Buy a fresh tree
Some types of trees retain their freshness longer than others. Balsam Fir, Frasier Fir, Colorado Spruce, or Norway Spruce will keep their needles and color longer than cedars or junipers. Both Cedar and Pine are best used as cut limbs. Cedar’s fragrance evokes the holiday spirit like no other, but it dries out quickly and will shed its sharp scales like a dandelion puffball. Pine has a lovely fragrance but it exudes sticky resin and its flexible limbs do not provide good support for ornaments. Keep cuttings hydrated in vases, water tubes, or wet floral foam, or plan to pull and replace them with fresh cut branches every week.

I’m always curious about who buys those first cut trees. You know – the ones leaning against a building two weeks after Halloween. Unless you are planning an early holiday celebration due to out of-town travel plans for December 25, leave these early-cuts for someone else.

Unless you cut the tree yourself (a fun family activity for those fortunate enough to be located where this is a possibility), there is no way to know when a tree was harvested. Test the candidate by passing a hand along the needles on a branch, like you are stroking a kitten. If a lot of needles come away in your grasp, keep looking. For smaller trees, pick up the trunk and drop it an inch or two. A loss of a few needles is fine, but if this produces a rain of shed needles, move on.

Fresh cut to help with water intake
Christmas tree lots and home improvement stores are usually accommodating with a fresh trunk cut, especially if you do your tree shopping outside its busiest weekend hours. A thin slice (an inch is fine) off the trunk will remove hardened sap and expose fresh tissue so the tree will absorb water most efficiently.

Keep it hydrated
Add water at least daily. A fresh tree may absorb a gallon or more each day. Consumption will go down as the tree ages. Do not allow the water reservoir to go dry. Contrary to abundant folklore, it is not necessary or beneficial to add bleach, sugar, vodka, soda, aspirin, or any type of preservatives. Water works best.

Keep it cool
Any cut tree will last longer if kept away from heat sources like fireplaces or heater ducts.