Want your Christmas tree to last through the holidays? Here’s how to preserve it

Placing a real Christmas in a home has been a tradition for centuries, but they don’t come with an instruction manual on how to keep them alive.

If you don’t get a freshly-cut tree, or put it in the wrong spot in your home, it may not last until Christmas. That might mean “Santa” would have no place to put gifts on Christmas Eve.

Fortunately, there are ways to keep your tree healthy so it lasts well into the new year. Proper tree maintenance can also reduce the number of pine needles that end up on your floor when you take them down.

If you want your tree to make it to Christmas, here’s what you need to know.

How to keep your Christmas tree fresh

Bill Cline, the owner of Cedar Lake Tree Farm in Iron Station, about 25 miles northwest of Charlotte, explained the first thing people should do when they get their Christmas trees home is fill the tree stand with water.

“It’ll only take so much water,” Cline said. “You just have to keep an eye on it the first couple of days so that it doesn’t run dry.”

Needles falling off the tree and droopy limbs are both signs that a tree is drying out, Cline said.

Here are some other tips on how to preserve your Christmas tree, according to Cline:

• Mist the branches and foliage of your tree to keep them fresh

• Keep your tree away from heat sources, such as radiators and fireplaces, to keep your tree from drying out

• If your tree runs out of water, saw at least a half-inch above the original cut and place it in water again

• Don’t use candles, open flames or combustible decorations near your tree

How long should Christmas trees last?

Cline said some of his customer’s Christmas trees have lasted well into January if they are properly cared for, but the timing of when trees are cut can affect how long they last.

“The main thing is, when you go to buy a tree somewhere, you make sure that it’s been cut fresh and not cut a month ago,” said Cline.

Before purchasing trees, Cline recommended that customers inspect them to make sure they are still healthy.

“If the tree is losing needles, dry, and light in weight, it was probably cut a long time ago,” Cline said.