# Hints for making your Christmas Tree last longer **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486 "2004-12-01T14:12:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/1 "2004-12-01T14:12:20Z")
Let’s have this thread be a listing of your favorite hints and tips for making your Christmas tree last as long as possible before drying out. I was inspired to start this thread because our local news had a cutesy story about someone who was recommending adding **vodka** to the water to extend the life of the tree, and then they interviewed various people to hear what they thought of the idea. They also showed a quick glimpse of bottles of tree additive in a store that was supposed to help, too. So what has worked for you? Are there any techniques or additives that you recommend to the teeming millions? ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/2 "2004-12-01T14:16:42Z")
Spray it with one of those winter evergreen sprays meant for outdoor plants. I don’t remember the name of it but it keeps the moisture from exiting the tree through the needles. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/3 "2004-12-01T14:32:53Z")
My aluminum tree has been going strong and shiny for over 40 years now, I got it from my mom’s attic, along with the color wheel. I like the vodka idea, I’ll try some after work. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/4 "2004-12-01T14:33:16Z")
I’ve used a few tabs of asprin in the tree water since I was a child. Works every time. Keeping the tree well hydrated is obvious, but one should be diligent about it as well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/5 "2004-12-01T14:51:58Z")
Make a fresh cut. Drill a 1/2 inch to 1 inch diameter hole about 6 to 8 inches up the trunk through the fresh cut. Pack hole loosely with cotton to help wick water. Keep tree in water, filling up water three times a day if needed. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/6 "2004-12-01T18:00:39Z")
I don’t see how drilling a hole up the trunk will help. Doesn’t water go up the outermost wood (whatever it’s called), and not up the middle? Just asking; that’s what I learned 100 years ago in high school bio. I’ve found the best thing is to get a tree that keeps it’s needles. Scotch pine or various firs (although some of the latter start to smell crappy after a week) seem to be best. Blue spruce is the worst. I often don’t take my own advice, though, because I love blue spruce. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/7 "2004-12-01T18:24:53Z")
Hmmmm… y’all recommended vodka, asprin and lots of water. Are we really talking about trees here? ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/8 "2004-12-01T22:46:59Z")
If you can, cut your own, or find someplace that cuts them for you. Lots of Christmas tree lots cut their trees well before Thanksgiving, so they have been cut for a month by the time Christmas gets here. Keep the tree outside (if it’s colder there) until you are ready to decorate. Make a fresh cut across the whole bottom of the tree just before you put it into the tree holder. This lets you cut it even and a fresh cut lets the tree soak up water better. Use room temperature water to full the tree stand. And when you first put the tree up check it a couple of hours later. It may have absorbed lots of water right away. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/9 "2004-12-02T01:16:19Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Hmmmm… y’all recommended vodka, asprin and lots of water. Are we really talking about trees here? Don’t forget the drill. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/10 "2004-12-02T04:29:02Z")
Don’t put your tree up the day after Thanksgiving, that seems to help a bit. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/11 "2004-12-02T19:03:09Z")
We’re working on keeping the cats out of the tree, but not having much success. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Dirx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@Sir\_Dirx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Dirx)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/12 "2004-12-03T00:34:09Z")
Or you can just bronze it. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hints-for-making-your-christmas-tree-last-longer/277486/13 "2004-12-03T15:34:30Z")
> [@Tastes of Chocolate](#): > > If you can, cut your own, or find someplace that cuts them for you. Lots of Christmas tree lots cut their trees well before Thanksgiving, so they have been cut for a month by the time Christmas gets here. > > Keep the tree outside (if it’s colder there) until you are ready to decorate. > > Make a fresh cut across the whole bottom of the tree just before you put it into the tree holder. This lets you cut it even and a fresh cut lets the tree soak up water better. > > Use room temperature water to full the tree stand. And when you first put the tree up check it a couple of hours later. It may have absorbed lots of water right away. Best advice so far. Using a freshly cut tree, hacking the bottom off before mounting the tree, and keeping an eye on the water level is the best you can do. It should last well after the first 2 weeks of January. I wouldn’t recommend aspirin for your tree, unless your tree has a history of heart attacks.