Anyone else's Christmas tree all dried up?

[flex]

::Sigh::  Mine is a crispy critter.  

Living up  in Alaska, noble fir trees are shipped up here, and I tried to get my tree into water as quickly as possible after I picked it up.  It lasted two weeks.  Luckily Christmas Eve will be celebrated at DS1's house this year. lol

The Boy Scouts pick up trees for recycling as a fundraiser so they'll come by on the 26th and I'll leave a donation for their troubles.  

[lilac05]

We switched to artificial because we're gone over Christmas anyway. I put a plug-in near the tree so I can pretend that it's real (though it's the cheapest, most pathetic artificial tree I've ever seen!)

Did you do a fresh cut when you got your tree? If not, try to do that next year. It should help prolong the life of your tree.

[karinothing]

THis is why I only buy trees 2 weeks before Christmas. I am not sure why people expect them to lost for longer than that.

[Narwhal]

Ours is 100% dried up. I'm deciding if I want to try to find a new really cheap one, just have a fire risk for one more week or no tree at all. :/

[flex]

I bought it on the 3rd, and I thought..."maybe I'm buying this a week too soon...?", but I had it budgeted, so I purchased it. Oh well.

[georgeharrison]

We cut our Douglas Fir tree down on November 20th and it's starting to dry out. But we have our heater blowing on it from only about four feet away, so I figured that was why. I intend to take it down next week, though. I love Christmas decor, but it starts to feel cluttery after a while.

[flex]

At least it hasn't turned yellow or orange, and it still smells wonderful. lol

[jeaniebueller]

Dec 19, 2016 13:01:42 GMT -5 karinothing said:

THis is why I only buy trees 2 weeks before Christmas. I am not sure why people expect them to lost for longer than that.

Granted, we get ours right from a christmas tree farm, but our trees never dry up and usually look as good on christmas as the day we bought them. 

[bex1973]

You guys this is so very dangerous! If it is truly dried out please take it out of your house.

Sorry to be a downer But speaking from a Fire Department family member I can't help but encourage removal.

[emoflamingo]

You should trim the bottom again when you get it to your house. My dad worked at a tree farm when I was a kid and when I got our first live tree, he said to do that and it makes them last longer because the sap starts to cover the base of the tree if it's not in water soon enough (like 3 hours). We have had some long drought years so we usually end up with a tree that was grown in the Carolinas and that's how we make ours last.

[hisno1girl]

Dec 19, 2016 13:04:35 GMT -5 aeg511 said:

It's a frasier fir which I read can last like 5 weeks.

I only get Fraser firs and ours last at least a month. Last year I didn't take it down until the middle of January.

We usually get our tree in mid December.

[chchchia]

Mine is! I have never had this problem before. I turned the lights off for extra measure and am just lubing it now, but the branches are actually breaking. Ugh.

I try to hold out for the 12 days but I don't think I am going to last that long.  

[flex]

Dec 19, 2016 14:06:48 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

You should trim the bottom again when you get it to your house. My dad worked at a tree farm when I was a kid and when I got our first live tree, he said to do that and it makes them last longer because the sap starts to cover the base of the tree if it's not in water soon enough (like 3 hours). We have had some long drought years so we usually end up with a tree that was grown in the Carolinas and that's how we make ours last.

Unfortunately I can't trim the bottom because I don't have the strength to wrestle it down nor do I have the equipment.  I had the greenhouse guy put it into my tree stand before I left the shop because I knew I'd have a really really hard time doing it myself.  He told me to add water withing 30 minutes.  It took longer for me to get it into the house and to straighten it even with it already being in the stand.

[chchchia]

Dec 19, 2016 14:06:48 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

You should trim the bottom again when you get it to your house. My dad worked at a tree farm when I was a kid and when I got our first live tree, he said to do that and it makes them last longer because the sap starts to cover the base of the tree if it's not in water soon enough (like 3 hours). We have had some long drought years so we usually end up with a tree that was grown in the Carolinas and that's how we make ours last.

So if you do this after you have it up, will it "come back?"..sorry if this sounds stupid.

[emoflamingo]

Dec 19, 2016 14:13:01 GMT -5 flex said:

Dec 19, 2016 14:06:48 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

You should trim the bottom again when you get it to your house. My dad worked at a tree farm when I was a kid and when I got our first live tree, he said to do that and it makes them last longer because the sap starts to cover the base of the tree if it's not in water soon enough (like 3 hours). We have had some long drought years so we usually end up with a tree that was grown in the Carolinas and that's how we make ours last.

Unfortunately I can't trim the bottom because I don't have the strength to wrestle it down nor do I have the equipment.  I had the greenhouse guy put it into my tree stand before I left the shop because I knew I'd have a really really hard time doing it myself.  He told me to add water withing 30 minutes.  It took longer for me to get it into the house and to straighten it even with it already being in the stand.

I would ask them to help you or to just do it for you. I'm surprised they don't if they are selling them out of a greenhouse.

