About getting and maintaining your live Christmas tree

When selecting a Christmas Tree for your party, purchase the freshest tree possible. Unless you cut out yourself or watch them cut it, you will not know how fresh the tree is unless you ask. You may ask the sales person where the tree come from and when the tree ws cut.

Once a tree is cut, it loses moisture. You may examine the needles or leaves closely and look for a tree with green needles and very few brown needles. Most of these trees are sprayed to retain their green longer, so get a feel of the needles to check. The needle of the tree should be moist pliable and should not break easily when bend.

When delivering or storing your tree before you place it at your home, make sure the tree should not get direct sunlight. It is good to store it at the garage where there is both no light and wind thus will not dry the tree easily.

When you are about to erect the Christmas tree in your home, make a fresh cut on its trunk about one-half inch. This will allow the tree to more easily absorb moisture from the base. Place the tree in a water stand that hold one gallon of water and replenish the water frequently. When you first place the tree immediately after making the fresh cut, make sure the base hs hot water in it so as to prevent the freshly cut from sealing, thus allowing more water to absorb into the tree.

Do not errect a live tree too early as most tree do not last more than three or four weeks. So do not get a tree too early.

Remember when decorating the live tree, use small lights that generate low heat. Remember heat will hurt the live tree.