Caring for a Live Christmas Tree: Tips, Safety, and Timing

A live Christmas tree can be the centerpiece of holiday decor, bringing the fresh scent of evergreen and a sense of nostalgia to your home. However, a live tree requires proper care and attention to keep it vibrant and safe throughout the season. This guide will cover when to buy your tree, how to care for it, and how to avoid common safety hazards.

When to Buy Your Christmas Tree

The timing of your purchase is crucial to ensuring your tree stays fresh throughout the holiday season. Most live trees will last about 4-6 weeks with proper care. Here’s a timeline to consider:

• Before Thanksgiving: If you buy early, look for a potted or pre-cut tree and ensure you have the means to keep it hydrated immediately.
• First Week of December: This is the optimal time for purchasing a fresh-cut tree. You’ll enjoy it at its peak condition throughout December.
• Closer to Christmas: Waiting longer might limit your selection, but you can still find a good tree if you know what to look for in freshness.

Caring for Your Live Tree

Proper care ensures your tree stays lush and beautiful while reducing the risk of it becoming a fire hazard. Follow these steps:

1. Choose a Fresh Tree:

   • Test for freshness by gently pulling on the needles. Fresh needles should be pliable and not fall off easily.
   • Check the tree trunk for sticky resin, indicating recent harvesting.

2. Make a Fresh Cut:

   • Before placing the tree in its stand, cut 1-2 inches off the trunk's base to reopen its pores and allow for better water absorption.

3. Hydrate Regularly:

   • Use a tree stand that holds plenty of water and check the level daily. A typical tree can absorb up to a gallon of water in the first 24 hours and a quart daily afterward.
   • Avoid letting the water level drop below the trunk, as this can cause the cut to seal and hinder absorption.

4. Placement Matters:

   • Keep the tree away from heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators, and direct sunlight. Heat can dry out the tree and shorten its lifespan.
   • Ensure it’s placed on a stable stand to prevent tipping.

5. Consider Humidity:

   • Dry indoor air can sap moisture from the tree. Running a humidifier can help keep the environment less arid.

Safety Concerns with Live Trees

Live Christmas trees, while beautiful, can pose safety risks if not managed properly. Here’s how to minimize hazards:

1. Fire Prevention:

   • Dried-out trees are highly flammable. Regularly water your tree and remove it promptly after it begins to shed needles excessively.
   • Use only UL-listed lights and avoid overloading electrical outlets.
   • Turn off lights when you’re asleep or not at home.

2. Secure Your Tree:

   • Ensure your tree stand is sturdy and appropriate for the tree's size.
   • If you have pets or young children, secure the tree to the wall with fishing line to prevent accidental tipping.

3. Avoid Overloading Branches:

   • Heavy ornaments can cause branches to break. Distribute decorations evenly and consider using lightweight resin or glass ornaments for delicate branches.

Recycling Your Tree

Once the holiday season is over, consider recycling your tree:

• Check with local recycling programs for tree pickup or drop-off.
• Turn the tree into mulch or compost for your garden.
• Use the branches as insulation for flower beds in winter.

By choosing a fresh tree, providing the proper care, and following safety guidelines, you can enjoy a stunning and fragrant live Christmas tree throughout the season. Happy holidays! 🌟

We’ve teamed up!

We are excited to announce the partnership of two fun, unique and game-changing brands. The Savannah Bananas have quite literally changed the game and put fans first with their fun, interactive and wacky approach to baseball. We at Tree Buddees believe in what the Bananas are doing and wanted to get in on the action. Fun and wacky is what both brands do best.

We are only getting started with this partnership. We’ll have more news and fun ornaments to come soon!

The Savannah Bananas are a circus-like baseball team who have sold out every game since 2016, totaling over 180 sell-outs. The team has been featured on ESPN, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Sports Illustrated and are made popular by their on-field hijinks and videos.

The Bananas play their own version of baseball called Banana Ball which features new rules to make the game more fast-paced and entertaining.

