ST. CHARLES, Ill. — Need some ideas to make your Christmas tree merry and bright?
The University of Illinois Extension is here to help.
The cool, wet fall has made it an ideal time to cut your own, said Extension Educator Richard Hentschel.
“You should be able to cut off an inch or two from the base, and then immediately stick that into some warm, room temperature-type water,” he said.
“That brings it into the house as chock full of water as it can be.”
If you prefer to buy one already cut, there are tips and tricks to that, too, like giving a prospective tree a shake.
“The shaking test is one that, if the tree is relatively already too dry, even new needles are going to come off,” said Hentschel.
“The shake test also helps get rid of the naturally-occuring needles that are in the tree, so you get a better representation of what that tree’s going to look like in the home.”
Hentschel added it’s important to make sure your tree gets plenty of water in the first 48 hours of it being set up in your home, or else it may wilt before Christmas.
