For many households, putting up the Christmas tree is the highlight of the holiday season, with some mega fans doing it as early as mid-November.
Those using an artificial tree can keep it in the living room for as long as they want, but anyone going for the real deal this year will have to take extra care to stop the plant from going brown too early into the festivities.
Luckily, experts from Scottish Christmas Trees have shared a simple hack which will stop your real Christmas tree from dying for up to six weeks.
The specialists recommend that Christmas trees are immediately put in water before cutting the base to keep it well hydrated as most species will only last for up to six hours if neglected.
Once you get the tree in the door, place it in a bucket filled with water in a location that's neither too hot or cold. The tree should also be cut one or two centimetres above the base to help the tree to soak up as much water as possible.
There are a number of steps those buying a real Christmas tree should take to ensure it stays perky and green.
How to look after a real Christmas tree
- Before bringing your tree inside, hold it upright and bang the bottom on the ground to remove old needles
- When bringing the tree inside, store it in cool conditions away from the wind and sunlight
- Put the base of the tree in a bucket of water to prevent dehydration
- When you are ready to put your tree up, you should cut one to two centimetres from the base before putting it in a stand that has water holding facilities
- The tree will require to be watered every day and may drink anything between 1.125L – 4.5L of water a day
- Once the tree is in its stand and in the correct spot, remove the netting
- Avoid placing the tree near a fire, radiator or warm lighting as it will dry out, droop and drop needles
- Do not allow the tree to dry out
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