Picking the perfect Christmas tree is only half the battle. Here's how you can make it last through the holiday
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - When it comes to real "live" Christmas tree buying, this weekend is the prime time.
Crunch time is focused between Black Friday and this coming Sunday because we want our trees to last throughout the holiday so I went to the experts to find ideas on how to make that happen.
A properly-handled live tree can last six weeks or longer and there are several key ingredients to that success.
Those live trees also represent family traditions that are woven into the Christmas tree selection process.
"Generation after generation come through," said Dwayne Evans of Best Feeds Garden Center in Ross Township.
He's seen the trees leave the lot for 40 years and knows what keeps them vibrant, even if some are heartier than others.
"The fir holds water and the moisture all the better," he explained. "Then some of the spruces may not last as long."
Bob Pollack is the Penn State Extension Christmas tree expert and his 42 years of experience says proper tree selection begins with measuring the tree space in your home.
"Take the yardstick with you so that you can just double-check yourself and know that it's not too big, not too wide, or not too tall," he said.
He also said once on the lot, test the tree for freshness. His method includes grabbing the branch gently and pulling along it. If the needles stay on, it's fresh.
Then, when you've found just the right one, give that tree a fresh cut, but not too much.
"It only needs to be half an inch to an inch at most," Pollack said.
Once it's cut, get it into the tree stand and give it water within an hour. Pollack recommends lukewarm water and keeping your tree away from your furnace and vents.
"It's not so much cold air or hot air, but that air movement can help dry out the needles quicker so it will need more moisture," he said.
Moisture is the key to Christmas plant survival - like poinsettias.
"Use your fingers and you push it down into the soil," said organic gardener Doug Oster. "If it's dry, it needs water. If it's moist, leave it alone."
Oster said poinsettias can survive to be planted in your garden in the spring but the biggest threat to them is killing them with kindness. This means too much water.
Finally, you may heard those tips and tricks such as sugar or aspirin in the tree's water that make them last longer, but Pollack said that is totally unnecessary.
He said a properly-cared for tree should not only get you through New Year's but knows of people who have kept trees up for several months just by proper watering.