How To Keep

Nothing says Christmas like a Christmas tree. Though many people have chosen to celebrate the season with an artificial tree, many people still opt for a good ol’ authentic Christmas tree.  In today’s blog, the tree care professionals at Ocean Tree Care would like to share some Christmas tree care tips with you. Whether you go with a douglas fir, blue spruce, Norway spruce, white pine, or some other type, keep your tree alive and healthy by following these basic steps.

Choose Wisely

The best way to ensure that you get a beautiful, long-lasting tree is to cut your own from a local farm. Doing this guarantees that you get a fresh tree. Not to mention, it also supports a local farm, sustainable tree planting, and it can be the perfect way to celebrate the season. If you are unable to go straight to the source and instead have to buy your tree from a nursery, ask how recently the trees were harvested and where they came from. Also, be sure to pick a tree that has flexible needles, not dry, brittle ones.

Handle With Care

Whether you cut it yourself or bought it from a nursery, once you have picked your tree, it’s important to start taking care of it. Arborists recommend that you wrap your tree in plastic or a tarp to protect it as it makes the journey to your living room. Additionally, when buying a pre-cut tree, make a cut along the bottom. This will foster the absorption of water. However, it is important to remember that once a cut has been made, the sap of the tree will seal over the base in around three hours. Try to get it set up and in water within this time.  

Water Regularly

As we mentioned, getting it in water as soon as possible is essential. Make it your goal to never let the base of the tree dry out. This will keep the tree fresh and emitting that beloved holiday fragrance. As a general rule, your tree will absorb a quart of water for each inch of its diameter. If for whatever reason your tree does dry out and seems to not respond to watering, you can drill shallow holes at the base. This will foster the absorption of water.

Provide Nutrients

Though many arborists are still unsure of the success of tree preservatives, some people swear by them. These preservatives might include commercial tree fertilizers, corn syrup or sugar, or the addition of some aspirin into the basin water. Though this is absolutely not necessary, you may find that it improves the longevity of your tree.

Place Wisely

Tree care professionals recommend that you place your tree in a location that doesn’t get a lot of sunlight and away from anything that may pose a fire-hazard or speed up the drying out process. To reduce the risk of drying out, you can place a room humidifier near. This will keep the tree fresher longer, and it will reduce the risk of a fire.

By practicing good tree care, you can keep your tree healthy well through the holiday season and sometimes even longer. Though Christmas trees aren’t our specialty, we do offer a range of tree services—tree pruning, hedge trimming, fertilization, stump removal, tree removal, and more! Contact Calgary’s expert tree service provider today to schedule your appointment!