-3 inches above the cut. If this happens, make another fresh cut.
A freshly-cut tree will need plenty of water in its first week so it will be ideal to check your stand twice a day.
Judging on height, a 6-ft cut Christmas tree will drink up a pint of water for the first 12 hours, while an 8-ft Christmas tree will consume up to a gallon of water per day. Judging on diameter, a 2-inch wide tree will consume up to 2 quarts of water in a day, while a 4-inch-wide tree will need more than a gallon daily [3].
The amount of water consumption will vary according to the species and size of the tree, and the temperature of the room. In general, if the tree continues to absorb a constant amount of water, it means that the tree is about as healthy as when you first got it. The tree will need less water as it dries.
As long as you properly water and care for your Christmas tree, it can be safely decorated and displayed indoors for at least 2 weeks.
How to keep a Christmas Tree Alive Forever* (*Well, at least until the holidays are over.)
Watch this video on YouTube
More Ways To Keep a Christmas Tree Hydrated and Fresh [Advanced Tips]
To keep a Christmas tree cut (with no roots) fresh for longer it is possible to use 1) sugar and honey in the water mix and 2) use antitranspirant spary on the leaves to limit the loss of water over time.
The tradition of bringing living Christmas trees inside homes has been around for 500 years [4]. Since then, people have come up with creative ways and experiments to nourish their freshly-cut Christmas trees.
A 2005 study done on Douglas Fir and Leyland Cypress trees recommends that the traditional water-holding Christmas tree stand is significantly more efficient than IV- watering devices [5]. Modern Christmas tree stands typically hold a gallon of water which is the same amount that a tree typically consumes in a day [6].
These stands also do an excellent job of keeping the tree steadily upright.
Some people have had success in keeping their cut Christmas tree fresh by adding a tablespoon of sugar, honey, or corn syrup in the water. Some others even go as far as adding bleach, aspirin, or soda into the mixture. However, experts caution that using chemicals may have adverse effects on the tree’s health [7]. Usually, water should be enough.
To slow down moisture loss of tree needles, farmers sometimes spray antitranspirant products on the leaves. A 2014 study done on Monterey Pine found that pine needles covered with hairspray retained 90% of their original aspect after 27 days [8].
Christmas Tree Species That Retain Water Best
Having needles scattered all over your house after the holidays is a real hassle. Vacuuming these needles can even become a fire hazard if the vacuum gets too hot. Of course, needle loss is directly correlated to the tree’s capacity to retain water.
After considering the availability of trees in your area and your preference in shape and smell, you can also choose your Christmas tree according to the species’ capability to hold water and subsequently keep their needles.
Research shows that the four varieties of trees which are best for water uptake, sap flow, and needle retention are: 1) Fraser Firs, 2) Balsam Firs, 3) Scotch Pines, and 4) Black Hills Spruce [9].
In general, Fir and Pine trees hold needles better than Spruce trees [10].
Christmas Trees as a Fire Hazard
A dry Christmas tree can go up in flames within a matter of minutes. The National Fire Protection Association states that Christmas Trees are involved in 500 fires per year [11].
Tips To Avoid Disaster – InfographicOther than keeping your tree well-watered, here are a few tips you can follow to avoid a disaster:
- Avoid flammable ornaments. Do not use ornaments such as paper, candles, or pine cones to decorate your tree.
- Use safe, UL-approved lights. Underwriters Laboratories is a nationally-recognized organization which tests lighting appliances and gives them an approval rating.
Also remember to throw away old and faulty bulbs and wires. - Keep away from heat. Display your tree in a location which is far from vents, fireplaces, and appliances that can generate heat.
- Consider using flame-retardants. You can spray your ornaments with fire-retardant products before hanging them on the tree. The products may contain borax, ammonium sulfate, or calcium chloride [12].
- Turn off lights at night. Do not leave your Christmas lights on when no one is in the room.
Christmas tree - watered vs dry
Watch this video on YouTube
Takeaways
- To ensure maximum freshness, choose a Christmas tree which is recently-cut.
- A sap-sealed stump will not absorb water. A fresh cut must be made at the base of the Christmas tree.
- It is necessary to keep the chopped Christmas tree soaked in water at all times.
- An average Christmas tree drinks up to a gallon of water each day.
- Pines and Firs generally retain water better than Spruce trees.
- Dry trees are extremely flammable and hazardous compared to well-watered trees.
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Sources
[1] https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/27944/homecareofchrist1099boli.pdf?sequence=1
[2] https://wtop.com/garden-plot/2014/12/dont-cut-off-your-christmas-trees-bark/
[3] https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/water_is_the_essential_ingredient_in_keeping_your_farm_grown_christmas_tree
[4] https://na-st01.ext.exlibrisgroup.com
[5] https://scihub.yncjkj.com/10.1016/j.postharvbio.
