November 29, 2001

Don’t Worry About Unfrozen Christmas Trees

The warm temperatures this fall were welcomed by many but it also meant that evergreens destined for holiday use in many homes came to the area unfrozen. That has left some people wondering if their tree will dry out much faster and cause more needles to drop as a result.

"Probably not," according to Ron Smith, North Dakota State University Extension Service horticulturist. "Unless the trees are hauled in from a very long distance, say the Carolinas, it shouldn’t be a concern. It also depends on the local weather conditions where the harvest took place. If regional rainfall was up to par, then the trees should have normal turgidity. If they were going through a drought period at time of harvest, that could degrade the quality of the trees."

Consumers can easily check a tree by taking the tree and shaking it to see how many needles fall off. "You can also go ahead and bend the ends of the branches to see if they snap," Smith says. "If they do, then the tree may have been cut up to two months ago and completely dried out."

Many growers spray their trees with a tint that contains an anti-desiccant to keep the tree from excessive drying notes Smith. "So the tree will look nice and green while keeping the needles from dropping prematurely.

Some retailers have a mechanical shaker that will take off excess needles before the tree is sold. Some needle drop, especially on older growth needles, is normal. Quality retailers are looking for repeat sales so they want trees that look good in the lot and in the customer’s home Smith says. "It’s a customer beware type of situation when buying a Christmas tree. In some cases you get what you pay for."

Once you’ve found that perfect tree, bring it home and make a fresh cut across the stump, either at an angle or in a "V" shape to allow for a greater absorbing surface. "There’s a good chance the tree won’t be able to absorb water very well if you don’t make a fresh cut," Smith says.

It’s important to monitor the water use of your tree. Keeping the tree stand full allows the Christmas tree to absorb moisture and hold its needles longer. The amount of water a tree absorbs is related to room temperature and where the tree is located in relation to the heating source such as a baseboard heater.

Some people will have their decorated tree up for a week to 10 days while others go from just after Thanksgiving to the first of the year. If you have your tree up for an extended period, it may be a good idea to use a some sort of tree life extender.

"A tree may develop, over an extended period of time, a low grade fungus that inhibits the vascular tissue in the tree from absorbing water," Smith says. "To prevent that, something acidic such as aspirin, 7-up or a tree life extender may be added to the water."

Consumers have a wide variety of evergreens to choose from, but if you’re worried about needle loss you may want to consider Scotch pine. The tree is normally bushy with excellent needle retention.

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Source: Ron Smith, (701) 231-8161, ronsmith@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu

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