INDIANAPOLIS — The first weekend in December is typically a good time for cutting or buying a fresh Christmas tree.
They should last through the holidays without drying out and becoming a home hazard provided you care for the tree and keep it watered.
Pat from Sullivan Hardware and Garden showed us on 13Sunrise Sunday some of the varieties of evergreen trees that can provide a fresh aroma to your house at Christmas and hold lights, ornaments and other decorations.
Preparing and maintaining the tree's trunk is vital to keeping in moist for the rest of the month. Timing is important, because a fresh tree will make sap along its cut line, and that will hinder the tree's ability to draw moisture if you wait too long to set the three in its stand and water it.
If you buy a cut tree from a lot, Pat recommends cutting a few more inches off the base to expose a fresh section that will suck up water at a higher rate.
Leaving on a tree's back is also important, because bark also wicks moisture from the stand into the tree.
Watch Pat's full segment in the video player.