stacy0479 Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 Forgive me if there is a thread for this already. I looked, but couldn't find it. Growing up, we would put our Christmas Tree up the day after Thanksgiving. But it was a fake tree, so it worked. Now that I am married, I have tried that tradition twice with a real tree (got tired of having fake trees all my life!) and they are always dead by Christmas. So now DH doesn't want to get a tree until 2 weeks before Christmas! I need a tree before that to decorate and put presents under! I have tried the water preservative, but nothing is working to keep these trees alive! What do you guys do to keep a tree alive for a month or so?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dealluvr Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 my mom always used to put warm sugar water also sometimes she would put in an aspirin not sure if the aspirin method was mixed with the sugar i dont think it was both work for me usually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacy0479 Posted September 23, 2007 Author Share Posted September 23, 2007 Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shar6576 Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 i always used to get my tree the first saturday in december,now i have a fake one so i will be using that,i always went and cut our own tree,that way i knew it was fresh.the man at the farm would drill a hole from the bottom of the stem,right up the center of the tree.they told us that that is the reason why trees dont last, is because the sap plugs up the tree,so it wouldnt absorb water.it worked great for us,christmas morning we had very few needles lost,we even tried to burn it after christmas,and it wouldnt burn because it was too fresh.just make sure you get a really fresh tree,and if they wont drill the hole,you could drill your own,at the bottom of the tree ,that goes in the water.good luck,i am gonna miss my real tree this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacy0479 Posted September 23, 2007 Author Share Posted September 23, 2007 I don't think there is a place here in San Diego that lets you chop your own tree down. That would be cool if we could. I know that you are supposed to have them chop another inch or so off of it when you buy it and I know to feel the needles through your fingers and if they fall off, then that is a dead tree. But I didn't know about drilling a hole through the bottom. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarerice Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 We always use a fake tree. Our first Christmas being married, 10 years ago, we bought a real one and had needles in our carpet until the following christmas. Never again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockfordmom Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Cut your own somewhere fresh and they last longer. Re-cut the trunk when you get home, take an inch or two off the bottom. And make sure that you add water every day for the first week and then check it every day or two adding as needed. Once the water runs out they dry out quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacy0479 Posted October 3, 2007 Author Share Posted October 3, 2007 Cut your own somewhere fresh and they last longer. Re-cut the trunk when you get home, take an inch or two off the bottom. And make sure that you add water every day for the first week and then check it every day or two adding as needed. Once the water runs out they dry out quicker.I don't think we have a place here in San Diego that we can cut them fresh! :) I did know to keep water in it, but I didn't know to water it every day for the first week. I also get that conditioner stuff or whatever it is to put in the water too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pastasalad Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 when we did real trees we always put an aspirin in it to make it last which worked, also, trimming the trunk of a tree helps -to many alergies to pine needles has made us get a fake tree but I sure do miss the smell of a real tree, I just cant take it- aaaachhhooooo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockfordmom Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I started getting hives a couple of years ago after my entire life of having only real trees. And they got worse each year. I could live with the pine needles because I loved the smell. Hives I couldn't live with any more, I couldn't help put up or decorate or take down or touch the tree, even brush up against it at all. We got a fake one and I love it, it actually looks pretty realistic. And no more watering or needles or hives anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ms_mckenna Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 We cut off the end of ours when we get home and DH puts asprin in the water. I am not sure how much and how often I will check with him. Our trees always last from day after Thanksgiving to New years .... and we live in Texas so not a cool area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Mommy Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 I have heard of the sugar in the water but since it is still very warm here in Florida I was always worried it would attract ants. I will have to try the aspirin method! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellyhill Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 We get our tree the second tuesday of Dec (DH works weekends and I worked monday). We always recut it when we got home and water it everyday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreaInNC Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 I've also misted the needles with water, that seems to make it last a little longer. Just be careful around your ornaments if some handpainted, you don't want to mess those up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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