Natural Christmas tree advice

[rayrey10]

Well the Missus decided that we should get a natural Christmas tree this year...our first. I've been keeping the stand full of water, but any other advice on keeping this thing green into the new year?

Ray

[rpjkw]

There's a bottled concoction that does a good job of keeping a tree fresh. I believe it's added to the trough in the stand, along with water. Sorry, but it's been years since I've had a Christmas tree. Should be available most anywhere; perhaps Lowe's or Home Depot, etc.

Bob

[Cloud9Gal]

Rayrey- Nothing beats a natural Christmas tree. I grew up having one every Christmas, and I still do now. Hubby and I have this tradition where we go on a tree farm, and cut down our own. Lots of fun!
Just make sure to add water every day- don't skip a day!
A word of friendly advice, no matter what you do, you will have needles to pick up :) But its worth it!

Good choice! You can't beat the smell of a fresh Christmas tree!

http://freesmileyface.net/smiley/Holidays-and-Party/party-110.gif (http://freesmileyface.net)

[Terry]

Well the Missus decided that we should get a natural Christmas tree this year...our first. I've been keeping the stand full of water, but any other advice on keeping this thing green into the new year?

Ray

The additive to the water has been Karo syrup as far back as I can remember, which is a long time. Or your favorite form of glucose.

[TomSteber]

The only advice I can remember is (and it won't help much now) you need to cut about an inch off the trunk just before you put it into water. That way it can drink the water and what ever else concoction you put in. We always just kept it filled with water. Everyday.
And for later, if you don't use a bag to carry it out, we used to use an old bedsheet and lay it on it and two people carry it out of the house. There would still be needles but not as many.

[Dain Arns]

One thing I miss about not living in Montana anymore, annual family trek out to find a tree... :kilroy:

[sandar]

I used to work in a garden centre and it was my job (part of it anyway) at Christmas to manage the Christmas tree side of things.

My advice would be: My personal recommendation would be buy a Nordman Fir.

1. get a tree with some roots left on it and plant it in a pot with a gritty compost (soil will do if you add some coarse sand or grit)

2. Water it regularly, but not necessarily every day (depends on the room where it is to be kept. Too much heat or air conditioning are very bad for Christmas trees).

3. There are many varieties of tree available these days. The traditional Christmas tree, the Norway Spruce will shed needles for a hobby. Pines and firs hold their needles better, but it is personal taste which sort to choose.

4. I strongly advise NOT to use needle retaining spray. It doesn't work. What happens it seals the needle stopping the leaf losing moisture, but it still dries the needles out so they die, but not drop off, so you end up with a brown leaved tree.

5. Mist the tree occasionally with water with a trigger sprayer BUT NOT if you have electric tree lights (Sorry if that is obvious, but I did have someone complain that they shorted out the lights when they sprayed water onto the tree, despite being advised not to)

6. Buy the tree and pot it, but leave it outside, slowly introducing it inside. Bring it in at night into a cold room.

7. If you must have a butchered tree (one without any roots), make sure the holder has a large enough and water proof tube to hold the trunk and the clamps hold the tree securely. I am not explaining this very well. If the trunk is too big and a tight fit, you will not be able to water it, it the trunk is too small, it will not be secure enough in the clamp. You may correctly assume that I dislike chopped Christmas tree.

8. Finally, please do not do what one idiot did. On Christmas eve she sprayed hair spray onto the tree in an attempt to stop leaves dropping. Hubby came in smoking a cigar. Tree ignited. Fire brigade very cross, but wet themselves laughing. Yes it did happen.

Hope some of the above is useful to you.

[Trans_23]

The additive to the water has been Karo syrup as far back as I can remember, which is a long time. Or your favorite form of glucose.
I mix in a little sugar in with my first few waterings. It is suppose to get the tree to drink more water. As far a keeping it green? If you cut it yourself it will stay green well through the holidays as long as you keep it watered. If you buy a pre-cut it is anybodies guess. They usually cut those down long before they are sold.
I had a recipe (concoction) to add to the water to a real tree almost fire resistant. If I find it I will post it.

