Keep Your Tree Healthy Past Christmas In The Hudson Valley

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Do you like prolonging the holiday spirit in your house? You'll want your Christmas tree to stay as fresh as possible as long as possible.

"With proper care, a Christmas tree can stay fresh for a month or even longer," according to Live Science.

Did you know that once it's cut, more than half your Christmas tree's weight is water? Keeping the base of the tree submerged in water is the most important thing to do to keep it from drying out too fast. And plain old fresh water is all you need.

Here are some other tips from the National Christmas Tree Association:

• Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree. With many stands, there can still be water in the stand even though the base of the tree is no longer submerged in water.
• Keep trees away from major sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.
• Always turn off the tree lights when leaving the house or when going to bed.

And no matter how essential you consider your holiday decor, keep safety as your first priority. Monitor the tree for freshness. If the tree is very dry, remove it from the house.

PHOTO/ Lanning Taliaferro