The short answer
- Buy a fresh tree.
- Cut about 2.5 cm (1 inch) off the trunk just before it goes in the stand.
- Fill the stand with plain water and check it every day. Never let the level drop below the cut.
- Keep it away from heat: radiators, fireplaces, vents and sunny windows.
Look after it this way, and a real tree typically stays fresh for four to five weeks.
Choosing a fresh tree
- Do the needle test. Run your hand gently along a branch. Fresh needles bend and stay on. If they snap or fall off in a shower, the tree is drying out.
- Give it a bounce. Lift the tree and drop the trunk gently on the ground. A few brown inner needles falling is normal; green ones falling is not.
- Look at the colour and smell. Fresh trees are deep green and fragrant.
- Cut your own, or buy early from a farm or lot that gets regular deliveries. Trees sold in city car parks may have been cut weeks earlier.
Which type lasts longest: firs, such as Nordmann (popular in Europe) and Fraser (popular in the US), hold their needles best. Norway spruce smells lovely but drops its needles sooner. Scots pine holds needles well.
Why the fresh cut matters
When a tree is cut, its trunk starts sealing itself with sap within a few hours. A sealed trunk cannot drink, no matter how much water is in the stand.
- Cut a straight disc about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick off the base just before you put it up. Most tree sellers will do this for you; if so, get it into water within a few hours.
- Cut straight across, not at an angle or into a point. An angled cut does not drink better and makes the tree harder to stand.
- Do not drill holes or shave off the bark on the trunk. It does not help the tree take in water.
If you are not putting the tree up straight away, stand it in a bucket of water somewhere cool and sheltered, such as a garage or shaded patio.
Water: the only thing that really matters
A fresh tree is very thirsty, especially in the first week.
- Rule of thumb: about 1 litre per day for every 2.5 cm (1 inch) of trunk diameter. A trunk 10 cm (4 inches) wide may drink 4 litres a day.
- Choose a stand that holds enough. Many small stands run dry overnight.
- Check the level every morning and evening at first.
- Use plain tap water. Forestry researchers have tested sugar, aspirin, bleach, fizzy drinks and commercial additives and found they do not help, and some make things worse. Hot water is not needed either.
Where to put it
- Away from heat sources: fireplaces, radiators, heating vents, stoves and sunny windows all dry a tree quickly.
- Turn the heating down slightly in that room if you can. A cooler room keeps the tree fresher and saves energy. Our guide to saving electricity at home has more on heating.
- Use LED lights. They run cooler than old incandescent strings and use far less power.
- Out of busy walkways, and away from doors where it may be knocked over.
Fire safety
A dry tree catches fire very easily and burns fast. Keeping it watered is the main protection.
- Check light strings for frayed wires or broken bulbs before use.
- Turn the lights off when you go to bed or leave the house.
- Never use real candles on or near the tree.
- Do not overload sockets with extension leads.
- Take the tree down once it is dropping lots of needles or the branches feel brittle, even if Christmas is not over.
When it is time to go
Most councils and cities run tree collection or drop-off points in January, where trees are chipped into mulch. Remove all decorations, tinsel and the stand first. Do not burn a Christmas tree in a fireplace: the sap and needles can flare and cause chimney fires.
Sending presents to family far away? Check our Christmas shipping deadlines before you post them.
Key takeaways
- Fresh tree, fresh cut, full stand, away from heat.
- Plain water is best; additives do not help.
- A tree can drink about a litre a day per inch of trunk width.
- Firs keep their needles longest, and a well-kept tree lasts four to five weeks.