Christmas Tree Care

One of the great joys of Christmas is having a real cut Christmas tree in the house, decorated with lights and pretty baubles. But how do you ensure your Christmas Tree Delight doesn’t become your Christmas Tree Disaster?

Choose carefully where your Christmas tree will go:

• Avoid anywhere near a heat source. The cooler, the better.
• Never near an open fire or flame. Once alight, a tree will burn fiercely.
• Avoid busy areas where people will brush past or where children or pets may play.
• Check for easy access to an electricity outlet.

Now measure your space carefully:

• Measure the height and the width available.
• Then check that a tree of this height will fit in your car/van space!

Pick your supplier:

Freshness is your prime consideration when choosing your tree! So pick a supplier who is likely to stock freshly-cut trees. This is likely to be a supplier who uses locally grown trees and has a good reputation for quality. Don’t forget that local tree surgeons often stock cut Christmas trees and can be an excellent source both for quality and price – and they may offer a delivery service.

Now, at last, pick your Christmas tree:

Choose a tree that meets your size requirements and also your personal preference. If you want to keep with tradition, a Norway Spruce has been used at Christmas since Victorian times. Increasingly popular is a Nordmann Fir which has a nice shape and glossy, soft needles. If you want to be a little different, try a Blue Spruce which has a silvery-blue colour. Before making your purchase final, check for freshness; run your fingers gently over the needles of a branch from the centre outwards and see how many needles drop. A few is OK, a lot is NOT!

Transporting your Christmas tree:

Your supplier will probably ‘net wrap’ your tree for easier transportation. But handle it carefully and keep it as cool as you can. Do not remove the netting until it is in its final place! Otherwise you will damage your tree hauling it through narrow doorways.

Prepare your Christmas tree:

Unless your tree was cut on the same day as your purchase, it is best that you cut about one inch off the bottom of the trunk. You may want to do this outside, of course, before moving it indoors! The fresh cut will allow the uptake of water more easily. Place your tree in a bucket of water and let it drink for a few hours. Choose a Christmas tree stand with a built-in water reservoir and fix your tree in place. Remember to keep the water topped up over the festive period – you will probably need to do this every day.

Saying goodbye to your Christmas tree:

When January comes and festivities are past, remember to recycle your tree. Your local council will have a recycling facility and may even collect. By recycling, a real Christmas tree has a much smaller carbon footprint than an artificial one, so you will be doing your bit for the environment.

Warm seasons greetings to all our clients and friends, both past and present, from Epic Tree Care.

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