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need a fresh Christmas tree opinion, please!
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Posted by okhouse (My Page) on Sat, Nov 21, 09 at 23:26
| We are planning to buy our tree at Costco about Dec. 10. They are going to have 7-8' Nobel firs, fresh, for around $43. We are going to decorate the tree and the house Dec. 11 and 12, and then leave home for 5 days to visit our son up north.
I am wondering if the tree will be ruined if it doesn't get water for those 5 days. What do you think? We don't have anyone we can ask to come in and water it for us.
Thank you in advance,
Margaret |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: need a fresh Christmas tree opinion, please!
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| Margaret, can you make sure the heat is turned down and water it every day before you leave so it has a chance to absorb all it can. If you can buy a large stand that holds alot of water, do that. It will definitely dry out while your away. Is there any way you can buy it and leave it outside until you get back home. I live in MT and it's cold enough here that I wouldn't put it up until I returned home if it was me. Our weather is in the 30s and there is alot of trees that have been cut for a few weeks and will be fine. http://forestry.about.com/od/christmastrees1/ht/fresh_cut_xmas.htm I did a quick search and this article states what I've always been told. Good Luck with your tree and let us know how it turns out. If you have time, we'd love to see a picture. Punk |
RE: need a fresh Christmas tree opinion, please!
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| I agree that if it will be colder outdoors, it's best to leave it there until you return from your trip. Be certain to re-cut the stem when you do put the tree up. The tree place near here always gives their trees a fresh cut when you buy one, and then they also cut a shallow "X" into the base as well. Then they tell you to take it home and set it into a bucket of hot (warm?) water for about an hour to get the tree to take up water better. THEN you can set it up indoors, and be sure not to let it run out of water once it's indoors. |
RE: need a fresh Christmas tree opinion, please!
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| Thank you both for your responses... it helps to hear from others! Here is my new plan, after reading what you two wrote, and also reading the link from phonegirl: We will leave the tree in plenty of water outside while we are gone. Before we leave town, instead of decorating the tree Dec. 11 and 12, I will unpack all the lights and ornaments and put them on trays or box lids near where the tree will be. Having everything totally ready to hang on the tree will save a lot of time, and time is going to be important here. I will have the stand ready and warn my husband what he is going to do first thing upon our return the evening of the 18th. The reason for the rush-up upon our return is that our annual Christmas party is the night after we get back in town!!! I also realize that I will need to make and freeze much of the food for the party before we leave town. Organization will be the key to pulling this off. Thank you. |
RE: need a fresh Christmas tree opinion, please!
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| Yikes, that is going to cut things close. Do-able, but close. Any chance you have a friend or neighbor that might be able to water the tree a couple times while you are gone? |
RE: need a fresh Christmas tree opinion, please!
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| Unfortunately, no. We are new here, and there's no one that we know well enough yet to give a house key to. We will ask a neighbor to refresh the water the tree will be standing in on the patio while we are gone. I have a feeling this Christmas, with the way we scheduled things, will be an organizer's challenge! Hope I am up to it. |
RE: need a fresh Christmas tree opinion, please!
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| I haven't had a real tree in a few years but if you put it up a few days before you leave it I think it should be OK. They drink up the most water in a first few days. Many of the new stands have large reservoirs now. |
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