How much water does a Christmas tree need? How often? – USA TODAY

• If you want a Christmas tree that lasts through the holidays, it’s important to start with a fresh tree.
• Cut 0.5 to 1 inch off the bottom of the trunk before putting it in the stand. And make sure it has enough water.
• All your tree needs is plain water, experts say. You don’t need to use 7UP, Viagra or other additives.

If you’re celebrating Christmas and have a real tree lighting up your home this year, there’s a few steps you can take to keep it fresh and make it last longer.

But don’t look for secrets with 7UP, Viagra or aspirin, experts say. All your tree needs is plenty of water.

“There’s a lot of myths out there,” Bill Lindberg, a Michigan State University Extension educator, told USA TODAY. “There’s been a lot of scientific research on the subject – just straight water is all you need. You don’t need to put anything else into it.”

Of course, you also have to make sure your Christmas tree getting enough water and that it’s as fresh as possible by the time it reaches your home. Here’s what you need to know.

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Buy a fresh tree with the ‘pull test’

The first step in having a Christmas tree that will last through the holidays may seem obvious: Buy a tree that’s as fresh as possible.

A fresh tree will shed less needles and last longer – so it’s important to be able to gauge a tree’s freshness before taking it home. Of course, if you cut down a tree at a farm yourself, it will be fresh. But if you buy a tree from a lot or garden center, it can sometimes be hard to tell. Lindberg recommends the “pull test.”

Use your thumb and another finger to “gently pull across a branch. And if there’s any needles that begin to fall off, that tree isn’t fresh anymore,” he said. “(If) there’s no needles, then you’re all set. That’s a good fresh tree.”

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Cut the bottom of the trunk (even if it’s already been chopped down)

You’re also going to want to make sure your tree is freshly cut. Chop off 0.5 to 1 inch off the base before putting your tree in its stand, Lindberg and MSU Extension say.

“Once the tree is cut, it will begin to harden off the bottom. So it will fill in with resin materials (and) it will not be able to pull water up from the bottom through up to the needles anymore. That’s why it’s important to recut that bottom,” Lindberg said.

He added that making sure the bottom of the tree is freshly cut will also help needles stay on the tree as long as possible. “Basically you’re just resetting that process … so that the xylem function will work and that water will be pulled up through the tree, through the needles.”

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Pennsylvania State University Extension notes that you shouldn’t cut the bottom of the tree at an angle or in a “V” shape, “which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree.” Just cut straight across.

How much water does my Christmas tree need?

Christmas trees can drink a lot of water. Monitor water levels regularly, and try to make sure water doesn’t fall below the base of the tree, Penn State Extension and Home Depot note.

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Of course, the exact amount of water your tree needs will depend of the tree’s size and freshness. For reference, Lindberg and MSU Extension say trees can use up to a quart of water for each inch in diameter of the tree’s trunk. So, for example, a tree with a two-inch diameter trunk could need up to two quarts of water each day.

One of the biggest mistakes consumers make is not giving their tree enough water, Lindberg said. “Just keep an eye on it and keep refilling the water.”

Will sugar or Viagra help my Christmas tree last longer?

No. Despite some appealing “quick fixes” you may hear about this time of year, Viagra, 7UP or aspirin will not help your Christmas tree last.

“Do not add sugar, aspirin, bleach or floral preservatives to the water; plain tap water is all that is needed to keep your tree fresh,” MSU Extension notes.

Picking the right Christmas tree stand, location

Picking the right Christmas tree stand is also key to making sure it will get enough water. And again, the size of your tree makes a difference.

“Choose (a tree stand) that will provide at least one quart of water per inch of stem diameter,” Home Depot writes.

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Where you place your Christmas tree can also make a difference.

“If you can avoid putting (your tree) in front of a register or heat source, that’s going to be important too – it’ll use much more water if it’s in that situation,” Lindberg said. “If you can avoid direct sunlight or close the blinds during some sunny part of the day, that’d be helpful as well.”