A Guide To Taking Care Of A Live Christmas Tree
The problems of setting up a large cut tree in your living room are largely overblown. Once you have put up a real Christmas tree you might never want to go back to an artificial tree again. Lots people have turned from using live cut Christmas trees to plastic ones in recent holiday seasons but that doesn't mean there still isn't a place for fresh trees these days. Here are some guidelines to get you going:
Preparing for your fresh cut Christmas tree: You will need an electrical outlet close by for lights and decorations. You will want to protect the flooring in the space where you are going to set up your cut pine because there may be a lot of people traffic, liquid spills or heavy things being dragged around. A cut Christmas tree is heavier than you'd expect so you may want to plan out a way to fasten it to a banister or wall just to be extra cautious. It is important to be smart when choosing the size of a live tree by accurately measuring the area you are going to use.
Watering your tree: The quantity of water you will need to give it will be determined by how large it is and the moisture in the room. Hot and arid homes will probably mean more frequent watering trips, while cooler homes may require a little fewer watering sessions. To help with water absorption, you can use a hacksaw or chainsaw to cut an inch or so from the trunk before setting it in the stand. If you don't want to be concerned about forgetting to add water, you may want to look into one of the many affordable Christmas tree watering products.
Decorating and disposal: Most electric Christmas lights are perfectly safe, but light-emitting-diode or LED Christmas lights burn cooler than incandescent lights and use less electricity. Of course, you need to be safe with electric decorations by always turning them off when you leave your house and by not overloading all the outlets you have. Putting decorations on a fresh cut tree is no different than with an artificial one, but being safe should always be a main concern. Again, be certain your heavy tree can't fall or be knocked over very easily.
Even if you've been using a fake tree for years you owe it to your family to try a fresh pine at least once. Yes, they can be more work than the fake ones, live Christmas trees can add a unique feeling to the Christmas season. A cut Christmas tree can truly make a big difference during your holiday season.
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