How To Set Up Your Christmas Tree

Step-by-step tips on caring for your Christmas Tree

Real Christmas tree requires a little more care compared to an artificial Christmas tree which you can pull out from a box and put it together.  Some basic care will ensure that your live Christmas tree lasts until the end of the holiday season.

Tree Trunk is Freshly Cut

The tree trunk is where the tree soaks up water, so cutting the tip of the trunk is one of the key tip in ensuring that the tree continues to soak up water once it sits on the tree stand.  If the tree can't take up water, it will become dry and brittle very quickly.  

At Floristika, once these trees arrive at our outlet, our team will make a fresh cut at the bottom so that it will soak up water and stay fresh. 

Soak Up The Tree Prior To Displaying

Once the tree arrives at home, soak the end of the tree in a large bucket of water. The tree will soak up as much water as it needs to keep it fresher longer.  Think of it as the tree needs to drink sufficient water.  If you are purchasing from Floristika, the trees are also pre-soaked and placed in the cold room to retain its freshness - so you need not repeat this step once it arrives at your house.

Remove Loose Needles

Once the above 2 steps are done, its time to cut open the netting that is holding the branches and give it a shake.  The purpose of doing so is to remove any loose needles or dead branches. Inspect the tree to make sure that any loose needles are removed.

Finding A Suitable Location

In Malaysia, most homes do not have a fireplace (unless you live in the highlands, in which we have seen a functional fireplace) and even if you do it may be a decorative fireplace - so it is fine to place it near your decorative fireplace as long as there is no direct source of heat.  Keep out of direct sunlight where possible, and also away from vents or candles.  The risk of fire is greater when you have a source of heat or fire near the Christmas tree.  Remember that the tree can be highly flammable. 

A Suitable Tree Stand

Ensure you have a suitably-sized tree stand for your Christmas tree.  If you have a 10-Feet Christmas tree, make sure that your stand is able to hold your tree up and to keep it well-hydrated.  When you purchase your real Christmas tree at Floristika, you have an option to add on the tree stands to your order. 

Slide your tree into the tree stand and secure it by tightening the screws that hold the tree. If you are purchasing from Floristika, we will help you put your tree on the stand when we deliver it to your doorstep.  So just tell us where you prefer your tree to be and we will do the necessary for you.

Trim Before Decorating

Once it is set up, let the tree 'relax' once all the branches are put into place.  It was wrapped up to ensure that it remains pristine once arriving at your house, so you might want to give it some time to let the branches unfurl.  If you need to do minor trimming, do it prior to decorating.  Letting the branches settle down will ensure that your ornaments don't sag over time.

One of the main questions we get asked is how much watering is required for the live tree.  Our advice is to refill the base every single day.  Simply check the base of the tree daily to make sure that there is water.  Use fresh water to refill the base and your tree should last longer, compared to if you don't water them regularly.

I hope the above tips help you in setting up your Christmas tree.  Before we forget, remember to place your orders for the Christmas tree early as we hate to disappoint you when the trees run out of stock.  Every year, we import a limited amount of Noble Fir trees for the Christmas season and we usually sell out very fast.