One of the most commonly asked questions the team are asked, is how do I keep my tree looking fresh all festive season?
Whilst us Aussies have created many summer Christmas traditions – replacing the hot roast with a more suitable seafood platter or a BBQ, we have kept the tradition of a tree. There’s something special about having a real tree, the smell, the lights and that no tree is the same – it’s uniquely yours.
Our northern hemisphere counterparts have a much easier time keeping their fresh-cut tree looking fresh, largely due to the fact that trees are in their winter dormancy and experience less shock being cut and displayed. What can we do in our aussie summer to maximise display time?
Recut the base of your tree. Trees are like a giant cut flower, and release sap to cover cut stem. This sap prevents the tree from drinking water, so recutting the base when you get home and placing it immediately into clean water will allow the tree to rehydrate.
Speaking of rehydrating – your tree will drink a lot of water in the first few hours after being placed in the stand.
Top up the water every few days, depending on the volume of your stand.
Keep water fresh, your nose will thank you. Stagnant water is a paradise for all sorts of microbial life, your tree wont like it and neither will you. There are many theories on how to keep water fresh, some add bleach, some add sugar – we think fresh clean water works a treat.
Don’t display your tree directly in front/below an air conditioner. Keep the cool airflow on you! Remember your tree has come from a warm outdoor environment and may get damaged by cold dehydrating air from your air conditioner.
Protect your tree from little people and pets. Don’t spoil the magic of Christmas for little people or pets. Tree sap contains tannins, which can be toxic if consumed – ensure that little people and pets are not able to access the tree stand/ water reservoir – your tree will thank you too, more water for it to drink.
Make fresh wounds to the stump below water level. It’s been a couple of weeks and you want your tree to display into the new year, we get it- A full recut of the base is not an option, the tree is decorated and you don’t want to spill water all over the floor. As best you can make an incision into the first few wood layers of the stem (the tip of a small hand saw or Stanley knife cutting away from your body, a few drill holes should do the trick).
A few items we recommend to keep your tree looking the best.
A tree stand. Sure, the old bucket and bricks trick will work, but its hard to centre your tree and refill the water. Whilst a tree stand may cost a little more, it should last for many a year. There are a few options available on the market, but the all have the same basic principle 3x screw pins to hold the tree and an accessible water reservoir. And if the green plastic isn’t to your taste, there are now a wide range of tree skirts available at department stores and hardware stores.
A hand saw. For a little more than $10 you can pick up a simple hand saw from your local hardware store.
A small watering can. Most people will have a small watering can either for their garden or indoor plants. A small watering can makes reaching in under your tree to refill the water easier and less messy than a jug or bucket and is another inexpensive item.
