Some Tips For Caring For A Real Christmas Tree
Sunday, December 4th, 2011Once you have cared for a real Christmas tree you may never want to go back to a fake tree again. Many people have switched from using live Christmas trees to plastic ones in recent holiday seasons but that doesn’t mean there still is not a place for fresh trees these days. The challenges of displaying a large cut tree in your living room are mostly overblown. Below are some guidelines to get you going:
Getting ready for your cut Christmas tree: You may want to protect the flooring in the area where you are going to display your cut pine because there could be a lot of foot traffic, liquid spills or heavy things being pushed around. A cut Christmas tree is heavier than you’d expect so you might want to plan out a way to fasten it to a banister or wall just to be safe. You almost certainly will need an outlet close by for lights and decorations. It is important to be smart when picking the size of a live tree by accurately measuring the space you are going to use.
Giving it water: To assist with water absorption, you can use a handsaw or chainsaw to cut an inch or so off the trunk before setting it in the stand. If you don’t want to be concerned about forgetting to add water, you should want to look into some of the many affordable Christmas tree watering products. The amount of water you will need to give it will be determined by how big it is and the moisture in the room. Hot and arid homes will probably mean more regular watering trips, while colder homes may require a little fewer watering sessions.
Other issues to consider: Again, be certain your large tree cannot fall or be knocked over accidentally. Most electric Christmas decorations are perfectly safe, but light-emitting-diode or LED Christmas lights burn cooler than normal lights and use less electricity. Of course, you want to be safe with electric decorations by always turning them out when you leave your home and by not overloading all the outlets you have. Putting decorations on a fresh cut tree is no different than with an artificial one, but safety should always be a primary concern.
While they can be more work than the artificial ones, fresh Christmas trees can bring a unique touch to the Yuletide season. A fresh pine can really make a huge difference during your holiday season. Even if you’ve been using a fake tree for all your life you owe it to your family to try a freshly cut pine at least once.
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