11 Pro Tips to Keep Your Christmas Tree Alive as Long as Possible

Christmas trees are my favorite decoration, and I love decorating for the holidays. Sadly, I have known the disappointment of a crunchy brown mess on Christmas morning more than once. That was before I learned to treat them like any other cut flower.

A freshly cut tree should last four to five weeks if you take good care of it. After that, no matter how much you baby it, it’s likely to turn brown, and then you have a huge mess on your hands when it’s time to take it down. 

Over the years, we have learned some valuable lessons about caring for our live evergreens. Many important factors, from where you purchase it to how often you water it, influence its lifespan. Here are some of the most important factors in keeping your Christmas tree alive, green, and as fresh as possible. 

Choose a Reputable Source

The first important decision to make is where to make your purchase. Every year, tents pop up all over towns across America, selling hundreds of thousands of evergreens. However, all vendors are not equal when it comes to their sources and transportation methods, and this can dramatically affect how long your Christmas tree stays alive. 

I find the best way to determine the most reputable source in town is by asking around. People will be happy to tell you where they have gotten the freshest ones almost as much as they will want to tell you where to stay away from. You want to find a balance between cost and quality to find the best value.

Reliable nurseries often obtain theirs from great sources, and they take good care of them as well. Big chain stores may pile them in heaps, not worrying about moisture, which is a big no-no. You might get a better price at one of these stores, but if it has been without water for more than a day or two, it’s already at a disadvantage. 

I tend to rely on word-of-mouth recommendations but feel free to call around and ask about delivery times. If they are getting frequent deliveries, you can assume their inventory will be fresh. 

Wait Until the Right Time

Keep that four to five-week time constraint in mind when choosing the right time to buy. If you get to the lot the day the trees arrive, you’re likely to have a lot of bare branches by Christmas morning. I recommend waiting until the weekend after Thanksgiving at the earliest.

If you can hold off for one extra week, you have a better chance of things staying green through the New Year. Otherwise, you can expect to take decorations down on Boxing Day.

Choose a Fresh One

Once you have a good variety and source, you may want to find out what days they receive their new stock. Show up that day or no more than one day later. A fresh trunk will be slightly sticky on the bottom. If they aren’t in water, checking for that sap is a good way to determine freshness. 

The other test to perform is the needle check. Choose a central branch and reach back toward the trunk. Run your hand firmly over the branch to see how many needles come loose. A fresh branch will not lose many, while an older one may already be starting to shed. 

Loose needles are a real pain when you’re trying to decorate, as they make a mess all over the floor. Not to mention, if they are already falling out now, chances are they will be dry and brown in a couple of weeks.

Give It a Fresh Cut

Fresh trunk cuts are the key to keeping your tree alive and hydrated until Christmas day. This goes for any cut flowers, as well. The bottom of the trunk callouses over quickly, with that sticky sap drying and preventing the trunk from absorbing water. 

The vendor should cut the bottom of your trunk before they load it up for you. If you can get it home and into water within the hour, you might get by with this. However, I recommend cutting it again when you get home. The fresher the cut, the better it will take in moisture initially. This is important to the longevity of the tree. 

Get It In Water ASAP

As soon as possible, put your tree in water even if you don’t have the stand set up yet. Pick up a five-gallon bucket and have it waiting for you when you get home. 

Take a fresh slice off the bottom of the trunk and put it into the bucket immediately. This will prevent the bottom of the trunk from callousing over, which makes it more difficult to take in moisture. 

Use the Right Stand

When choosing a stand, the main considerations are the height of the Christmas tree and the stand’s water capacity, as this will determine how long it stays alive. The taller it is, the more water it will use, and to save yourself the trouble, you’ll want one that holds more than it will take in in a single day. 

Watering daily is a hassle, and letting the trunk dry out can be disastrous. Once it dries out, it callouses over. Then, you must cut it again if you want it to absorb enough moisture going forward. 

Measure how much water you need in one of two ways: the height or the diameter of the trunk. A six-footer needs about a gallon per day. In terms of diameter, it uses one quart daily for every inch of diameter. Choose a stand with a reservoir that holds at least double what it needs daily, just in case you forget to check for a day or two. 

Choose the Right Spot

Location is important as certain environmental factors will affect your tree’s health. Cool temperatures are best and will help preserve it for a longer period. That said, keep it out of a draft and away from the door. Fluctuations in temperature are the most stressful.

Avoid placing it near any heating element or part of the home that gets warmer than the rest. Keep clear of sunny windows and heating vents. Resist the urge to set it up right next to the fireplace. This can shorten the life of the tree and also create a fire hazard. 

Don’t Forget to Water

I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep water in your stand’s reservoir. If the water dries up and the trunk is dry for more than an hour or two, it will need a fresh cut. It is extremely inconvenient to cut the trunk of a decorated tree. 

If you want to keep it alive for as long as possible, treat your Christmas tree like a vase of fresh flowers. Check the water level daily and keep it topped up. For the first few days, it will take in a lot of water. Make sure you keep up with it. These days are vital to the tree’s longevity, and getting it well-hydrated from the beginning is imperative. Don’t worry about adding anything additional to the water. Fresh, clean tap water is best. 

Mist the Needles

In addition to keeping it watered, you can mist your foliage to keep it fresh and intact for longer. Misting it or using a humidifier are both good options. If you’re going to use a humidifier, keep it close by and keep it running as much as possible.

If you’re using a spray bottle to mist the foliage, make sure to mist only when the lights are off and unplugged. If you have many ornaments on which spraying water will have an adverse effect, a humidifier is a good alternative to misting. 

Keep it Cool

We talked about keeping your tree away from heat sources. Fire and heat, in general, will dry the foliage out much faster, and a dry tree is a brown one with loose needles. Just keeping it away from heat will go a long way.

If you can manage and stand a bit of a chill in the air, a cool room will extend its life, too. Flowers last much longer in a refrigerator. The same applies here. If you can, set it up in the coolest room in the house and avoid using additional heat sources in that space throughout the month. 

Use Cooler Lights

Finally, your choice of lights makes a big difference in the lifespan of your Christmas tree. Traditional lights are incandescent. They have a nice, warm glow and are commonly the most cost-effective type. However, they also get quite hot.

Remember that heat is your enemy when it comes to keeping things fresh and green. Leaving those little lights going for long periods of time will dry out your needles, and then taking them off is a complete disaster. 

Opt instead for cooler, more energy-efficient LED lights. They cost a bit more upfront, but you’ll have them for years to come, and they use less energy than the incandescent type. 

When they first came on the scene, the LED lights were all cool-white. I’m not a fan of this look, so it took me a while to get used to them. Fortunately, you can now purchase warm-white LED lights, which look very similar to incandescent lights with their soft, glowy ambiance.