tips on keeping Christmas tree from drying out?

[Mama2E&O]

Hi all, we will be getting our tree in a couple of weeks: DH wants to get it later than we usually do (first weekend in December ) because it always dries out and becomes a fire hazard. We water it several times a day, but it still gets dry by Christmas.
Any suggestions to keeping it lush longer?
TIA!

[scbegonias]

If you don't cut your own tree, make sure to cut off a good six inches, at least, from the bottom of the tree.

I'm looking for more suggestions, too. Living in the desert...drying out is a huge risk. DD just keeps asking when we can get the tree!

[lilmissimpatient@c]

i think alot of it depends on the type of tree you get. We usually have a blue spruce, and it holds up pretty well.

Do you keep it outside in a BIG bucket of cold water for a few days before bringing it in? Is it as far away from a heat source as possible? DH's uncle swears by mixing the water in the pan with Sprite but it didn't seem to make one lick of difference to me

[Mama2E&O]

We usually buy a tree from a local farmer here where we live.
We have never cut as much as 6 inches off the bottom: we'll have to try that this year.
We also have never left it outside in a bucket of water for a few days beforehand. . .we'll try that too!
thanks!

[Bartock]

We always got get one in the bush, we just keep lots of water in the holder and they never dry out, fresh is the best, who knows how long the store bought ones have been there with out H2O

[Llyra]

My mom always puts some sugar in the water. She swears it keeps the tree fresh longer, and her trees do seem to last awhile, but I've never done it. I never remember to water the tree, and it always dries out within a few days.

[Bartock]

Originally Posted by Llyra

My mom always puts some sugar in the water. She swears it keeps the tree fresh longer, and her trees do seem to last awhile, but I've never done it. I never remember to water the tree, and it always dries out within a few days.

Yes sugar, I put sugar in flowers, it keeps them fresh loner so it should work for a tree.

[Emilie]

I am so excited to decorate!!!!!

[Twocoolboys]

Even if you cut your tree youself, by the time you get it home, it needs to be recut across the bottom. It needs to go in water right after it's been cut, just like flowers do. We always cut off another couple inches before we put it in the stand, and then put some water in right away.

I had heard that putting a little bit of bleach in the water works and I did this a couple of years ago. I think it did work, but we didn't have a toddler and a dog then. I didn't do it last year because of ds2 and the puppy. This year, we also have a kitten, so there will be no bleach in the water again. But, if your kids are a little older and you've go no pets, then that is an idea.

I will try the sugar though.

[Shenjall]

We got the coolest tree stand from Canadian Tire last year. You feel up this deep resivoire (cant spell) and fill up a jug that "plugs" into it as well. The jug will keep the resivoire full slowly. Just refill the jug once at nite (or whenever).

We also cut it right before dunking in the water.

[nicole lisa]

We never have our tree dry out and all we do is keep it in a lot of water with sugar. Sprite works because of the sugar.

[3boysmom]

We got ours today! We always cut it ourselves at the tree farm and then cut another inch or so off at home just before putting it in the stand/water. We always get ours this early and take it down on New Year's Day - it is always still doing well when we take it down and we don't do anything special other than making sure the water never runs out and we keep it away from the heat vents. It may also have to do with the type of tree - we always get a canaan fir.

[Electra375]

My mother swears by Ginger Ale in the tree stand!
I would go for a soda without HFCS though, as HFCS is not sugar.
So, maybe just sugar water is good enough. My mother states the bubbles help.

We go artifical, the needle clean up is just not worth it to us. Plus it's reusable year after year for 1 cost.

[scbegonias]

Here's some tips from the forest service from another thread:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/pp/ppxmas/xmas.htm

Our local paper recommends a mixture of water, 7-up or some other soda with citric acid (so its a sugar and citric acid mixture), and bleach. They also recommend that if you get your tree from a lot (almost all the trees around here are from lots), that even if you don't put it up right away, you should buy it and stick it in a water mixture, as trees usually just sit out without water at a lot.