Shirley Bovshow's Tips on Keeping Your Christmas Tree Fresh

What Does A Professional Gardener Do To His/Her Christmas Tree To Keep It Fresh?
• One of the best kept secrets of the pros is to spray your tree with an "anti-transpirant" compound like " Wilt-Pruf."

• An anti-transpirant is a compound that seals the surface of the needles so that water can’t escape through it. It can help your trees stay fresh for an extra 3-4 weeks! • Wilt-Pruf is commonly used on landscape plants like Rhodedendrons and Azeleas to protect them from cold and hot drying winds throughout the year but it can also be used for Christmas trees too! Look at how I sprayed the tree earlier today…

1. How Do We Know We're Picking The Best Tree For Sale? Look at your tree. It should be dark and not look anemic, like it’s losing color.
2. Shake the tree to check for excessive needle drop.

• Another test: take a branch between your thumb and forefinger and slide down. If needles break off easily, pass on it.

Any Special Trunk Preparation Before Putting Tree In Its Stand?
• Cut 1 inch from the bottom of the trunk to open a fresh surface area for water to be drawn in from. You do this because there’s "resin" on the bottom of trunk that covers the base and makes it hard for it to absorb water.
• Also, score the bottom of the trunk with a sharp knife to create holes for water to be absorbed easier. The Christmas tree lot will usually do this for you. • Place your tree in water within an hour of cutting the bottom to keep resin from sealing the area. Are There Ways To Prevent Trees From Drying Up At Home?
• Keep trees at least 3 feet away from major sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight).
• Use LED lights which don’t produce as much heat as regular Christmas lights. • Don't forget to water your tree! How Often Should We Water The Tree?

• A 6 foot tree needs at least one gallon of water/day. Larger trees more. • I’ve created a "pain-free" watering device, you don't have to kneel down or get dirty under tree. It's just a 3-foot long PVC pipe with a funnel on top and taped together with red tape. So it looks like a candy cane!

For more with Shirley Bovshow, visit EdenMakers.com and follow her on Twitter @EdenMaker.