We believe our Christmas trees are the freshest, longest lasting trees in Jacksonville. Here are a few Christmas tree care tips.
First of all you want to start with a fresh cut Christmas tree from a sustainable source. Our trees are cut in North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee, and shipped within days to arrive at Burghardt Christmas Tradition before Thanksgiving. They are immediately off loaded and the largest drilled to allow each to stand in its own container of water. You will probably notice when you first set up your tree at home that it takes in considerably less water compared to trees you may have had in the past from other suppliers. That is because these trees have not been deprived of water for any significant amount of time.
We will give your tree a fresh cut before you leave, for better water absorption. Once you get it home, immediately place the trunk in a container of water. Christmas trees keep better outside in the moist, cool air but when you are ready to set your tree up, you can prolong its freshness by following these guidelines:
Choose a tree with a trunk that will fit into your stand. Don’t whittle the sides of the trunk down to fit into the stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient at taking up water.
If you can, drive home slowly to decrease drying from wind. Netting the tree does help with this.
Use a stand that provides one quart of water per inch of trunk diameter.
If you make another fresh cut before installing your tree, it should be about 1/2 inch thick, cut perpen-dicular to the trunk. Don’t bruise the cut surface or get it dirty, which would impede the flow of water.
Avoid locating your tree near any drying heat sources such as heat vents, fireplaces and direct sunlight.
Low heat lighting such as miniature / LED lights will reduce drying of the tree.
Check the water daily and be sure that the base of the tree is always submerged in water.
Use a tree preservative such as Prolong, to lengthen your tree’s life even more.
Keep the temperature in your home as low as is comfortable.
If you purchase a live tree, do so at least a week before you plan to bring it indoors and leave it in part shade to acclimate to lower light; move it inside for no more than a week and keep the root ball moist.
What to do with your tree after Christmas
Prop tree against a bird feeder to allow better access and protection for the birds.
Grind the tree for mulch.
Store for later burning.
Sink into ponds for fish and frogs to use for cover.
Many area waste haulers have their own recycling programs for them.
Check with your municipality for the latest information on when they do curbside pickup.
From our office in Atlantic Beach and satellites throughout Northeast Florida, Rockaway Inc proudly serves both commercial and residential landscape design, maintenance, lawn care, irrigation, and outdoor living carpentry client needs in Jacksonville, St Augustine, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, St. Johns, and Fernandina Beach.
