How To Revive A Christmas Tree
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How to revive a Christmas tree that has started to dry out and drop its needles. If you have gotten behind in caring for your real Christmas tree, don’t worry. There are simple things you can do to help bring it back to health.
You had fun picking out the perfect Christmas tree, bringing it home, and decorating it. But a week or two has passed, and your poor tree isn’t looking so good now.
The needles are starting to fall and turn color, and you’re worried that by Christmas you’ll have a dead tree and find more pine needles on the floor than on the tree.
The good news is there are easy things you can do to revive your Christmas tree and help it to look great through the rest of the holiday.
How To Revive A Christmas Tree
More Water
Watering is the best way to start reviving your dying Christmas tree.
Ideally, you should never let the tree go without water as shown in this study by the University of Wisconsin. The absorption rate will change from day to day, and that’s ok.
But don’t stop checking the water level just because you notice it’s slowing down for a few days. Always keep the water level 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 cm) above the cut end of the trunk.
Your Christmas tree will absorb water based on how fast the leaves are losing water, and this depends a lot on how warm and humid the room is.
Feeding your Christmas tree might also help to keep it alive longer. There’s some debate on this. Some people say that water is all the tree needs, while others find that their tree drops fewer needles when they add a preservative to the water.
I personally find that feeding my Christmas tree helps to keep it nicer looking than in years that I didn’t. So, I make my own Christmas tree food with simple ingredients, like water, sugar, or corn syrup, and a little vinegar or lemon juice.
Recut The Trunk
If your Christmas tree has been without water for more than 6 to 8 hours, the bottom of the trunk may have started to seal over with sap.
Unfortunately, this will keep the tree from being able to absorb water, and if it can’t take up water, it will start dying faster.
The solution to this is to take your Christmas tree out of the stand and cut a fresh slice off the bottom. 1/2 to 1 inch (1.2 to 2.5 cm) off the bottom works well.
Then place the tree back into the tree stand and fill it with cold water.
Yes, it’s not convenient to do after you have already decorated your tree. But if the trunk has sealed over and dried out, it’s the only way to help the tree to start soaking up water again.
Just make sure to remove any breakable ornaments from your tree before removing it from the stand.
Trim Branches
If you have a very thick and dense Christmas tree, try trimming a few branches off close to the trunk.
This reduces the number of branches that need water to keep the needles looking good. It can also help a tree that has dropped needles in spots look more even.
Make sure to put the trimmings to good use as decorations around your home. Tree trimmings make lovely wreaths and mantel decorations.
Move Away From Heat
The warmer your room is, the faster your Christmas tree can dry out. So a simple way of helping your tree to last longer is to simply keep it away from heat sources.
If you made this mistake when you first brought your tree inside, then move it away from heat vents, fireplaces, or bright south-facing windows now.
Not only does a dried-out tree look ugly, but it’s also a fire hazard.
Add Humidity
In addition to lowering the temperature of the room, adding humidity to the air can help to keep your tree from drying out. A simple way to do this is to run a humidifier to keep the air moist.
Use Cool Lights
If you ever touched one of the older style Christmas lights and burnt your finger, you realize just how hot they can get!
This can create quite a bit of heat on the branches of your tree.
To help keep it cooler, use lights that are low heat, like mini LED indoor lights. The cooler you can keep your tree, the slower it dries out, and it can help it keep its needles for a longer time.
Can A Dried Out Christmas Tree Be Saved?
Sometimes, but not always. If your tree starts drinking water again after a fresh cut, there’s a good chance it will perk back up.
A tree is too far gone when:
- The needles snap instead of bending when you fold them.
- Needles rain down when you run your hand along a branch.
- It still won’t take up water a day or two after you recut the trunk.
If your tree is that dry, it’s time to take it down. A very dry tree is a fire hazard, so don’t leave the lights on it. Check with your town for curbside pickup or a tree recycling drop-off.
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Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.