[Trans_23]

Here it is:

Using the Fireproofing Solution for your Christmas Tree
1. Once you get home with your new tree, get a saw and IMMEDIATELY make a
fresh cut at the base of the tree trunk. This is mandatory for any tree you've bought. Make your cut about an inch above the bottom of the trunk.
2. Next, you'll need a place to store your tree for a few days before
taking it into your home, as it takes a few days for the preservative mentioned in the next step to fully saturate the tree. An ideal place would be the carport/garage or possible a balcony for apartment dwellers.
3. Immediately after making your cut from the bottom of the tree, mix the
homemade preservative as follows:
Into a 2-gallon (or 1-gallon jugs) bucket, add HOT WATER from the kitchen tap. Fill the bucket to within an inch or so of the top, then add the following ingredients: ...2 cups of Karo syrup ...2 ounces of liquid chlorine bleach ...2 pinches of Epsom salt ...½ teaspoon of Boraxo ...1 teaspoon of chelated iron (pronounced KEY-lated) Stir these ingredients thoroughly in the bucket(s); then IMMEDIATELY stand the trunk of the tree in this solution. Leave the tree in the solution containers for a day or two until you're ready to take it indoors and decorate it.
4. After taking the tree indoors, make sure to put it in a stand with a
water reservoir at the bottom. Once the tree is secured in its "final resting place", get the bucket containing your preservative and FILL THE RESERVOIR IN THE TREE STAND TO THE TOP.
5. Last but not least, EVERY DAY, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, MAKE SURE THE
RESERVOIR IS KEPT FILLED TO THE TOP WITH THE PRESERVATIVE SOLUTION. That's all there is to it. If you follow these steps faithfully, you will have a completely FIREPROOFED Christmas Tree to enjoy throughout the holidays. And, for those inquisitive minds, here's an explanation of why and how it works. The Karo syrup provides the SUGAR, and it is only in the presence of sugar that tremendous amounts of water will be taken up by the exposed tissue at the base of the trunk. Without the sugar, only the smallest amount of water will be absorbed. However, in the presence of sugar, you can expect more than 1½ gallons of the solution to be absorbed by the tree during a 10-14 day period. But there's more. Thanks to the boron you have supplied (in the Boraxo), the water and sugar will be moved to every needle and branch of the tree. Remember, boron is what makes sugar move, not only in trees, but vegetables, fruits and even houseplants. Then, there's the Epsom salt and the chelated iron. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, and magnesium (together with iron) is the center molecules in the process we know as chlorophyll production. By making the magnesium and iron available to the tree, you're assuring yourself of green needles, even if the tree was not sprayed at the tree farm before being shipped to the market. But what about the chlorine bleach? Chlorine stops a mold from forming when water and sugar stand for any period of time. Here, the chlorine stops the mold from forming in the bucket and the reservoir of the tree stand where your preservative sits. Benefits
1. Your tree will be SOAKING WET with water. In fact, at least 800% more

[Snuffy]

Mix a couple tablespoons of sugar in a gallon of water. The sugar is needed to help the greening process.

[Wittpilot]

Not realy a hint on how to keep it green, but buy some of those specialty trash bags and put it around the base underneath your contemparary "skirt" (if you have one), that way when you go to take it out of the house, you pull the bag up over the tree, and you are hopefully void of needles all over the house and pine sap all over the walls!

[gigabyte]

Well the Missus decided that we should get a natural Christmas tree this year...our first. I've been keeping the stand full of water, but any other advice on keeping this thing green into the new year?

Ray

Oh Man I can't resist... "any other advice on keeping this thing green into the new year?" Yeah Spray Paint...

Seriously, keep the water fresh and if it is near a Rad keep that direct heat off the tree somehow, other than that what the others say about sugar is what we have always done, and it works fine. There will be needles but that is a small price to pay for the real thing, nothing beats the smell of a real tree around the house this time of year.

Oh and at clean up time there are good "Tree Bags" just slide it under the tree and pull it up around, it helps cut down on the needles that fall, most hardware stiores around here sell them for a couple of bucks.

[rayrey10]

Thanks everyone. I know that you have to keep it watered...the tree "drank" 2 liters of water yesterday. Good thing is doesn't need gasoline. My wife is hooked she says that from on we are only getting real trees. This year we went with about 6.5ft Frasier Fir. Next year she wants to try a Douglas Fir or some other kind.

