The most long-awaited holiday is coming - New Year! What does it smell like? Frost and tangerines, fresh pastries and spices, candles and incense. And, of course, a Christmas tree - the most important attribute of the New Year's celebration! What would a holiday be without the aroma of fresh pine needles in the house, so familiar to us since childhood and so beneficial for health.

A living spruce, according to legend, stores an inexhaustible source of vital energy, and the spirits living in it protect the home from various evil influences.

If you have chosen a living tree, then you really want to preserve the freshness of the tree and its bright aroma throughout the holidays. How to extend the life of a forest beauty? Here are some tips.

This method is the most effective. Just buy not a felled tree, but a Christmas tree growing in a special tub, where the roots continue their vital activity. The main condition for its preservation in its original form is to protect the forest beauty from heat shock when moving from the cold to a warm house. This must be done gradually, first by keeping the plant for several days on a glassed-in balcony or veranda. You can replace the Christmas tree with more heat-loving trees like cypress or araucaria.

It is very important to choose the right freshly cut tree.

• To do this, you need to pay attention to the barrel. It’s good if its surface is covered with needles and the cut does not have a wide dark border.
• The freshness of the Christmas tree is evidenced by the elasticity of its branches and the bright, rich green color of the needles. If you rub several needles in your fingers, a strong spruce smell should appear, and the surface of the skin will become oily.
• Try hitting the base of the trunk hard on the ground. If the needles fall off, it means that the tree is no longer fresh and should not be taken.
• It is very good if the crown and tips of the branches remain unharmed during transportation.

Try not to bring the Christmas tree into a warm room immediately after purchasing, but keep it for several days on a glassed-in veranda or balcony, wrapped in paper. There she will pass required acclimatization period.

In a warm room, do not immediately unwrap the forest guest, but allow it to slowly warm up to ambient temperature.

When installing the tree, remove the lower branches (they are perfect for a New Year's wreath or bouquet), clean the trunk by 10–20 cm, be sure to renew the cut area and place the plant in settled water for a couple of days, constantly adding liquid. Then place the tree in a stand with a container filled with wet sand or water. You can also wrap the cleaned part of the trunk with any loose cloth and regularly moisten it with water or a specially prepared solution.

To extend the life of a forest beauty, make its water more nutritious, and also take measures to prevent the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. Here are some recipes:

• The most famous option is to add a few cubes of refined sugar, an aspirin tablet and a handful of salt to the water. Pour the solution into a prepared container with water or sand.
• Dissolve half a tablespoon of pre-crushed chalk and 5 grams of gelatin and citric acid in 3 liters of water.
• A tree standing in water with several dissolved crystals of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) retains its freshness well. The color of the liquid should be bright pink. This composition acts as a microfertilizer, and your Christmas tree can even take root.
• Yours will feel great Christmas decoration, if you add any specialized fertilizer for conifers to the water in a dosage according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• The nutritional composition can be obtained by mixing a teaspoon of superphosphate, a tablespoon of ammonium nitrate and half a teaspoon of potassium nitrate into water. This fertilizer needs to be added daily, 1 tablespoon.
• If immediately after cleaning the trunk, you dip the tree in a hot solution of acetic acid, the heat will help to further open the pores of the tree, and the essence will protect against pests and preserve the plant.
• You can also put copper coins from Soviet times into the water (maybe someone else still has them) or just copper wire. In this case, it would not be amiss to add a few pieces of sugar along with an aspirin tablet.

The liquid must be added as it evaporates so that the cleaned lower part of the barrel is constantly under water. The same solutions can be used to regularly moisten sand or fabric.

Hundreds of green beauties appeared at the Christmas tree markets of Podolsk. No matter how huge and varied the choice of artificial Christmas trees is, many residents of the district are sure that nothing can replace the unique aroma of pine needles. In order for an elegant Christmas tree to come not only for the holiday, but to delight you for many weeks to come, you need to properly care for it. The RIAMO in Podolsk columnist learned several secrets that will help the tree stay fresh for a long time.

