Do Christmas Trees Need Water?

It’s estimated around 7 million real Christmas trees are sold in the UK every year. However, the maintenance doesn’t stop once they’ve been put up in living rooms and adorned with decorations, as – just like your houseplants – Christmas trees need to be watered to keep them looking their best.

Regardless of whether you’ve picked a smaller tabletop tree or decided on a six or seven foot showstopper, the rules are pretty similar.

Here’s everything you need to know about keeping your real Christmas tree watered over the festive period.

Do Christmas trees need water?

The simple answer is, yes, Christmas trees will need water to keep them looking their best and to ensure that they last until Christmas Day and beyond.

According to Forestry England“water is key to keeping your tree alive throughout Christmas and New Year.” Essentially, “your Christmas tree needs to be kept in water at all times, so finding a base with a good well that you can easily access is important.” It also makes it a lot easier to ensure that it’s getting enough water each day, without having to worry about it drying out indoors.

So, if you don’t already have a tree stand, you’ll want to opt for a sturdy option with a sizeable water reservoir.

“A real Christmas tree can absorb up to 2 litres of water every day, so be sure to top it up with fresh water frequently,” say the experts at Christmas Tree Direct. And “there is no need to use distilled water for your tree – plain tap water is just fine.”

The amount of water your Christmas tree needs might surprise you, so keep an eye on your tree stand each day to ensure that it is never empty.

If you’ve just picked out your real Christmas tree, or it’s been delivered at your front door ready to be set up and decorated, it might be thirstier than usual, particularly “if the tree has dried out from wind or a heated car on the way home,” says the team at Jackson’s Nurseries. So, it’s vital to give it a drink as soon as you display it.

What happens if you forget to water your Christmas tree?

If you forget to water it for a couple of days, this won’t cause too much of an issue, other than it being a bit thirstier than usual. But if you don’t water your Christmas tree at all when it’s in your home, it could cause two problems in particular.

First and foremost, a Christmas tree that has dried out will start to lose its needles and this is when it becomes a fire hazard.

Another issue it can cause is “if the water level falls below the bottom of the base of your tree, the sap at the base will harden within about five hours, creating a seal and preventing further water absorption even if you were to top up the water supply again,” the experts at Jackson’s Nurseries, warn.

So, it’s imperative that you keep on top of watering if you have or plan on having a real Christmas tree. Even if you are watering it everyday, it’s also incredibly important that you keep it away from any extreme temperatures. This means setting it up away from radiators, heaters and fireplaces.

Alternatively, if you don’t have the time or want to be watering it every day, there are plenty of great faux and eco-friendly Christmas trees to choose from, instead.