Fresh Cut Christmas Trees

Add the wonderful scent of evergreens to your home with greengate's premium fresh-cut Christmas trees. Keep them nice and moist; and leave them outside in the shadiest area of your property (cover with snow if possible) until you are ready to get them set up inside your home. We always give them a fresh cut and wrap them in a net for you.

How to care for your greengate Garden Centres Christmas Tree:

Our fresh-cut Christmas Trees are just that. More than half of your greengate Christmas tree's weight is in water, so it needs proper care to prevent drying out too early. You can maintain the quality of your tree by following these tips about caring for your tree.

Buy a fresh tree

At greengate, you will find that our trees are fresh-cut but pick the best! To test for freshness, gently pull on the needles of the outer branches. Move on to the next tree if the needles come off easily or the tree loses lots of green needles when tapped on the ground. Also, avoid trees that appear to be fading in colour. Remember, all fresh-cut trees will lose some needles over time, even in nature.

Give it a fresh cut

When you come to greengate Garden Centres for your Christmas Tree, make sure you ask for a fresh cut! A fresh cut is a service we do free of charge, as this is the most important detail. Trees need a fresh cut to absorb the most water possible. When a tree is first cut down, air gets into the plant tissue. It interrupts the tree's ability to absorb water. This reason is why it is important to cut it again before taking it home. Typically, we cut off a half-inch slice from the base of the trunk. If you do it yourself, cut straight across, never at an angle or in a V-shape. Doing so reduces the amount of water available to the tree and makes it harder for the stand to hold the tree. Never drill a hole in the base of the trunk, thinking it will help the tree draw up more water. Once home, place in water as soon as possible - within 1 hour for best results. After about an hour, your tree is ready for a fresh cut. Do not bruise the cut surface or get it dirty. Trees can be temporarily stored for several days in a cool location if needed. However, a fresh cut after removing the tree from storage is necessary.

Select the right tree stand

Once you've brought home your live Christmas tree, keep it in a sheltered, unheated area, such as a porch or garage. Storing it like this will help to protect it from the wind and sun until you are ready to decorate it. Use a reservoir-type tree stand to keep trees fresh indoors and reduce needle loss. A tree stand should hold 3.5 litres /1 gallon of water or about 1 litre/1 quart per 2.5 cm or inch of diameter of the tree trunk. Make sure the stand fits your tree. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed.

Give it water

Most species of Christmas trees can go without water for as long as 1 hour after a fresh cut. Just ensure the surface remains clean and you are not damaging the cut end by banging it against the ground. If you are putting the tree in a stand right away, make sure the reservoir of the stand is kept full of water. The absorption rate of water varies daily; as such, many people worry if their tree absorbs a lot of water one day, a little the next, and then absorbs more the next day. However, no need to worry, as this variation is normal. The tree could be full one day and need more water the next. It depends on how fast it loses moisture from its foliage. To be safe, check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree. With many stands, there can still be water in the stand even though the base of the tree is no longer submerged in water. The temperature of the water used to fill the stand is not important and does not affect water uptake.