With the holidays approaching, you want to make sure your christmas tree is healthy and looks beautiful. But what if your Christmas tree is not drinking enough water, and starts drooping?
Despite your best efforts, you forget to water it and it’s looking pretty sorry for itself now. No problem! Keeping your Christmas tree happy is all about good care and patience.
When your Christmas tree first gets cut at the forest, the sap from the tree dries at the end and hardens. This is a good thing as it keeps moisture in the tree and stops any sap from coming out. Keeping the moisture inside helps the tree live longer and stay fresh longer. However, the hardened sap also means that the tree can’t absorb water. And that’s likely why your Christmas tree is not drinking enough water.
Cut the Tree Again
So once you’ve bought your tree, you need to cut it at the end again to allow it to soak up water. You’re removing the dried up sap, and letting the tree absorb water again. Make sure you cut the trunk at least 1cm up from the bottom so that the hardened sap section is removed. If you don’t then you’ll still have dried sap at the end and no water absorption. The tree, like before, will naturally want to heal itself and dry up the freshly cut end. and this might take several hours. So before it has chance to do that, you need to put the base into water to give it less chance of healing. Our advice – once you get it home, before you start decorating, cut the trunk and put straight into water. Get the tree settled in position, with enough water in its stand and then start the twinklification of your tree.
Keep the water flowing
Christmas trees are big, even the small ones, and need a lot of water to remain fresh and green. Refill the stand with water on a daily basis. Remember, if the tree runs out of water, its natural instinct is to seal itself again, so you’d have to start all over with a fresh cut of the trunk – not ideal once your lights and baubles are looking so good!
It is important to keep in mind that the health of your tree depends on its type. Here we take a quick look at 4 of the most popular types of Christmas tree.
What are some good types of trees to use for a Christmas tree?
These are the 4 most popular Christmas tree species:-
Pine
The bark of this type of tree tends to be thick, rough, and scaly on its surface, while it can also be more finely furrowed with age. Pine trees typically produce cones at the end of long pendulous branches that extend from its central trunk or branches.
Spruce
Since spruce is a type of conifer, it is difficult to tell when they are in the winter month. They have needle-like leaves and a cone-like shape which gives them a distinctive appearance. A spruce tree requires plenty of water and gives off a beautiful scent. It is important to keep it well watered and healthy throughout the year.
Fir
The fir tree is one of the most popular Christmas trees because it smells wonderful and has a very distinctive shape. Fir trees need higher humidity and water than other types of trees. This is because they are sensitive to drying out which can lead to needle loss and even death if it happens over a long period of time.
In order to make sure your fir tree stays healthy, you should move it indoors when there is frost or snow on the ground, water it regularly during this time period, and then bring it back outside once the spring arrives.
Balsam
Balsam trees are one of the most popular trees of the holiday season. They are often used as decorations for their lovely scent, but they need to be correctly cared for. Read more about caring for your Balsam Christmas tree here.
Drinking enough water means a healthy tree
When you buy a tree, check the trunk to make sure it’s fresh. The trunk should be firm and have a slight citrus scent when you peel off a bit of bark. If you can see dark rings in the trunk, it’s been cut before and will only last a few weeks in a pot before it dries out. A healthy trunk implies the tree will drink enough water, so start as you mean to go on. Remember, it’s likely the trunk will have hardened sap (unless it’s just been cut on the lot) so it’s your job to make a fresh cut once you get home
How to help a drooping Christmas tree
The most common reason for a drooping Christmas tree is that it’s not drinking enough water, and sometimes you can see this in the drooping of branches. Though you may not think so, the needles of the Christmas tree require moisture to stay healthy. So make sure to sprinkle the pines or leaves to ensure the tree is getting as much moisture as possible. Our homes are often dry, especially in the winter when heating is turned up, so regular spritzing will be beneficial.
A good way to check for dryness is to examine the needles – if they are brown or warped, then that means that it needs water. However, if the needles are still green, then it is probably just not getting enough water. Keep that stand topped up so that your Christmas tree is drinking enough water at all times
How to make your drooping tree straight again
If your Christmas tree is drooping, there are several ways to make it stand straight again. The following things will give your tree its natural shape back:
(1) Trim the tree’s “leader” (the tallest branch) to make it grow in the proper direction.
(2) Re-wire the tree using fresh, uncoated wire. Run the wire through the trunk of the tree, starting just below the lowest branches.
(3) Use a small piece of cardboard, or a short section of plastic tubing, to rest on top of the tree stand to support the trunk. (
4) Add water to the tree stand, so the tree will grow up rather than out.
(5) Make sure the tree is placed in a well-lit room, either by window or artificial light. The tree’s roots need light in order to live.
How to make sure your tree is drinking enough water
The best way to make sure your tree is drinking enough water care is simply to keep it watered regularly.
Make a fresh cut 1cm from the base of the trunk.
The best time to water the tree is in the early evening. Water the tree slowly and deeply to make sure the water penetrates the tree.
And after the festive season, if you want to plant your Christmas tree in the garden then choose a tree that’s small and has good roots. The best time to do this is in February or March, when there’s less chance of frost which might kill your new Christmas tree.