Choosing a tree

There are many signs by which you can determine the highest quality tree. For example, choose a tree with a trunk, the cut of which does not have a wide dark border, and the branches are elastic and bright, the needles are rich green and do not fall off. When transporting, it is important not to damage the crown and tips of the branches.

The most environmentally friendly option is to buy not a cut down tree, but a truly living spruce in a tub. When holidays run out, place it on a glassed-in balcony; in winter the tree should sleep cool. In spring, the spruce can be planted in the garden by choosing a dark place. You can replace the Christmas tree with more heat-loving trees, for example, cypress or araucaria, but you can’t return them to wildlife in our climate. If there is no opportunity to plant a tree, in the Moscow region there have long been services offering a tree in a tub “for rent”. After the holidays, the Christmas tree will be taken back to the nursery.

Adjusting the temperature

GIF: GIPHY website

You need to choose the optimal time to buy spruce. If you buy it long before the holiday, there will be more choice, but in order to preserve its beauty, the tree will first have to be kept in the cold, for example, on a loggia, wrapped in paper. If you take a Christmas tree just before the holiday, it is better not to bring it into the warmth right away. A spruce tree can quickly die from sudden temperature fluctuations. First you need to hold the tree in the entrance for 15-20 minutes, and only then bring it into the apartment.

Choosing a place

GIF: GIPHY website

It is better to install spruce away from heating devices and radiators in a well-ventilated area, as hot, dry air will shorten the life of the tree. You should also not place the tree in the passage, so as not to touch the branches again.

Preparing the barrel

Before installing the spruce tree, the trunk needs to be prepared. To begin with, you should use sharp knife remove the bark by about 8-10 centimeters, updating the cutting area. When installing, remove the lower branches; they are perfect for a New Year's wreath or bouquet. Those who are going to use only the top of the tree can lubricate the cut area with Vishnevsky ointment.

Choosing a substrate

GIF: GIPHY website

One of the proven methods for preserving spruce is a substrate of wet sand, which is usually prepared in a bucket. Add two tablespoons of gelatin to a liter of clean water, stir thoroughly, then pour into sand. A solution of two tablespoons of sugar and two tablets of acetylsalicylic acid will also help prevent table rot. The solution must be poured into a prepared container with water or sand. The most famous recipe for “living water” is a few cubes of refined sugar, an aspirin tablet and a handful of salt. The tree trunk is buried 15-20 centimeters in the sand. The substrate must be moistened regularly, approximately once every two days.

A container of warm water has also worked well, into which you need to add a little citric or acetic acid to create an acidic environment. The same effect can be achieved with instant aspirin tablets. In order for the spruce to stand, you will need a tripod, which is placed in a container of water. You can give the tree stability by removing some of the lower branches with pruning shears.

To extend the life of a spruce tree on a cross stand, you can wrap the trunk in wet woolen fabric, for example, an old sweater. The coat should be moisturized regularly.

The branches of the tree also need to be periodically watered with water from a spray bottle, and, of course, you should turn off all the electric garlands in advance. To avoid damaging the toys, it is better to moisten the branches closer to the trunk, where there are no decorations.

It’s hard to imagine a full-fledged New Year’s holiday without a Christmas tree in the apartment. After the celebration, it is not customary to take the forest beauty out of the house until the Old New Year. During this time, it may begin to dry out and the needles will fall off. To preserve the Christmas tree for as long as possible, it is important to learn some subtleties and secrets that will help preserve the tree.

How to choose the right holiday tree

It happens that unscrupulous sellers try to sell wood that is no longer fresh. Therefore, you must inspect the tree carefully before purchasing. First of all, you need to evaluate it appearance. And if the spruce looks normal at first glance, then you need to check its flexibility. Christmas tree branches should bend easily without breaking.

The selected tree should also be transported carefully. You can wrap it in burlap and tie it with rope or twine.

Things are much simpler if a person lives in a private house and has his own personal, small Christmas tree growing in his garden. To bring it home during the holidays, you need to dig a living tree out of the ground, transplant it into a tub and sprinkle moss on top. In this case, you need to take care of the roots, which should be moistened generously with water and wrapped in a plastic bag.