2006.08.011
[6] https://athenaeum.libs.uga.edu/bitstream/handle/10724/33680/ChristmasTrees-December62012.pdf?sequence=1
[7] http://economia-usb.unibas.it/contents/instance7_remap/files/document/5029165AH-66-Commercial.pdf#page=660
[8] https://scihub.yncjkj.com/10.1071/BT14343
[9] https://archive.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/110730624.html/
[10] https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1857&context=extensionhist
[11] https://doctorfire.com/pages/ChristmasTreeFires.pdf
[12] https://books.google.com.ph/books?hl=en&lr=&id=80ZYUESZGJsC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=how+long+does+a+cut+christmas+tree+stay+fresh&ots=kL0-gJDHrn&sig=mo9QeEdhIP-qdV0ZBre5v_H94Ww&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
tree not drinking at all...is there anything we can do??? | The DIS Disney Discussion Forums
mtemm
<font color=teal>Doubly blessed<br><font color=dar
- #1
our christmas tree is beautiful.
we got it last friday, put it up and decorated it over the weekend. sadly, it isn't taking in any water. I've never had that happen! is there anything we can do? its a very fresh feeling fraser fir, but I Know if it doesn't start taking in water, that won't last long.
any chance it will last till christmas?
sigh.
eta, we buy from a local farm and had them do a fresh cut. was in water within 20 minutes or so
java
<font color=darkorchid>I am embracing the Turkey B
- #2
You're not going to like this answer but you could recut the bottom.
The Mystery Machine
Sunrise at my house. :+)
- #3
mtemm said:
our christmas tree is beautiful. we got it last friday, put it up and decorated it over the weekend. sadly, it isn't taking in any water. I've never had that happen! is there anything we can do? its a very fresh feeling fraser fir, but I Know if it doesn't start taking in water, that won't last long.
any chance it will last till christmas?
sigh.
Click to expand...
Did you cut it before you put it up? Always cut it.
You have to cut the bottom.
MIGrandma
Lives in the middle-of-the-mitten.
- #4
java said:
You're not going to like this answer but you could recut the bottom.
Click to expand...
That's what I was going to say. I know when I was growing up and we had real trees we always made a fresh cut at the bottom before putting it into the stand and adding water.
luvmy3
<font color=green>When I drink I find its easier t
- #5
It sounds like the bottom re-sealed (from the sap) so you'll need to re-cut it.
Swan4Me
DIS Veteran
- #6
I bet most people dont make that fresh cut
tOSU
Mouseketeer
- #7
You can lead a tree to water but you cant make it drink.
..
dyna
DIS Veteran
- #8
I've noticed here in FL home depot an lowes re cuts the tree when you buy it but the grocery stores an etc does not. So if you do not own a saw or know the proper way to use a saw next year you might look to buy tree somewhere they recut tree for you.
Even then the tree needs to be put in water right away before it seals it's self again...any old bucket works for that just don't use your favorite mop bucket as the sap will prolly get on it an is hard to remove.
Disx5
Earning My Ears
- #9
I notice you are in MA, too. We have the same problem.
Bought a balsam, gave it a fresh cut, put it in water. It started losing so many needles, it looked like January when we usually take it down - not early December!
So, thinking it was just a dud, we took it back and got a beautiful frasier fir. Brought it home, gave it a fresh cut, put it immediately in a new stand with plenty of water. Same thing - not taking much at all.
As a last ditch effort, we took everything off the tree last night, put a sheet of plastic on the floor, laid the tree down and cut two more inches off the bottom.
Don't know if it will help but I'm hopeful...
Never had this problem in all the years we've had real trees.
MY THEORY: our unusually warm November dried out all the trees. Normally, the trees here are cut early but they sit around in 30-40 weather (or colder), sometimes snow and ice, etc. Our temps of 50's - 60's plus, and all the sunshine dried out all the trees.
I have a sister that lives in the south and said the trees on their lots sit in buckets of water (probably for that reason???) Ours don't usually sit in water until you give them that fresh cut either at the lot or at home. I wonder if they don't need to since the temperature is usually cold.
Good luck with your tree - I'll be curious to see how others fare with live trees in the Northeast this year!
mtemm
<font color=teal>Doubly blessed<br><font color=dar
- #10
thanks all.
I edited my original post to reflect that yes, a fresh cut was given and it was in water very quickly. Disx5, very interesting that you are finding the same thing this year! its so strange. and I know that yeah, we really do need to take it all down, recut, then put it back up, but DH is not on board with that at all. he thinks it will be fine. I think he is sticking his head in the sand on that one, but I have a feeling that is what we will end up doing. we'll see.
so far it is super fresh feeling, but again, I know that is the optimist in me that thinks that is going to make a difference in the next week or two!
will show him these posts and see if he changes his mind.
