The Best Time to Put Up Your Live Christmas Tree So It Looks Fresh All Season

For many holiday enthusiasts, making merry begins as soon as the jack-o-lantern tumbles into the compost pile. There are no rules when it comes to stringing twinkle lights and queuing up the Christmas tunes, but what about the star of the show—the tree? Cut it too soon and your once lush evergreen is dull and crispy by the time the big day arrives.

We reached out to an industry expert to learn exactly when is too soon to cut or buy a pre-cut Christmas tree for indoor display. Here, you'll find a straightforward answer, along with tips to help your Christmas tree stay green and festive throughout the holiday season.

How Long Does a Christmas Tree Stay Fresh?

According to Marsha Gray, executive Director of the Real Christmas Tree Board, how long a cut tree will stay fresh in a home depends on a few different factors. The most critical one is keeping the tree well-hydrated.

“Generally, four to five weeks is a good estimate of how long a consumer can expect a real Christmas tree to last once it’s in their home,” Gray says. After four or five weeks, the needles will be brittle and begin to fall off the branches, even in ideal conditions.

Using Gray’s advice, you can safely set up your fresh-cut Christmas tree the week before Thanksgiving if you plan to take it down right after Christmas Day. However, if you want to leave your tree up until the new year, delay setting it up until Thanksgiving or after.

Long-Lasting Christmas Tree Varieties

If you like to set up your Christmas tree before Thanksgiving, seek out varieties that have a longer indoor life span. “If someone is an early shopper and likes to get a tree as soon as they’re available, the ‘true firs,’ such as Fraser fir, noble fir, Nordmann, Turkish, and Canaan, along with many pine species such as white pine and Scotch pine, tend to do well for a long period of time,” Gray recommends.

Colorado blue spruce and Norway spruce only hold their needles well for just 3 or 4 weeks after cutting, and should be avoided if you hope to enjoy your tree longer than the traditional Thanksgiving to Christmas Day window.

Tips for a Long-Lasting Cut Tree

Ensure your cut Christmas tree lasts as long as possible with these key tips.

1. Begin with a fresh tree.

If you cut the tree yourself, you can guarantee its freshness. If stored properly, pre-cut trees can be equally fresh and vibrant. When buying a pre-cut tree, test for needle retention by grasping a branch and pulling down gently. The branch should bend easily and feel supple in your hand. If brown needles and a few green needles come off, that’s okay; the tree is still fresh. If a handful of green needles come off, look for a different tree.

A few dead needles inside the tree are normal. Evergreen trees naturally shed some needles in the interior of the plant. Gently tap the cut end of the tree on the ground several times to dislodge the loose needles.

2. Give the tree a fresh cut.

Conifers produce resin to seal up wounds. As soon as the tree is cut, resin starts sealing up the “wound.” This prevents the trunk from taking up necessary water. Experts recommend making a fresh cut 6 hours or less before putting the tree in water. If it has been longer than that since the tree was cut, make a new cut about one inch from the base with a saw before placing it in your tree stand.

3. Water immediately.

As soon as you make your fresh cut, plunge the trunk in water. If you're not quite ready to put it in your tree stand yet, just submerge the trunk in a bucket of water to keep it hydrated. Store your tree in a cool, dry place until you want to set it up.

Regular tap water is all your Christmas tree needs to stay fresh. There's no need to add sugar, bleach, aspirin, or anything else to the water.

4. Check water daily.

A fresh-cut tree takes up as much as two quarts of water a day in the week or so after it is cut. Refill the water twice a day during the first few days, then once a day after that. Daily watering is essential to longevity.

Water uptake slows down considerably in week three, but it's still a good idea to continue checking water levels daily. If the tree runs out of water, your best course of action is to remove it from its stand, make a new cut, and reinstall it.

5. Choose a cool spot.

Choose a display location that is away from heat sources such as furnace vents, wood stoves, and fireplaces to prevent the tree from drying out faster. When possible, avoid windows with southern exposure as they have the strongest sunlight. Twinkle lights are another, often overlooked source of heat; choose lights designed for minimal heat output. Put the lights on a timer so they won't accidentally get left on too long.