You cannot immediately bring the tree into a warm room, as this can quickly dry out and die. To avoid this, you need to place the spruce in a cool, bright room and leave it there until the holiday.

While the Christmas tree is in the apartment, it needs to be watered every day, using 3-4 liters of water. After all the holidays, the tree needs to be taken outside and placed in a place where it will be protected from the wind.

With the onset of spring, the tree should be replanted in its original place, that is, in the ground, so that it can be preserved until the next New Year.

If what the tree is far from being best quality, it was discovered after the purchase, then you need to store the cut down tree in the cold. You should free up enough space on the balcony and place the tree there. Closer to the holidays, you can bring it into the room and install it using the tips.

Tip No. 1. To ensure that the needles do not fall off for the maximum amount of time, you need to choose the right container for installation. Typically used:

• a bucket or tub of wet sand;
• a bucket or small barrel of water;
• wet rags.

The first option is considered the most effective, but it is unlikely to be suitable for those who have cats at home. You need to pour a sufficient amount of sand into the tub and prepare a solution of water and glycerin. If you don’t have glycerin on hand, you can stir one aspirin tablet in water and add 2 tablespoons to it. Sahara. Next, you need to pour the solution into the tub, and water the sand every day so that it is always wet.

The second option also helps to preserve the Christmas tree longer. In a bucket of water you need to mix 1/2 tsp. citric acid, 1 tbsp. gelatin and a few grams of crushed chalk.

But there is also a minus here, since the tree will be unstable, and you will have to come up with additional ways to secure it.

The third option is the simplest, but not very effective. The area of ​​the log house should be wrapped with a damp cloth, and the material should be periodically placed in water so that it is always damp.

Tip No. 2. If you have to install the tree on a cross or on a special stand, but want to save it until the New Year, then you should adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

• prepare a solution of water and glycerin;
• Place the tree in the container for a day;
• After 24 hours, remove the tree and make a cut at the bottom of the trunk;
• push a woolen rag into the recess.

The rag will need to be moistened with water daily so that the spruce receives the necessary moisture and pleases people with its appearance for as long as possible.

Tip No. 3. A Christmas tree or pine tree can stand for a month if you place it in a bucket of water and do some manipulations. You need to mix a little salt in a container, 1 tsp. sugar and 1 aspirin tablet. Next, you should update the cut on the trunk and place the tree in the solution. The main thing is to monitor the water level and add it periodically.

Tip No. 4. To prevent the Christmas tree from falling off longer, you need to periodically spray the branches with clean water. It will be more convenient to do this with a spray bottle.

Tip No. 5. If the tree still begins to dry out and lose its needles, then you can remove it from the stand and knock the trunk on the floor. Then all the excess needles will fall in one place and will not lie all over the house.

Tip No. 6. The bottom of the trunk can be freed from the bark, but no more than 10 centimeters. After this, the wood needs to be planed, as this will help open up fresh pores.

Tip No. 7. You can extend the life of a Christmas tree using ammonium nitrate, iron sulfate, or any complex fertilizer. To do this, you need to prepare a special solution in which the selected product and water are mixed in the proportion: 5 g. substances per 1 liter. liquids.

Christmas tree or fir - what to choose

Recently, on New Year’s Eve, you can find not only the usual spruce trees on the market, but also other types of coniferous trees. For example, Nordmann fir is very popular, as it is very beautiful, and its needles are long and airy. The needles of this tree do not prick at all and do not fall off, which is what attracts buyers.

But not every person can afford such a New Year’s guest. Prices for fir are, to put it mildly, steep, and they cost much more than their modest “sisters.” For the holiday, in addition to decorations, there are plenty of other expenses, but if you really want to, you can just buy fir branches.

You can hang them throughout the house and also decorate them. Christmas tree toys and tinsel. Such decorations will create a festive and cozy atmosphere even in the most modest home. The only thing is that fir does not have a distinct smell, so to fill your house with the aroma appropriate for the New Year, you can place several bunches of spruce branches in the room.

