How to Care for a Real Christmas
There’s nothing quite like the smell and beauty of a real Christmas tree to bring Christmas to life. But once you’ve chosen your perfect tree and brought it home, how do you keep it looking fresh, green and beautiful throughout the festive season?
The good news is that caring for a real Christmas tree is easy when you know how. With a little preparation, regular watering and the right position in your home, you can help your tree retain its needles and look its best for longer.
At Thompson’s Garden Centre, we’ve put together this handy Christmas tree care guide to help you get the most out of your tree and enjoy a beautiful centrepiece right through to Christmas Day.
How to Keep Your Real Christmas Tree Fresh
The most important thing to remember is that a cut Christmas tree no longer has roots to absorb moisture. Without a regular supply of water, it will gradually dry out, lose its needles and begin to look tired.
Think of your Christmas tree a little like a bunch of cut flowers. By giving it the right care and keeping it well hydrated, you can help prolong its freshness and reduce needle drop.
Follow our simple step-by-step guide below.
1. Unwrap Your Christmas Tree Outside
Before bringing your tree indoors, remove the netting while it’s still outside. Give the branches a good shake to help them loosen and settle into their natural shape.
2. Remove Any Loose Needles
Gently tap the base of the trunk on the ground to dislodge any loose needles. This also helps to clear away needles that may have collected during transport.
3. Cut the Bottom of the Trunk
Saw approximately 2cm (around 1 inch) off the bottom of the trunk before placing your tree in water. This exposes a fresh surface, helping the tree absorb water more effectively.
Top tip: Make sure you can place the freshly cut trunk into water as soon as possible. Avoid shaving down the sides of the trunk to make it fit your stand, as this can remove the outer layers that help with water uptake.
4. Give Your Tree a Good Drink
Place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket of clean, cold tap water and leave it to stand overnight, ideally somewhere cool. This gives your tree an opportunity to take up moisture before it comes indoors.
5. Give It One Last Shake
Before bringing your Christmas tree inside, give it another good shake outdoors to remove any remaining loose needles.
6. Choose the Right Christmas Tree Stand
A good Christmas tree stand makes keeping your tree hydrated much easier. Choose a sturdy stand with a water reservoir large enough to hold a generous supply of water.
7. Keep Your Tree Away from Heat
Where you position your Christmas tree can make a big difference to how long it stays fresh.
Keep it away from radiators, fireplaces, wood burners and other direct heat sources. A cooler position will help slow moisture loss and keep your tree looking its best for longer.
8. Check the Water Every Day
This is one of the most important steps in real Christmas tree care!
Make sure the bottom of the trunk always remains submerged in water, checking the stand daily and topping it up as needed. Your tree may absorb a surprising amount of water, particularly during the first few days.
Top Tip: Never allow the water level to fall below the base of the trunk, as this can reduce water uptake.
When Should You Bring Your Christmas Tree Indoors?
Our biggest piece of advice is simple: don’t bring your Christmas tree inside too early!
We know how tempting it is to get the tree up at the beginning of December and start decorating. However, once your tree is inside a warm home, it will gradually begin to dry out.
If your tree spends four weeks indoors before Christmas, it may look less fresh by the time the big day arrives.
If possible, keep your tree in a cool, sheltered spot until you’re ready to decorate. Bring it indoors closer to Christmas Day, and follow the watering advice above to help it stay in great condition.
How Can You Stop Your Christmas Tree Dropping Needles?
Some needle drop is natural, but the right care can help reduce it.
Here are our top tips for keeping your real Christmas tree looking fresh:
- Make a fresh cut: Remove around 2cm from the base of the trunk before placing it in water.
- Keep it hydrated: Check the water level every day and never allow the trunk to dry out.
- Avoid direct heat: Position your tree away from radiators, fireplaces and other heat sources.
- Choose a cooler room: Higher temperatures can speed up drying.
- Avoid bringing it indoors too early: The less time your tree spends in a warm room, the better its chances of staying fresh throughout Christmas.
Remember, different varieties of Christmas tree naturally retain their needles differently, so choosing the right tree for your home can also make a difference.
Enjoy a Beautiful Christmas Tree This Festive Season
A real Christmas tree brings a wonderful natural touch to your home, and with a little care, you can enjoy its beauty, fragrance and festive charm throughout the season.
Follow our simple Christmas tree care tips, keep your tree well watered and give it a cool spot away from direct heat.
And remember — a little patience before bringing your tree indoors can go a long way!
We Grow Our Own Trees
All of our trees come from our very own Christmas Tree Nursery, so we can ensure you get a fresher, better quality of tree. Need help choosing your tree? Here's a few useful links to help you decide.
Handy Christmas Tree Guide
About our Christmas Tree Nursery
Buy your Christmas Tree online
How to look after your Christmas Tree
If you've bought a Christmas tree, you want to keep it fresh for as long as possible. Most Christmas trees last 3-4 weeks indoors. Here are a few tips for maintaining your Christmas tree:
- Keep the tree in a sheltered outdoor place or in cool conditions until required for decorating. This helps the tree acclimatise.
- Saw 1 inch off the stump when you're planning to start decorating. This makes the trunk absorb water better.
- Keep your tree well-watered by refilling the water base daily. Place your cut tree in a sturdy stand that holds at least one gallon of water.
- Avoid placing your Christmas tree next to a heat source. Lowering the room's temperature can help slow down the drying process and needle loss.
- Avoid using too heavy ornaments. Some branches can bend by holding on to giant decorations and baubles. If you want to hang large ornaments in the tree, hang them close to the trunk, where the branches are most viable.
Buy Christmas Trees at Thompson's
Thompson's has been your favourite Christmas tree supplier in the London area. From November 21st, we sell various Christmas trees of top quality. We have several sizes available, varying from 3ft to12ft and even more significant if needed. Please get in touch with us if you're interested in a larger tree than 12ft. You can visit our garden centre or purchase your Christmas tree online. Pre-order a Christmas tree and collect it from 4 different locations from November 21st.