Getting the Most Out of a Fresh-Cut Christmas Tree

Concolor fir branch

What are the keys to a long-lasting Christmas tree this season if you are planning on enjoying a cut tree instead of an artificial tree?

Well, think of a Christmas tree as sort of a large cut flower. Different types of trees hold their needles for shorter or longer times, just as, say, a cut mum lasts longer than a cut rose in a flower arrangement.  Freshness counts, water is important, cool temperatures and some humidity in the house are better than hot and dry.

First: Christmas trees are grown on farms, or “plantations,” specifically for harvest as Christmas trees. They are sheared and shaped to make a full, Christmas-tree shaped tree. When my wife was growing up in central Wisconsin, one of her summer jobs as a teenager was shearing Christmas trees with a machete.  Ah, the good old days.  Because of the short sales season, Christmas trees are harvested in advance, bundled, and sent by truck to the garden centers and Christmas tree sales lots, so,

Important Point Number One: buy it early, and get it in water.  It certainly isn’t going to get any fresher sitting around on the tree lot.

Species of trees favored for Christmas trees have changed over the years. balsam fir, Scotch pine, and white pine used to be the most common, and they are still used but less frequently.  Balsam firs are inexpensive, but drop needles quickly. White pine branches bend easily and are hard to decorate, and Scotch/Scots pines don’t have as nice a form as other trees.

Behnke’s currently carries Fraser fir and Concolor fir.  Fraser has the classic Christmas tree scent with long-lasting, dark green needles and sturdy, dense branching good for decorating.  It is by far the most popular.  Concolor is a new variety for Behnke’s.  It has very long, soft needles (no more getting poked by needles!) and more pliable branches.

Important Point Number Two: buy a tree that lasts.
Because the tree may have been cut weeks earlier, it is good to saw about an inch off of the base of the trunk before placing it in water.  This helps the tree take up water better. We will do that for you before we load it into/on to your car. Then get it home and get the base of the trunk in warm water immediately!

Important Point Number Three: check daily to see if the tree needs more water.  It will absorb the most water in the first week, then it will slow down. Fresh trees with flexible branches and soft needles will absorb less water than an older, drier tree. Don’t let the tree dry out, or you wind up back in your original situation, having to re-cut the base. Hard to do when it’s already full of ornaments.

 Important Point Number Four: you can add a tree preservative to the water, either a commercial preparation such as Prolong, available from Behnke’s, or there are recipes for homemade concoctions on the internet. Nearly everyone recommends using them, but they likely are not necessary. Can’t hurt, might help. The really important point is keeping water in the tree stand.

Important Point Number Five: what did the Christmas tree say when it met the candle?  “Whoooosh!”  Keep your tree away from open flames, keep it well-watered, and after Christmas, take it outside before it gets dry.  It’s a Christmas tree, not an Easter tree.  After Christmas, leave it in the stand on the patio to give shelter to birds, or cut off the branches and lay them across your beds of pansies for winter protection.

by Larry Hurley, Behnke horticulturist

Updated November 2018