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Christmas Tree Preservation Myths Debunked

Every year, tons of people set out to find the perfect Christmas tree. There are a lot of myths on how to keep your Christmas tree alive, but Westwood Gardens a...

Every year, tons of people set out to find the perfect Christmas tree.

There are a lot of myths on how to keep your Christmas tree alive, but Westwood Gardens associate manager Jenifer Hart tells 5NEWS what works and what doesn`t.

It’s a well-known fact that heaters dry out a Christmas tree's branches; but, can a humidifier save the tree?

“The more moisture that it has, the better off it is,” Hart said. “With cut greenery, I recommend misting it every day. You can also do that to a cut tree to help preserve it longer, so a humidifier would work great,” Hart said.

Another common myth involves hairspray; some use it to keep needles from falling off the Christmas tree.

“If you spray the tree, you would seriously just be holding the needles on like hairspray does your hair. It doesn`t preserve it,” said Hart.

Another common Christmas tree misconception is that using fertilizer will preserve the tree’s life-span.

“The trees are not living; they are cut. So, fertilizer really doesn`t add a whole lot,” Hart said.  

Some add a crushed pain killer, such as Advil, to the water to preserve their tree.

“It does help with cut flower arrangements, and I always treat anything like cut greens and Christmas trees as a cut flower because that`s basically what it is. And it does help to preserve it,” said Hart.

Another myth is that vodka in the water can extend a tree's life.

“No, I would not recommend it. If you have any indoor pets, a lot of times they will drink from the water and that could cause a few holiday issues,” Hart said.

If cared for properly, Hart said Christmas trees are meant to last from Thanksgiving to New Year`s Day.

Hart said you can preserve your tree by drilling a hole in the bottom center of the trunk because it will help water travel up the tree faster.

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