[Henry]

My wife is nutty about fresh trees
we get 2 every year:isadizzy:
Its not only a tradition for us
but the people where we get them
they always know when the season begins
because we are the only people that they put 9 foot and a 7 foot
tree in our convertible:kilroy:
we always get looks driving home:icon_lol:
H

[rayrey10]

Henry - so you look like the Flintstones with that huge rack of brontosaurus rib hanging on the side of their cars? :icon_lol:

[Snuffy]

On a side note ... what we did for a couple three or so years in a row ....

We actually used smaller trees than what we usually used. The reason was simple.

We had the firs dug up with a root ball and put in a "half keg" for keeping, dirt and all, then when we were done with the tree, we took it outside and planted it.

To this day those trees are still growing and at last report one was at least 35 feet tall. When we used them they weren't much more than 4'-6" (four and a half feet) tall with root ball.

We didn't need as many ornaments, or lights using them either. The keg (actually about 1/4, maybe 1/3 of a wooden whiskey barrel with a plastic liner) was painted nice pretty holiday colors and was proudly displayed under the tree and no attempts were made to cover them up.

Large gifts fit under those trees nicely as the lowest brances were at least 3 feet off the floor.

Just thought I'd pass that by you guys ... :wavey:

[JoeW]

Check and make sure that you don't have any wild animals, squarrels, Chipmonks, lizzards, whatnot in the tree. This can spoil the whole season for you.

[Moparmike]

On a side note ... what we did for a couple three or so years in a row ....

We actually used smaller trees than what we usually used. The reason was simple.

We had the firs dug up with a root ball and put in a "half keg" for keeping, dirt and all, then when we were done with the tree, we took it outside and planted it.

To this day those trees are still growing and at last report one was at least 35 feet tall. When we used them they weren't much more than 4'-6" (four and a half feet) tall with root ball.

We didn't need as many ornaments, or lights using them either. The keg (actually about 1/4, maybe 1/3 of a wooden whiskey barrel with a plastic liner) was painted nice pretty holiday colors and was proudly displayed under the tree and no attempts were made to cover them up.

Large gifts fit under those trees nicely as the lowest brances were at least 3 feet off the floor.

Just thought I'd pass that by you guys ... :wavey:

Now that's a neat idear! As long as you've got a place to plant it afterwards.

My Christmas tree for many years was a little Cedar tree that is growing outside my shop window. It was perfectly framed when looking out my living room window in the house. No mess of needles dropping indoors, no dead tree to haul out afterwards, but I still got to see my tree everyday.

Now though, in my apartment, I have a little 3' artificial...and it just isn't the same. Can't wait til I get my own place so I can do the "year-round" christmas tree thing again. I do hang up a few real wreaths around so I can get some of that evergreen aroma indoors though.



But otherwise, the trick if watering it with sugar water (or the concoction that Trans posted) is the best bet. Keep it watered, keep it away from any direct heat sources.
If there's a furnace vent near the tree...close it off while the tree is there. If it gets a lot of sun through a nearby window, close off that window while the tree is there.

[Henry]

Now though, in my apartment, I have a little 3' artificial...and it just isn't the same. Can't wait til I get my own place so I can do the "year-round" christmas tree thing again. I do hang up a few real wreaths around so I can get some of that evergreen aroma indoors though.




an apartment would be great for me
i live in a 3 story house
where do i keep the decorations?
on the bleedin 3rd floor:173go1:
with the other junk
yes dear i will go find them:kilroy:
H

[GT182]

Ray, I had a Douglas Fir, at least that's what we were told, back in 86. After it was up a few days we could smell schit in the livingroom. Wife didn't do it, nor did I, and we checked the stepdaughter too. Come to find out it was the tree. Don't know why but the water in the stand had this brown looking schit in it. We chucked that one fast... come to find out, as we were told, it was from the tree. No Douglas firs in my house ever again.

[Snuffy]

Now that's a neat idear! As long as you've got a place to plant it afterwards. ...

Thanks, we thought it was pretty cool when we did it too!

Anyone with an acre or acre and a half of proper has room to plant them outdoors afterwards. Of course we had 6 acres. :)

[Moparmike]

an apartment would be great for me
i live in a 3 story house
where do i keep the decorations?
on the bleedin 3rd floor:173go1:
with the other junk
yes dear i will go find them:kilroy:
H

Ahh...but your decorations are easier to get to than mine are. I still keep all my extra stuff stored down at the house at the farm. 160mi round trip to go dig for something! :d DOH!

[rayrey10]

Thanks for the heads up Gary! That will ruin Xmas!