Many people associate New Year with the smell of tangerines, fresh baked goods and, of course, a Christmas tree. Recently, more and more varieties have appeared. They are imported to us from the Celestial Empire in an endless stream. And before, the fragrant forest beauty stood in almost every house, giving festive mood and bringing an element of a fairy tale into everyday life. Adherents of old traditions even today cannot imagine the New Year without a real coniferous tree. But with its choice and storage method, questions often arise that can be answered in this article. Today we will talk about how to store christmas tree so that it does not crumble until the Old New Year and does not lose its aroma.

How to choose the right Christmas tree

The most persistent New Year's tree is considered to be pine, and the brightest coniferous smell is that of fir. But if we talk about beauty, spruce will remain unsurpassed. Of course, with a thick, properly processed crown.

The fresher the tree is (cut down shortly before purchase), the longer it will not crumble and will retain its aroma.

• A freshly cut Christmas tree can be recognized by its trunk. There should be needles right on it, and there should not be a wide dark-colored border on the cut.
• The branches of a fresh tree should have elasticity, and the needles should be bright - green color. If the branch easily returns to its original position after bending (does not break or drop needles), this is evidence that the tree was cut down quite recently.
• Another indicator of the freshness of a Christmas tree is the fragrant resinous substance found in the needles. If you rub them with your fingers, you will immediately smell strongly of pine, and traces of resin will remain on your hands - this means that the tree is fresh.
• If the needles actively fall off when the spruce trunk hits the ground, there is no need to buy such a tree. It's unlikely to last long.
• To maximize the freshness of the New Year tree, when transporting and storing the tree, make sure that its upper part and tips of the branches are not damaged.

Rules for storing Christmas trees

To prevent the Christmas tree from experiencing temperature fluctuations and falling off after a couple of days, it must undergo acclimatization. To do this, the tree is left in the coolest place in the apartment for one or two days. This could be a glazed balcony or veranda that is not heated.

• Before installation, the spruce tree must be cut down and the tree placed in a container with settled water. The forest beauty should remain in the water for about 2 days. In this case, the evaporated water should be replaced with fresh water.
• The lowest branches are cut in such a way as to clear the trunk by 15 - 20 cm. Subsequently, they can be used to make Christmas wreaths. Or use for home decor.
• You need to install the Christmas tree in a container with wet sand or water. If this is not possible, you can wrap the cut area, with the part of the trunk cleared of branches, in an hygroscopic cloth, which will need to be constantly moistened.
• The tree should not be placed near radiators or other heat sources. In addition, a few hours before turning on the garland, the plant is moistened with a sprayer. You also need to increase the humidity of the room where it is located. Christmas tree, using the same spray bottle. Avoid spraying water on furniture and walls.

Old garlands equipped with electric bulbs emit heat, which causes the tree to dry out prematurely. Therefore it is better to buy Christmas decorations consisting of LEDs. They are much more economical and produce virtually no heat.

Where to put the Christmas tree

When all issues with the stand have been resolved, it arises new problem: where to install the Christmas tree.

1. In many families, the place to install the forest beauty remains the same from year to year. But it is advisable to look with fresh eyes to see if it is in the right place.
2. If a Christmas tree is constantly placed right next to a hot radiator, then you shouldn’t be surprised why it crumbled so quickly. It must be installed as far as possible from all heat sources.
3. Also next to the New Year's tree, which, among other things, is decorated with flammable streamers, tinsel and plastic toys, there should be no open fire (fireplaces, stoves, heaters with a glowing coil). This will protect the tree from drying out quickly, and at the same time from catching fire.
4. Pets love to play with Christmas tree decorations and often end up with the tree upside down. Therefore, it must be installed in a place where they cannot reach it. And if this is not possible, at least record it well.