Alsobrook
DIS Veteran
- #11
Ok, try this:
If you have one of the stands that requires you to screw four bolts into the sides of the tree in the stand.
...
Have someone hold the tree so it doesn't fall.
Unscrew the bolts....
Turn the tree 1/8 turn....
Rebolt the tree.
Fill with enough water to reach the original holes (that's pretty high) and see if it takes on water.
scrapquitler
DIS Veteran
- #12
mtemm said:
thanks all. I edited my original post to reflect that yes, a fresh cut was given and it was in water very quickly.
Disx5, very interesting that you are finding the same thing this year! its so strange. and I know that yeah, we really do need to take it all down, recut, then put it back up, but DH is not on board with that at all. he thinks it will be fine. I think he is sticking his head in the sand on that one, but I have a feeling that is what we will end up doing. we'll see.
so far it is super fresh feeling, but again, I know that is the optimist in me that thinks that is going to make a difference in the next week or two!
will show him these posts and see if he changes his mind.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be enthusiastic about taking it down, recutting and redecorating either!
Here's an idea. I don't know if it's a GOOD idea or not, but its something I just thought of. I wonder if you could use a turkey baster or something to take the water out of the stand, then take a drill with a big drill bit in it and drill some holes in the sides of the trunk under the level where the water will be (not all the way thru the trunk just part way in).
Maybe those drill holes will give the tree a place to suck up the water??
I'm in the camp that says the weather has been warm and it has effected the trees this year. I seem to remember reading something about Hurricaine Irene having some effects on them as well, but I don't remember the specifics.
declansdad
DIS Dad #639 New Brunswick, Canada
- #13
Fresh cut and add a very little bit of bleach or you can get stuff specifically for christmas trees. It helps keep the cut from closing itself off.
Do not add very much or it will kill the tree, you only need a few drops. SOme people say lemon-lime will do the same thing.
si-am
DIS Veteran
- #14
We use an additive called Prolong that supposedly encourages the tree to drink more. (You just mix it into the water at the base of the tree). So far so good!
Magic Mom
<font color=teal>EVERYONE has the God given right
- #15
Is the bottom of the trunk flush against the water pan? That might be blocking the water from being drawn up.
I would raise the tree a half inch or more, drill a few holes in the sides of the trunk(under the water line) and add an asprin to the water.
Carnie
Derp
- #16
Pretzels.
Grimley
Mouseketeer
- #17
I know from experience that you can take the decorated tree out of the stand, lay it on a sheet and make a fresh cut, and put it back in the stand.
You'll have to take off the delicate ornaments, but the rest will just need a little rearranging after it's upright again.
Christine
DIS Veteran
- #18
Just lift the tree out a bit and drill some holes down near the base.
ksjayhawks
DIS Veteran
- #19
My dad always watered with warm sugar water.
Unnecessary beauty. What to do with the Christmas tree after the holidays?
Daria Medvedeva
Country and world 09 January 2020
Only on siteWe tell you how to give a spruce a second life when it has already fulfilled its main function.
Photo: Pixabay
When the New Year died down, lovers of live fir trees have a problem - how to part with the green beauty? Throwing it in the trash is a pity, but she cannot stay at home forever. The best solution in this situation is to give the tree a second life. Let's talk about the simplest and most effective ways to dispose of a Christmas tree.
Hand over to the collection point
The easiest way is to find a collection point for fir trees near the house, which are traditionally opened in St. Petersburg in all districts of the city.
You can find out where they are in the group of the project "Christmas Trees, Sticks and Wood Chips". Its organizers no longer organize the points themselves, but help the district administrations, HOA and activists to do this.
Donate to the fishes
Time of miracles. What were the Christmas tree markets in St. Petersburg of the XIX century
A spruce tree submerged in a river or lake can become food and shelter for fish. But too small a reservoir will not work, as it can be harmful: wood decomposing in water releases phenols and other harmful compounds. Do not forget about the fishermen: in the places of the catch, the spruce can interfere with them by catching on the bait.
Make a bath broom
It is quite simple to build a broom for a bath from Christmas tree branches. To do this, you need to pick up a sufficient number of branches and soften them in boiling water for about 30 minutes. Then the broom will only tingle pleasantly.
Make a pine bath
To make a coniferous bath, you must first cook an infusion or decoction of spruce branches. If you don’t want to do this, you can simply pour dried needles onto the surface of the water. Coniferous baths help relieve fatigue, increase tone, and activate blood circulation.
