Christmas Tree Farm wNC

Tree Care.

Keeping Your Christmas Tree ...

Fresh and Green

Taking home a fresh Christmas tree is exciting, and with a little care you can keep it lush, green, and fragrant throughout the holiday season. At Boyd Mountain, we take pride in the freshness of our trees, but once it’s in your home, a bit of maintenance will ensure it stays at its best. Think of it as caring for a very special bouquet of flowers – just on a larger scale! A well-cared-for Fraser fir can last for weeks, filling your home with that wonderful pine scent and holiday cheer. In this section, we’ll share our top tips and guidelines for Christmas tree care – from the moment you leave our farm with your tree, to the time you bid it farewell after New Year’s.

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Setting Up Your Tree at Home

When you get your tree home, it’s important to set it up properly so it can start drinking water and stay fresh:

Make a Fresh Cut: If our team hasn’t already done so, saw off about a half-inch slice from the bottom of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. This reopens the tree’s pores, allowing it to absorb water freely. Try to get the tree into water within an hour of making this fresh cut.
Choose the Right Stand: Use a stand that’s sturdy enough to hold your tree and that has a large water reservoir. Ideally, the stand should hold at least 1 quart of water per inch of trunk diameter. Avoid whittling down the sides of the trunk to fit a too-small stand – the outer layers of wood are the most efficient at taking up water, and you don’t want to remove them.
Positioning: Place your tree in the spot you’ve chosen (hopefully you measured the ceiling height first!). Ensure the tree is straight and secure in the stand. It helps to have another person eyeball it from a distance as you tighten the stand bolts. Pro tip: Put down a tree bag or plastic sheet under the stand for easy cleanup later, and to protect your floor from any water spills.

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Watering is Key

The most important thing you can do to keep your tree fresh is keep it hydrated:

Right after setting up, fill the tree stand with water. For the first couple of days, your tree may drink a lot – check the water level morning and night and refill as needed. Never let the water level go below the trunk’s base, or the trunk may seal up and stop taking in water.
As a general rule, a typical Christmas tree can drink a quart or more of water per day for the first week or two. After that, the intake may slow down a bit, but don’t slack on checking.
You don’t need any fancy additives in the water. Plain tap water is best – research shows additives like sugar, aspirin, etc. don’t help (and can even hurt) your tree’s freshness. The key is simply lots of fresh water.
Make it part of your daily routine (maybe each morning with your coffee) to top off the tree’s water. A well-watered tree will not only stay greener longer but is also much less of a fire hazard because it retains moisture.

Highest-quaility Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

Safety and Maintenance

A fresh tree is a safe tree. Keep your tree happy and your home safe with these tips:

Avoid Heat Sources: Position your tree away from heat vents, radiators, fireplaces, or direct sunlight. Excess heat will dry out the tree faster. If possible, lower the temperature a bit in the room with the tree – cooler temps help slow drying.
Careful with Lights: Use modern LED Christmas lights which emit very little heat. They’re tree-friendly and energy-efficient. Always turn off the tree lights when you’re not at home or before going to bed, just as a precaution.
Ornament Placement: While Fraser firs have sturdy branches, try to hang the heaviest ornaments closer to the trunk where branches are thickest, to avoid any branch sagging over time.
Pets & Kids: If you have pets, try to keep the water basin covered (some stands come with covers) so your furry friends don’t drink the water – it might not agree with their tummies. Also, consider using unbreakable ornaments on the lower branches if you have curious pets or toddlers.
Tidy Up Needles: It’s normal for some inner needles to dry and drop over the weeks. Regularly sweep or vacuum around the tree to prevent dry needles from accumulating (they can be slippery or bothersome to little crawling kids). A fresh tree that’s kept watered will drop very few needles until it’s been up for quite a while.

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Spreading Christmas Cheer Year After Year

After the Holidays – Tree Disposal

When the festivities wind down, you’ll eventually need to bid farewell to your tree (sad, we know!). Here’s how to do it responsibly and sustainably:

Remove Decorations: Before taking the tree out of your house, remove all ornaments, lights, tinsel, and any ornament hooks. Check carefully – sometimes a ornament or two can hide among the branches.
Bag It (If Possible): If you have a large plastic tree bag or an old sheet, wrap it around the tree as you take it out. This will catch most of the needles and make cleanup much easier.
Recycle It: Most communities have Christmas tree recycling programs or curbside pickup for trees. Typically, trees collected are chipped into mulch or composted – a great way to return your tree to nature. Check your local government or waste management website for pickup dates in your area (often in early January). If curbside pickup isn’t available, there may be drop-off locations like parks or recycling centers that accept trees.
Wildlife Habitat: If you live on a large property or know someone who does, consider propping the tree up outdoors as shelter for wildlife. An old Christmas tree can provide birds and small animals a winter refuge. You can even decorate it with orange slices, suet, or birdseed pinecones to create a post-Christmas gift for the birds!
Do NOT Burn Indoors: Never burn your Christmas tree (or the trimmings) in a fireplace or wood stove. Dry evergreen branches can flare up quickly and the sap can cause creosote buildup in chimneys.

Once your tree is gone, save your stand for next year, and pat yourself on the back for being a great tree caretaker. And don’t be too sad – remember, we’re already busy planting and nurturing new Fraser firs for next Christmas! We hope these tree care tips help keep your holidays green, safe, and full of joy from beginning to end.