How To Keep Your Christmas Tree Looking Fresher For Longer
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How To Keep Your Christmas Tree Looking Fresher For Longer

If you’re one of those people who likes getting their Christmas tree up early, you’ll know how disheartening it can be to see it wilt and drop within a couple of weeks. To ensure yours lasts until the big day itself and beyond, we asked Will Williams – RHS medal winner and creative director of Soto Gardens – what to do.
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What Should You Look For In A Good Christmas Tree?

Shape is important as it’s the centrepiece of most people’s homes over the festive period. The Nordmann Fir is a traditional pyramid shape, and it’s perfect for displaying your Christmas decorations. The most popular Christmas tree in the UK, it’s also known for its excellent needle-holding ability, meaning it tends to keep looking its best throughout the season. Getting your tree home can be a struggle, so look for freshly cut Christmas trees that can be hand delivered where possible. Proven quality of a Christmas tree can be hard to know – so it’s worth asking your local garden centre or tree farm where they come from or how they’re grown. For example, the Soto x Ronny Colbie Christmas trees are grown on an award-winning farm in Devon.

Is There Anything You Can Do Before You Put The Tree Up To Preserve Its Lifespan?

The most important thing is to saw 2.5cm off the bottom of the tree to help it absorb more water so it will last longer. We can do this for you – just ask when you place your order. If you don’t plan on decorating your tree the day it arrives home, store it upright in a cool place or, even better, leave the Christmas tree in the garden so it can benefit from some fresh air. Make sure you keep the tree well watered and remove the netting the day before you bring it into the house.

SOTO X RONNY COLBIE

Where Is The Ideal Spot For Your Tree?

To keep your Christmas tree looking fresh for as long as possible, position it away from any heat sources. While it may look lovely to have your tree next to a roaring fireplace, heat dries out a tree –– in fact, you might even consider keeping the overall temperature of the room in question lower just to make sure it looks its best.

Watering – How Much Is Too Much Or Too Little?

You should keep the water in the stand topped up throughout the festive season. You may have heard of people adding sugar, aspirin and even bleach to the water but, unlike fresh flowers, a tree doesn’t need special treatment. I’d just recommend topping it up every few days.

Finally, If Your Tree Gives Up The Ghost, What’s The Best Way To Get Rid Of It?

Don’t wait until it’s totally dried out – otherwise, when you come to move it, the needles will fall everywhere. Real Christmas trees can be recycled, so check your local council’s website to find out when tree collection day is. When Christmas trees are recycled, they can be used for garden mulch or turned into woodchip for paths or ground covering, so it really is the most sustainable option.

Visit Soto x Ronny Colbie to order a tree – and take 20% OFF with the code LUXE20.

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