A Christmas Trees is like a big bunch of flowers its needs lots of fresh water, regularly ....
FRESH CUT - MEANS FRESH TODAY!
Now you are ready to be a Crankie Lumberjack (#crankielumberjack), you need to know about sap. Sap seeps from the bottom of your Christmas Tree and is designed to help seal wounds of the tree. The sap creates a waterproof layer - which means water cannot pass into the tree.
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Sap can be inhibited, not prevented from sealing the base through keeping your Christmas Tree in fresh water from the get go.
If you've got your tree home, after a detour to the shops, or on your roof or open trailer, chances are that sap has dried.
Slice a centimetre of the trunk off at the bottom and get into water IMMEDIATELY.
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CARE OF YOUR CHRISTMAS TREES
WATER NOW! A Christmas Tree is just like a big bunch of flowers - it needs fresh water the minute it gets home, and lots of it. On average a freshly cut Christmas Tree will consume up to 4L of water in the first 72hours. It is critical for the longevity of your tree to keep it well watered for the whole of the Christmas Season.
NO NEEDLES IN THE WATER: Trim foliage along the lower of the trunk to prevent pine needles from sitting in the water of the stand/pot/bucket. Pine needles can soil the water and reduce Christmas Tree longevity.
NO DIRT. NO ZINC: We recommend large pots, buckets or Christmas Tree Stands which hold a minimum of 1 litre of water. The bigger the Christmas Tree pot/bucket/trug/stand, the more sturdy your tree will be, safer for keeping it upright. Buckets/Trugs/Pots should be filled with enough rubble, rocks, bricks to keep the tree upright, ensuring the tree trunk is well anchored and prevent toppling. SAND or DIRT should not be used as it prevents the Christmas Tree from taking up water. GALVANISED, ZINC or METAL BUCKETS/POTS should not be used unless they are sealed against corrosion and leaching - Christmas Trees react to metals.
WATER NOW: YES NOW: AGAIN! Water your tree daily. The addition of Aspirin or Christmas Tree Preservation to water can aid in longevity but is NOT RECOMMENDED where children or animals can access the water.
If the water in your bucket seems to be getting green or smelly, add a teaspoon of domestic chlorine/bleach per 5L of water once a week (please ensure you wear gloves when handling chemicals and keep all ingredients and contents away from children and animals).
TIP HOOKING: Branch tips do hook, or look droopy. This is a normal response to a lack of water, and an indicator that your Christmas Tree is fresh. If the tips have not straightened up in 12 hours (e.g. overnight) check your water levels, and possibly lift your Christmas Tree out of its pot and slice a one centimetre wedge off the bottom, put back into fresh water.
If the tips are hooked and a bit past it, just nip them off and pop in the compost, or a bowl of Christmassy Potpourri, not very nice in a salad though.
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BROWN TREE: If your Christmas Tree is brown, its likely its January and you need to bring it out to the Farm for Full Circle Christmas Tree mulching. If its not January but December and your Christmas Tree is already brown drop Lee and Chris a FB or INSTA message or a phone call to discuss your Christmas Tree's health. As a general rule we expect a Christmas Tree freshly cut, well watered, and not in direct sun to last a minimum of four to six weeks. You can expect light needle drop and needle fading over the Christmas period but this is part of the real Christmas Tree experience.