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How To Make Your Own Christmas Tree Preservative Safe & Non Toxic

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Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year and one thing I look forward to the most is decorating our Christmas tree! It’s very important to me to keep our Christmas tree looking good as long as possible through the holidays it’s easy to do when you make your own Christmas tree preservative!

Christmas gifts under a Christmas tree. Text overlay says DIY Christmas Tree Preservative.

It’s a fun family trip every year to pick out our Christmas tree and we try to do everything we can to make the tree last longer.

Trees are like flowers after they’ve been cut they start to quickly dry out if they are not placed in water. Water alone isn’t enough to keep your tree healthy all through the Christmas season, it needs food!

What Is Christmas Tree Preservative?

Often when you go to a Christmas tree stand or a tree farm they will be selling small bottles of tree preservative. These premade tree preservatives work well but the cost can really add up.

Christmas trees are very thirsty, really! They can sometimes go through 1 gallon of water a day when your home is kept very warm.

The tree preservative does the same job as the preservative you use for cut flowers. It contains food for the tree (sugar), an acidifier and something to kill bacteria.

The food and antibacterial make sense but you might be wondering why the acidifier? Hard water is alkaline and making it more acidic makes it easier for your tree to absorb its food.

I have to be honest as a mother of many little ones and having pets I worry about buying chemical products.

I want to know that what I’m putting in the tree stand to help keep our Christmas tree green and beautiful won’t hurt my children and pets.

Pinecone hanging from a Christmas tree. Text overlay says Natural Christmas Tree Food Recipes.

DIY Homemade Christmas Tree Preservative

The first time you bring your Christmas tree home you need to cut 1 inch off the bottom of the trunk.

Trees like flowers form a hard cap on the end of the cut and if you don’t remove this your tree won’t be able to suck up water or the tree food.

The first time you mix up your Christmas Tree Preservative it’s a good idea to use warm water. The warm water makes it easier for the tree to absorb the water you’ve added into the tree stand.

After the first feeding, you need to check the level of water in your tree stand every day.

Keep it topped up because if the water level drops below the bottom of the trunk your tree will form a cap on the end again and need to be recut. That’s a pain to do after you’ve put up and decorated your tree!

If you did let your Christmas tree dry out and it’s started dying use these tips to revive your Christmas tree.

All of these tree preservative recipes can be made ahead of time and stored for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.  I like to use a 1 gallon storage container like this one to keep it in. I find this container fits in my fridge really well and the shape of it makes it easy to get under the Christmas tree and pour from.

Christmas Tree Preservative Recipe 1

  • 1 gallon of water
  • 2 cups corn syrup
  • 4 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice

Mix together your water, corn syrup, and either vinegar or lemon juice and pour into your tree stand base. This can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed container in the fridge, it should last 2 weeks.

Christmas Tree Preservative Recipe 2

  • 1 gallon of water
  • 4 TBS. sugar
  • 4 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice

Dissolve the sugar in a little warm water, then combine with the remaining water and either vinegar or lemon juice. This can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed container in the fridge, it should last 2 weeks.

Christmas Tree Preservative Recipe 3

  • 1 gallon of water
  • 1 can of non-diet citric pop (Sprite or 7-Up work well)

Mix 1 can of pop with 1 gallon of water and pour into your tree stand.  This can be made as needed or mixed ahead of time.

Feeding your tree is an important part of keeping it beautiful but there are a few more easy to use tips you don’t want to miss!

Click here for more easy tips to keep your Christmas tree last longer

Robyn

Tuesday 6th of December 2022

Do you use one of these mixtures every time you water your tree? We have a very thirsty tree who seems to need food made up almost as often as the rest of the family!

You need to leave your Christmas tree up until the infamous date of Jan. 6. It's not what you think - NewsUSA7

Sunday 26th of December 2021

[…] You can prolong the life of your tree by keeping the water level high and using a water, corn syrup, and white vinegar or lemon juice mixture. Here’s the full recipe.  […]

You need to leave your Christmas tree up until the infamous date of Jan. 6. It’s not what you think - Ace News Blog

Sunday 26th of December 2021

[…] You can prolong the life of your tree by keeping the water level high and using a water, corn syrup, and white vinegar or lemon juice mixture. Here’s the full recipe.  […]

You need to leave your Christmas tree up until the infamous date of Jan. 6. It's not what you think - Walker Business News

Sunday 26th of December 2021

[…] You’ll be able to lengthen the lifetime of your tree by protecting the water stage excessive and utilizing a water, corn syrup, and white vinegar or lemon juice combination. Here’s the full recipe.  […]

It is advisable to go away your Christmas tree up till the notorious date of Jan. 6. It is not what you suppose - theamericangossip.com

Sunday 26th of December 2021

[…] You’ll be able to extend the lifetime of your tree by protecting the water degree excessive and utilizing a water, corn syrup, and white vinegar or lemon juice combination. Here’s the full recipe.  […]