Christmas tree stands often have pennies floating in them, or there's sugar, asprin or some other substance mixed into the water -- all in hopes of keeping fresh Christmas trees alive and healthy for as long as possible.
Vacation, a new product developed to keep houseplants from drying out without water while their owners enjoy up to 2 weeks away, also can be used to keep cut Christmas trees from drying out.
According to the maker, mixing an 8-ounce bottle with a gallon of water and pouring the solution in the tree-stand reservoir can eliminate the need to water the tree for up to four weeks. As with all trees, a fresh cut of about two inches should be made off the Christmas tree's trunk before placing it in the stand. This removes the resin seal that forms after the initial cut and allows the Christmas tree to take in water. Once a Christmas tree has soaked up the Vacation solution, watering will not need to resume until up to four weeks later, according to the maker. The Vacation treatment might also help the fresh-cut Christmas tree retain its needles and coloring for a longer period.
Vacation is a sugar-alcohol-based plant anti-transpirant that conditions a plant to close pores on its leaves known as stomata. By preventing water loss through transpiration from the leaves, Vacation causes a plant to induce a state of temporary drought tolerance.
Vacation, which is biodegradable and contains no toxic chemicals, is $14.95 for an 8-ounce bottle at naturehills.com.
For those not using Vacation, water a Christmas tree regularly with a solution of one gallon of water to which a teaspoon of bleach has been added to prevent bacterial growth.