Boil a decoction of spruce branches
It is very easy to do this. To obtain a decoction, it is necessary to pour boiling water over the needles and let it brew for one to two hours. To preserve all the beneficial properties, the infusion should not be boiled. There are a lot of vitamins A and C in coniferous broth. It is also recommended to drink it for weight loss. At the same time, experts advise not to be zealous and drink the decoction in small doses or add it to tea.
A decoction of spruce branches can be added to tea. Photo: Pixabay
Feed the animals
Needles can be a wonderful animal feed. For example, for goats, this is an excellent delicacy.
Chopped needles are also fed to ostriches on farms, elephants in the zoo and many other animals.
Use for ignition of a brazier or heating of the furnace
Dried coniferous branches are great for lighting a barbecue and heating the stove. This, in turn, will save on special liquids or paper, as well as eliminate the need to cut wood chips. However, it is worth remembering that softwood contains a lot of resins and therefore a number of harmful compounds are released during its combustion. Cooking food on such coals is not worth it.
Use as mulch
Spruce needles are great for mulching. Moreover, they easily crumble from dried branches. The advantage of using Christmas tree needles as mulch is that they do not rot for a long time and protect the soil for a long time.
Fertilize indoor plants
Taking care of your houseplants with the help of obsolete spruce is easy. To make fertilizer, it is necessary to pour boiling water over the needles and let it brew for two to three days.
The resulting liquid can be watered flowers.
Use as decoration
Christmas tree branches can be used as a hedge for your garden plot. In addition, the trunk of coniferous trees is even, so it will make a good fence. And if the soul lies in needlework - Christmas tree needles will perfectly fit into the craft and decorate your work for a long time.
Make soap
Recently, making homemade soap has been gaining popularity. To make soap from pine needles, you will need a transparent base, alcohol, essential oils, molds for hardening, and needles ground with a coffee grinder. The resulting Christmas tree mass is poured into a container with a soap base and mixed. 5-6 drops of fir oil and dye are also added there (without the use of additives, the soap will have a yellowish-brown tint). After that, the resulting substance is poured into molds, sprayed with alcohol from a spray bottle, and after a while it hardens.
Soap from needles turns out fragrant and fragrant.
Photo: Pixabay
Make incense
This method will allow you to keep the smell of the Christmas tree after it disappears from the apartment. To create incense, Christmas tree needles must be ground to a powder state and a binder and combustible component, gum arabic makko, must be added. Distilled water must be added to the resulting mixture. Bamboo sticks are dipped into the resulting mass and evenly distributed throughout the house.
#New Year #Christmas tree #ecology #recycling
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What can you do to make the tree in your house stand for a long time?
Christmas tree is perhaps the most important attribute of the New Year for people of all ages. And, although now people are increasingly putting artificial Christmas trees at home, for most people, it is a live Christmas tree that is associated with the main winter holiday. For many, it is the smells of spruce and tangerines that are the smells of the New Year, which they remember from childhood. That is why in our time there are still fans of live Christmas trees. But when you put a real Christmas tree at home, you always want it to stand for as long as possible and not crumble. What can be done for this? This is what we will tell you today in the article.
The first thing to do is to decide on the choice of wood: will it be spruce or pine? Spruce, of course, looks prettier, but pine itself lasts longer and loses fewer needles. Therefore, if you want the Christmas tree to stand longer, it is more logical to take a pine tree.
The second rule in choosing a Christmas tree: it is best to buy a tree with a thick trunk and dark needles. Such trees are more "hardy", and therefore stand longer.
Before bringing the Christmas tree home, do not forget to shake it well so that fragile branches and extra needles immediately fall off - this will save you from unnecessary cleaning. You can also cut off excess branches.
It is best to buy a Christmas tree 2-3 days before you put up and decorate it. Until then, it is better to keep the Christmas tree in a cool place (for example, on the balcony), be sure to - in a bucket of water. It is better to keep adding water.
And now the most crucial moment - it's time to put up a Christmas tree.
There are several tricks that you can use here. Of course, they are all old - perhaps we will only recall them.
1. You can put the Christmas tree in a vessel (for example, the same bucket) with water. You must first add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar to the water - we put the Christmas tree in this solution. The whole point is that aspirin does not allow putrefactive bacteria to multiply in the water and the trunk of the tree, and salt and sugar provide food for the tree. According to different versions of this folk recipe, fertilizers for indoor plants or even tea leaves can still be added to the solution.
2. In the container where we will put the Christmas tree, dilute half a teaspoon of citric acid, a teaspoon of gelatin and a little crushed chalk in water. In this solution we put the green beauty.
3. Dissolve an aspirin tablet and 3-4 teaspoons of sugar in one liter of water. Mix the resulting solution with clean foot, or with sand, half mixed with the ground.
