While the holiday season is fun, it does come with a ton of responsibilities. Putting up the Christmas lights, baking mountains of cookies, and by far the most important chore of all, watering the Christmas tree. Artificial trees are fine, but there's nothing like the fresh pine smell of a fresh cut and real Christmas tree. Sure, you can get it delivered from Home Depot and order your tree stand online (making it super easy!) but once everything is delivered the life of that tree is solely in your hands.
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Recently, Rob Lowe, the actor known for his roles in The Outsiders, St. Elmo's Fire, and West Wing, shared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show how he keeps his Christmas tree alive and thriving. He uses none other than 7-Up soda. But does it really work?
Can You Water the Christmas Tree with 7-Up Soda?
Rob Lowe swears by it. "It's half 7UP, half water. I am obsessed with this. This is all I care about during the holidays," Rob said, sharing his holiday tree care tip with Ellen. But before we all go to the store and grab a 2-liter bottle of 7-Up, does adding the citrus soda to the live Christmas tree really help?
One episode of MythBusters says otherwise. The show tested two real trees (one with 7-Up and another with water) and the results of both were absolutely the same. So save your 7-Up for your favorite punch recipe and refill the bottom of the trunk with plain ol' water.
The Best Way to Water the Christmas Tree
According to the Farmer's Almanac, the only thing your cut Christmas tree needs is water, and lots of it. In fact, a fresh cut tree can consume a gallon of water in a span of 24-hours.
Once you have your fresh tree in your living room, saw a couple of inches off the base of the trunk. This will help the live tree absorb the water better, making it less likely to drop pine needles on your freshly vacuumed floor. Fill the Christmas tree stand with water and make sure the tree water never falls below the base of the tree. Once the water runs out, the tree will start to clog its pores with sap, making it harder for the tree to receive all the water it needs to ensure proper care.
How To Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh
To keep your Christmas tree fresh some families swear by tree preservatives and additives in addition to fresh water. Miracle-Gro offers Christmas Tree Food which reduces needle drop compared to clean water. To keep your tree as green as possible make sure the water level is covering at least two inches of the tree trunk. Add enough water every day to keep that level. To each quart of water add a capful of the Miracle-Gro. The water uptake is usually high right when you take the tree home from the tree farm.
