Living Christmas Tree Care

1.) You only want to keep your living Christmas tree in the home for about five to seven days.  Prolonged exposure to warm household temperatures will force new growth to develop on the tree and this growth would be apt to freeze when the tree is transplanted outdoors after Christmas.

2.) Avoid direct contact of hot Christmas lights with the needles of a living tree, as the heat from some lights will sometimes burn the needles, slightly discoloring them. The newer low watt lights are seldom hot enough to burn needles.

3.) Living trees should not be sprayed with colored Christmas paint or snow. 

4.) Be sure to water the tree regularly while it is being used in the home. Make sure you use a saucer or drip tray to keep the excess water from dripping on to your floor or carpet. 

5.) After Christmas, if the weather should happen to be very cold, place the living tree in the basement or garage where it is cool, but not below freezing, for a couple of days. When the weather improves, the tree can be taken out of the container and planted in the ground.