How to keep a Christmas tree in the sand

• The tree is placed in a container with sand, and then water is poured into the sand. Usually add 1 liter of water per bucket of sand.
• The trunk must be immersed in sand at least 20 cm.
• To make the storage of the New Year tree last longer, and the needles to remain green and elastic, add glycerin to the water with which the sand is moistened (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water).
• You need to moisten the sand with water and glycerin every 2 days.

Storing a Christmas tree in water

Alternatively, you can store the Christmas tree in a container of water. Or wrap the lower part of the trunk with a cloth that absorbs and retains moisture well, and then regularly water it with a nutrient solution.

The coniferous tree is placed in a container filled with water (bucket, tank) with the addition of 1 tsp. citric acid, 1 tbsp. l. gelatin and 30 - 40g. crushed chalk.

You can make a nutritional mixture of 1 aspirin tablet, 1 gr. salt and 1 tbsp. l. Sahara. Such an environment will stop the development of pathogenic flora and provide nutrition to the tree.

There is a way to store a Christmas tree in a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate (it should have a dark red color). There is also a special additive for fertilizing coniferous trees, which can be purchased in online stores that sell everything for landscaping.

Some people, in order to increase the shelf life of the Christmas tree, add a piece of refined sugar and copper wire to water with aspirin.

The evaporated part of the nutrient solution must be constantly replenished and care should be taken to ensure that the lower part of the trunk is at least 20 cm deep in it.

The nutrient mixture can be used to moisten the cloth in which the lower part of the trunk is wrapped, or sand.

How long will a live Christmas tree stay in the apartment?

A coniferous tree at room temperature will dry out within 2 weeks, if you do not increase the shelf life of a living Christmas tree using the methods described above.

Of course, the cut tree will still dry out, but proper care and constant hydration will extend the “life” of the forest beauty for a whole month.

To maintain the freshness of the pine, it will need to be created in the same conditions as the Christmas tree. It is perfectly stored in damp sand with the addition of various nutrients and antiseptics, and also spreads the pine aroma throughout the room.

Note! The pine trunk will become thinner over time as a result of drying out, and the tree, if placed in a regular stand, may fall. Therefore, the pine needs to be secured very well so as not to collect needles throughout the room.

Conclusion

In order for a coniferous tree to retain its freshness until Epiphany and even longer, it does not need to be placed on a cross, as was done in the last century - it is enough to create the necessary conditions. Read how to store a New Year tree, and the forest beauty will extend the festive mood for a whole month.

Anyone who would like to buy a real live Christmas tree for the New Year has thought about how long a New Year tree will last at home, and how many days before the holiday should it be purchased?

The answer is that the lifespan of Christmas trees, fir and pine trees is different, but none of them will last in your warm home for more than two weeks.

Russian and Norwegian Christmas trees begin to fall off after about 5-7 days, pines last several days longer, firs do not fall off, but gradually dry out and change the color of the needles, they become paler. For more information about what properties New Year's trees have, see our article “Types of New Year's trees.”

This applies, of course, to trees that have already been unpacked and installed in a warm room. However, it is possible to buy a spruce long before the New Year and keep it fresh for the holiday, up to a month or more. We'll tell you how to do this.

How to keep your tree fresh before installation

The first thing you need to do is decide on the date when you will need her, already beautiful and dressed up. We recommend installing Danish spruce, Fraser fir, Canadian pine 5-7 days before, and Russian Norwegian Christmas trees 3-5 days before the celebration.

All the time until this moment, it is better for the tree to remain in a cool place, at a temperature no higher than 5-10 degrees Celsius, with a minimum amount of light and, preferably, with high humidity.

The key to success is to reduce the amount of moisture evaporated from the plant. A garage or an unheated balcony is perfect for this purpose. In our experience, there was a case when the tree remained green and fresh even six months after purchase. And one of our employees installed a New Year tree on March 8th, as a unusual gift for loved ones.

By the way, live Fraser fir comes to Russia from North America, from where it is transported for 45 days in refrigerated chambers across the ocean, with a minimum amount of light and one hundred percent humidity.

