The 5 Things That Will Kill a Christmas Tree

Happy National Christmas Tree Day! It's on the 8th for a very good reason: The random lady who came up with it thought the 8th seemed good. (???) And if you're doing a REAL tree this year, this list is for you. Here are Five things that will KILL a Christmas tree . . .

Cats love everything about Christmas trees, the lights, the dangling ornaments and especially the tall ones they climb all the way to the tippety top! A big cat that can climb to the top of your tree can take it crashing down breaking ornaments and limbs. The damage to the tree may be enough to render it useless so find a way to keep your kitty far from it.

 Forgetting to water it.  The general rule is Christmas trees soak up one quart of water a day for every inch in diameter the trunk is.  So if the trunk is four inches across, that's a gallon of water every day. 

Putting it too close to a heat source.  Heaters and radiators can dry it out fast, and then it's a fire hazard.  The best place for a tree is near a door or window, where it might get some fresh air once in a while.

Planting it in dirt.  (???)  Kids might wonder why we put Christmas trees in water, not dirt.  The answer again is its pores.  Like flowers, you're just trying to keep it alive as long as possible.  And dirt would clog things up.

 Forgetting to cut an inch or two off the trunk before you set it up.  A fresh cut opens the tree's pores, so it can soak up more water.  If you don't do it, they'll be blocked by sap, and the tree won't last long.  It takes less than three hours for dried sap to block the pores again once its cut.