Blog: Tree Talk

Todd B.

That one's an urban myth, or at least a misunderstanding. A tree loses moisture through a process called transpiration. This means water molecules evaporate into the air through the foliage (needles). Snipping off the leader (top center stem) won't speed up moisture loss.

From: Sue
Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2006 11:07 PM
To: info@realchristmastrees.org
Subject: Blog Talk Idea

Hello,

I purchased a 11 ft. real Christmas tree. The stump was so big this year we had to actually cut and carve out the tree stump in order for it to fit in our tree stand. The guy at the nursery that was selling the trees told us to do that. After the tree was up I filled the stand with warm water and added some of the tree preservative that I purchased at the nursery. I figured the tree would drink up the water fast since the carved bottom was all open and freshly cut. The next day I checked the water and the tree hardly drank any water. It has been a week and I still do not need to add water. I have not decorated the tree yet because I use a lot of lights (which dries out the tree). I figured I'd wait until two weeks before. Anyway, I am very concerned about the tree not drinking much water. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Sue

Well, you've got several things here to go over.

First, the good news. Your fear of lights drying out the tree are unfounded. Unless they are very old lights, modern mini lights emit very little heat, certainly not enough to speed up moisture loss from the tree.

Now, the bad news. Carving, trimming, cutting the stump to get it to fit into a stand is a bad idea. I wish the person who told you that wouldn't have. That can actually inhibit the tree's ability to move water up the stem.

Here's a brief explanation of the plant physiology. A tree moves water molecules up the stem through tissue in the cambium layer, just below the bark. That's why that part of the tree's trunk is softer and wetter than the denser wood in the middle. It works much like a siphon, as water molecules evaporate out of the foliage, more is drawn up from the trunk. When this part of the trunk is cut and/or removed, it inhibits the ability to draw water. In addition, as that part of the trunk is exposed to air, the air can stop the siphon action. Trimming off outer parts of the trunk exposes the cambium layer to air quicker than a flat, horizontal cut at the bottom.

My recommendation would be to make a clean, fresh cut from the bottom, above any of the trimmed off parts. I would also recommend investing in a new tree stand made for bigger trees. I put some links and descriptions of some stands made for large trees on this blog entry: http://www.christmastree.org/blog061118.cfm

From: Angela
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2006 8:03 PM
To: info@realchristmastrees.org
Subject: FAQ Addition

I watered my new tree last night and today my house smells. Is it the stagnant water?? What can I do to make the smell go away? It is a musty smell.

Thanks

Well, not knowing more details, it could be any number of things. Where was the stand stored last year? Was it cleaned out before? Was the skirt stored in a damp area (like a basement)? Sometimes things stored in basements can have that musty smell. I know my basement is like that because it's a renovated 150 year old building with original limestone foundation.

However, ruling those types of things out, if the tree was wet before bringing inside...from snow, rain...particularly if it's a dense tree with lots of branches and needles, it may still be damp. I would just give it time to dry out once opened up. Crush a few needles to release the evergreen aroma.

We look forward to your input – if you have a question or comment to share, send it to info@realchristmastrees.org

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