Four Things That Will Kill a Christmas Tree

Happy National Christmas Tree Day!  It’s on the 8th for a very good reason:  The random lady who came up with it thought the 8th seemed good.  (???)  And if you’re doing a REAL tree this year, this list is for you.  Here are four things that will KILL a Christmas tree . . .

1.  Forgetting to cut an inch or two off the trunk before you set it up.  A fresh cut opens the tree’s pores, so it can soak up more water.  If you don’t do it, they’ll be blocked by sap, and the tree won’t last long.  It takes less than three hours for dried sap to block the pores again once its cut.

2.  Planting it in dirt.  (???)  Kids might wonder why we put Christmas trees in water, not dirt.  The answer again is its pores.  Like flowers, you’re just trying to keep it alive as long as possible.  And dirt would clog things up.

3.  Putting it too close to a heat source.  Heaters and radiators can dry it out fast, and then it’s a fire hazard.  The best place for a tree is near a door or window, where it might get some fresh air once in a while.

4.  Forgetting to water it.  The general rule is Christmas trees soak up one quart of water a day for every inch in diameter the trunk is.  So if the trunk is four inches across, that’s a gallon of water every day.

(Mirror / Popular Mechanics)