How to Care for a Real Christmas Tree
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Picking a Christmas tree is all fun and games — but once you bring it home, it’s important to take good care of it!
If you get your tree from a lot, John Colaneri of HGTV’s "The Cousins" suggests shaking it before bringing it into your home, which helps to get rid of loose, dead needles.
"If you go to a tree farm, they shake it for you," John explains. "But if you’re getting it from a lot, make sure that you’re shaking it."
In fact, "The Great Christmas Light Fight" judge Carter Oosterhouse says that's a good way to ensure that you're not dragging critters into your home, either! And if the thought of spraying your tree with bug spray crossed your mind, DON'T, Carter says!
"That would be dangerous, because it is flammable," he explains.
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As for the vital task of watering your tree, be sure that you have a tree stand with enough water-holding capacity. As a general rule, stands should provide one quart of water per inch of tree stem diameter — and water temperature doesn’t matter!
"Make sure you turn your lights off if you can when you're going out of the room," Carter says, "and at the same time, keep your temperature low around the house and that will help to not dry your tree out."
Carter walks through his rule of thumb for watering your Christmas tree in the video below:
HGTV's Carter Oosterhouse Shares His Tips for Watering a Real Christmas Tree
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Basically, because homes tend to be warm around Christmas time, trees are more likely to dry out faster as they get used to their new indoor environment.
"Make sure you’re over watering [in] the beginning," John advises, "because [the tree is] acclimating to your home."
And if a tree doesn’t have enough water, John explains, resin starts to build at the bottom of the trunk, which prevents it from absorbing more water.
That’s not good, of course! So keep a close eye on water level.
Rach’s two cents? Pile lots of presents around your tree to keep your pup from stealing water.
For more tips from the "The Cousins" on how to care for your tree, watch the video below:
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