The team is based in Savannah, Georgia and play their home games at Grayson Stadium, but they take the show on the road on their Banana Ball World Tour where they play their rivals the Party Animals and other professional teams in Challenger Series.

“We are not your typical baseball team. We are different. We take chances. We toe the line. We test the rules. We challenge the way things are supposed to be.

We think there’s a better way to do almost everything. So, we will try it all. Some people may think we’re crazy. But we are okay with that. No matter what, we just want to have fun. We are driven by this goal to make baseball fun. And ultimately give fans the best possible experience at our ballpark. We call this Fans First.”

That familiar festive feeling is in the air, which means the holidays are right around the corner! Families worldwide will be waking on Christmas Day to presents and half-eaten cookies in just a few short weeks. And since Christmastime is nearing closer, it’s about time we start making fresh baked goods, watching snow fall with cocoa in hand, dancing to classic holiday tunes, and putting up merry decorations.

Of course, when we think of Christmas, we think of a big, beautiful, full Christmas tree laden with tinsel and ornaments. The tree is the centerpiece of Christmas home décor. Yet it would feel incomplete without the most important addition: a tree-topper.

The Origins of Tree-Toppers

A tree-topper is that large ornament placed on the very top of a Christmas tree. Though no one knows precisely where they originated, their first recorded use was in Germany in the early 1600s, when baby Jesus tree-toppers capped household trees littered with gold-covered apples and gingerbread.

As time passed, angel toppers became popular in England during the 17th century, when Europeans began creating bigger glass angel ornaments. Early on, star toppers gained popularity as well. They represent the Star of Bethlehem, and people continue to purchase stars of all shapes and sizes to crown their trees today. Hundreds of years after they first crowned Christmas trees, stars are now the most popular tree-topper. 

Today’s Tree-Toppers

Hundreds of years later, tree-toppers are still used in most Christmas-celebrating households. However, choices for these large decorative ornaments have now expanded far beyond stars and angels!

Though many traditional ornate toppers still exist, many people opt for more unique toppers today. From pop culture-inspired figurines to quirky statuettes, these toppers can range from unique to straight-up funny! Toppers have certainly come a long way. Nowadays, people who enjoy a non-traditional Christmas tree can still crown it with something personal to them.

Whether you prefer a star or King Kong at the top of your tree, have a merry Christmas! And if you’re looking for a unique final touch to your decorated space, take a look at our funny toppers.

Decorating a tree is a tradition most families practice when celebrating Christmas, but every family does this tradition a little differently. It's what makes each family's celebration special. Are you looking to add to your family traditions this holiday season? Here are three fun Christmas tree decorating traditions you may want to try out!

Hiding the pickle 

Although each family may do it differently, Country Living describes it as one family member secretly hanging an ornament shaped like a pickle on the tree the night before Christmas. The first family member to find the pickle on Christmas morning wins a special gift, treat, or surprise! This tradition that some speculate originated from Germany is a fun one for the family to enjoy.

Everyone gets a new ornament each year. 

This is one of those traditions that can be done in many ways. Country Living suggests these ornaments could represent a milestone in each family member's life. For example, if someone in your family recently got into a new sport over the past year, you can get something that represents that! Our selection contains a wide variety of sports-themed ornaments, from basketball to fishing to golf! Another example could be a new pet! Tree Buddees offers one of the best ornaments for new cat owners poking fun at a cat's tendency to knock down the Christmas tree.

Ugly ornament exchange 

Similar to a gag gift, the Ugly ornament exchange is something for the family's adults to get a laugh out of. Some of our most popular ornaments for gag gift exchanges include our naked Santa ornament and our mooning Santa ornament! The goal of this tradition is that everyone involved gets a good laugh out of it. The Weekend Housewife suggests that ornaments only be purchased during the current Christmas season to avoid stockpiling ugly Christmas ornaments, taking the fun out of this tradition. 

Whether it's hiding a pickle ornament, personalized decorations, or ugly ornaments, traditions are what make the holiday season that much more special. Which of these traditions do you think you and your family will try out this year?