Caring for a Real Christmas Tree

Use these tips to keep your Real Christmas Tree safe, alive with a fresh pine scent and providing beauty throughout the holiday season:

• Select the freshest-looking Real Tree available. To test for freshness, gently grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward you. Very few needles should come off in your hand. Shake or bounce the tree on its stump. You should not see an excessive amount of green needles fall to the ground. Some loss of interior brown needles is normal.
   
• If not setting up right away, store the Christmas tree in water if possible and out of the sun and wind.
   
• Make a fresh cut off the bottom of the trunk one half inch from the bottom just before putting in the stand. Keep the tree's stand full of water at all times, checking the water level daily.
   
• The stand you use should hold at least one quart of water for every inch diameter of the trunk after the tree is in the stand.
   
• Don't add anything to the tree's water. Research has shown that plain tap water is by far the best. Some commercial additives and home concoctions can actually be detrimental to a tree's moisture retention and increase needle loss.
   
• Place the Christmas Tree well away from heat registers, space heaters, fire places, wood stoves, televisions, computer monitors and other heat sources. These will speed up evaporation and moisture loss of the tree.