This does not affect its quality in any way, since the Fraser Fir is considered the highest quality New Year tree that can be bought in our country for the New Year: it stands for a very long time, does not crumble at all, and the branches of this fir are so strong that they can withstand even very heavy toys and real candlesticks.

Installing a Christmas tree

A cut tree begins to dry out only from the moment it gets into the heat and the process of “drying” begins, evaporating moisture from the needles, so after installing the tree you need to provide it with a regular supply of water to the trunk and cool, moist air.

A place for the Christmas tree is suitable away from open fires, electric heaters, radiators and other heat sources. It is very good if the room is sometimes ventilated to lower the temperature slightly and the air is regularly humidified.

After unpacking, the tree must be shaken off dry needles. A certain number of such needles should not scare you; this is quite normal, since spruce branches rub against each other during transportation and packaging. The total mass will still remain green.

It is also worth mentioning that if there is severe frost outside, less than 15 degrees, then the needles and twigs become very fragile and are easy to damage. In this weather, we do not recommend disturbing the branches of a living spruce again immediately after you bring it home. It is better to hold it so that the wood gradually adapts to room temperature, and only then unwrap it.

Water flow to the trunk

The next thing to do is to ensure a regular supply of water to the trunk. In order for the tree to better absorb water, the trunk is cut down 2-3 cm from the frame or cut with a knife to form a fresh cut and a larger area for moisture absorption.

When delivering a New Year tree from our online store, this is done without fail, and at our Christmas tree markets - at the request of the buyer. If you do this yourself, then try not to cut the trunk at an angle, such a tree will be difficult to install, and also do not accidentally cut the bark above the water level - this will greatly reduce the amount of moisture absorbed.

You can use special Christmas tree stands with water tanks. In them, the tree is securely and quickly fixed in the desired position, and it is easy to add water as it evaporates. We also recommend using hydrogel - a special product to retain moisture.

Caring for the Christmas tree after installation

All Christmas trees crumble differently. The Russian spruce, as well as the Norway spruce, will begin to lose needles within a few days; Russian and Canadian pine last a little longer, their needles may dry out, but if they are not disturbed, they will not crumble much, especially Canadian pine. And, for example, Danish spruce (Nordman fir) and Fraser fir do not lose their needles at all, they dry right on the branches, only changing color slightly. You can take them outside after the holidays, losing perhaps 10 percent of the needles.

New Year's spruce in a pot

There is an option to do without shedding needles at all - this is to buy a spruce in a pot. The price of this tree will be higher than that of a cut tree, but it will not cause you any trouble with cleaning. This is a beautiful, well-wintered, world-famous ornamental plant that can be planted in the spring in the yard or on a summer cottage. Read also "All about spruce trees in containers"

The higher the air temperature in the room, the sooner your cut spruce will begin to crumble. At a temperature of 10 degrees above zero, the New Year's tree will stand for a long time, up to a month. But in winter it is quite hot in our apartments, and for every 5 degrees increase in temperature, the life expectancy of spruce is reduced by 1 day. That is, if your home is 28-30 degrees, then with all the tricks the tree will only last a few days. We recommend regularly ventilating the room in which your Christmas tree stands to lower the air temperature by at least a few degrees. You should also not forget that electric heaters greatly dry out the air, so it is better not to use them where a live Christmas tree is installed.

For convenience, you can buy a special case for recycling Christmas trees. You can put a tree on it so as not to scratch the floor in the apartment, it will be suitable as a decorative element covering the stand, you can hide especially valuable gifts in it, and after the holidays you can wrap the tree and take it outside without scattering dry needles.

A live Christmas tree is a real joy for the whole family. And after the holidays, you can throw it away without any regret. Wood is one of the most environmentally friendly materials; when recycled, it does not harm the environment, like plastic bags or artificial Christmas trees. Read also: “Which is better - a live Christmas tree or an artificial one”

If you don’t want to think about what to do with the Christmas tree after the New Year, or the question “Who is going to throw away the Christmas tree?” is a popular question in your family. then you can order a special service from us - removal and disposal of the Christmas tree, our employees will save you from this hassle, and you will continue to relax peacefully.