[emoflamingo]

Dec 19, 2016 14:14:57 GMT -5 chchchia said:

Dec 19, 2016 14:06:48 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

You should trim the bottom again when you get it to your house. My dad worked at a tree farm when I was a kid and when I got our first live tree, he said to do that and it makes them last longer because the sap starts to cover the base of the tree if it's not in water soon enough (like 3 hours). We have had some long drought years so we usually end up with a tree that was grown in the Carolinas and that's how we make ours last.

So if you do this after you have it up, will it "come back?"..sorry if this sounds stupid.

If you recut it and put it in water within a couple of hours, it won't have the chance to solidify again.

[flex]

Dec 19, 2016 14:15:55 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

Dec 19, 2016 14:13:01 GMT -5 flex said:

Unfortunately I can't trim the bottom because I don't have the strength to wrestle it down nor do I have the equipment.  I had the greenhouse guy put it into my tree stand before I left the shop because I knew I'd have a really really hard time doing it myself.  He told me to add water withing 30 minutes.  It took longer for me to get it into the house and to straighten it even with it already being in the stand.

I would ask them to help you or to just do it for you. I'm surprised they don't if they are selling them out of a greenhouse.

The tree places here do not provide services to deliver and set up trees at your home.

[emoflamingo]

Dec 19, 2016 14:17:27 GMT -5 flex said:

Dec 19, 2016 14:15:55 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

I would ask them to help you or to just do it for you. I'm surprised they don't if they are selling them out of a greenhouse.

The tree places here do not provide services to deliver and set up trees at your home.

That sucks! I would probably just get a fake tree then (which is what I say every year when we try to pick out a real tree lol). I was looking at one from Balsam Hill a few years ago because they don't look as artificial as others I've seen.

[flex]

Dec 19, 2016 14:19:50 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

Dec 19, 2016 14:17:27 GMT -5 flex said:

The tree places here do not provide services to deliver and set up trees at your home.

That sucks! I would probably just get a fake tree then (which is what I say every year when we try to pick out a real tree lol). I was looking at one from Balsam Hill a few years ago because they don't look as artificial as others I've seen.

I totes understand where you're coming from.  A fake tree would work BUT...I love real trees AND ALSO...I'm moving out of state, and dragging a fake Christmas tree along with me is not in the cards.  : )

ETA:  I've had fake trees before in the past.  They get all nasty and icky as the years go by.  And I wasn't about to try to clean them.  lol

[zelda25]

Yeah, I don't know how you can avoid this if you can't cut it yourself or at least cut the bottom off before you get it in water. But you're moving back down to Christmas Tree Land soon, right?

[emoflamingo]

Dec 19, 2016 14:25:16 GMT -5 flex said:

Dec 19, 2016 14:19:50 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

That sucks! I would probably just get a fake tree then (which is what I say every year when we try to pick out a real tree lol). I was looking at one from Balsam Hill a few years ago because they don't look as artificial as others I've seen.

I totes understand where you're coming from.  A fake tree would work BUT...I love real trees AND ALSO...I'm moving out of state, and dragging a fake Christmas tree along with me is not in the cards.  : )

ETA:  I've had fake trees before in the past.  They get all nasty and icky as the years go by.  And I wasn't about to try to clean them.  lol

Oh, well if you're moving back down south, maybe that'll solve it eventually. Just say "I'd like to buy my tree now" and then wait a week.

[flex]

Dec 19, 2016 14:29:55 GMT -5 zelda25 said:

Yeah, I don't know how you can avoid this if you can't cut it yourself or at least cut the bottom off before you get it in water. But you're moving back down to Christmas Tree Land soon, right?

OH VERY YES!  Next year I'll be surrounded by Noble Fir and holly branch goodness.  : )

[gizmo]

We buy local but always have this issue, I think because of our gas heat. Anyway, about halfway through the season my husband has to saw off the bottom of the trunk where that seal has formed and put it back in the water. It seems to help and the tree "perks up".

[sparkythelawyer]

Dec 19, 2016 13:17:41 GMT -5 flex said:

At least it hasn't turned yellow or orange, and it still smells wonderful. lol

Get a spray bottle and spray the shit out of your tree every day. It can help extend the life a bit

[flex]

Dec 19, 2016 17:49:43 GMT -5 sparkythelawyer said:

Dec 19, 2016 13:17:41 GMT -5 flex said:

At least it hasn't turned yellow or orange, and it still smells wonderful. lol

Get a spray bottle and spray the shit out of your tree every day. It can help extend the life a bit

I think it's too late for this one.  RIP pretty tree.

[Deleted]

Yep. I was watering it like crazy too. Oh well. We
Leave on 12/26 for vacation vacation so I plan to rip it down Christmas night.

[itsmyparty]

Years ago I bought a tree from a local nursery that did a fresh cut for me of the trunk, then told me to get it into a stand filled with 2/3 water, 1/3 7-UP. They said the trees liked the sugar. I've done that every year since. Have no idea if it makes that much difference, but my trees don't seem to every dry out to the point of them being a hazard...and I keep them up til January.

[flex]

I've seen 7-Up recommended on this board in years past. I'll definitely give it a try next year.