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"O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, dein Kleid zoll mich was lehren:
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, with faithful leaves unchanging."
Caring for cut trees can be difficult. They can be fire
hazards at there worst, or you can find your tree devoid of needles
before Santa arrives if you don't use proper care. Don't disappoint
Santa. Almost
everyone loves the fragrance of a real tree. It blends well with hot
chocolate and Christmas carols. These are a few tips on keeping your Tannenbaum's leaves from changing.
1. Please measure carefully, be sure the tree will fit into the
living room without massive cutting. If you have to take off too much,
your tree may start to resemble "Charlie Browns" tree!
2. If you are not cutting your own tree from the farm, check to make
sure that it is fresh. Brush it with your hand a few times and watch
for falling needles. Drop the base on the pavement and check for the
same thing. It will drop a few, even if it is fresh, but they should
not fall out in hands full.
3. Cover it well for the ride home. 70 mile per hour winds will tend to desiccate, and defoliate.
4. Make sure it is well secured. Dragging it along the highway will leave it a little lopsided.
5. Please check your tree for pests, before you bring it inside.
Just give it a few good shakes, and a visual inspection just to be sure
you are not inviting any hitchhikers in to enjoy the cookies left out
for Santa.
6. When you arrive, makes sure that everything is in place, you should have a good tree stand with plenty of room for water.
7. Water is the key to longevity. The trees from a lot, probably
were sprayed with an anti desiccant spray before they were cut, or soon
thereafter. You should trim an inch or two off of the base of the
trunk, to assure that the tree can absorb the water.
8. Make sure that the tree is held firmly in place by the stand, and is stable.
9. Add water.
10. Check the water pretty often. The tree can soak up a lot of it.
Evaporation will also lower the supply. It will need a constant supply
to keep it fresh.
11. Decorate, and enjoy!
12. Something to consider: Go to a local nursery and buy a living
Christmas tree! Buying a container grown tree can be fun and you can
use it in your landscape when it outgrows your containers! You can
re-pot the tree as needed, and use the same tree for several years,
then when it grows too large for practical use, plant it in your
landscape! This is a nice, environmentally friendly way to celebrate
the season.
Don't forget to leave some milk to go with those cookies!
Merry Christmas! |
