caring for your Christmas tree

When you get your Christmas tree home and before you move the furniture to make space for a tree, which looked so small in the barn but now appears to take up most of the room, there's a couple of things to do if you want it to last until the New Year. So the tree can take up water, saw off the bottom two centimetres of the trunk and then stand your tree overnight in a tub of water in a cool place before you take it inside to decorate.

You can try to wedge your tree in a bucket or maybe even suspend it from the ceiling but the easiest way to display your tree is to use a Christmas Tree stand. So, secure your tree in the stand and put it somewhere away from radiators and fires so that it's not dried out by the heat.  If it sticks out too far, trim it back. Some people like to cut off branches at the back so that the tree stands close to the wall. It's your tree, so do as you please; the foliage you cut off can be used for wreaths and garlands.

And now you get to the fun bit of decorating the tree. At last.

To keep the tree in good condition, you should water it every day. All the stands we sell have a water reservoir though you have to be careful not to go above the screw holes with some of them or the carpet gets a bit soggy.