Best position for Christmas trees: Popular spot could dry them out

Christmas is just around the corner which means it’s time to start thinking about buying your Christmas tree.

However, real Christmas trees have a limited lifespan and can quickly dry out.

To help homeowners keep the festive spirit alive for longer and avoid their Christmas trees drying out, John Lawless of heating specialists has teamed up with horticulturist and Christmas tree expert Deemer Cass from Fantastic Gardeners to share the best position for Christmas trees in homes so they thrive.

Christmas trees look great positioned near a fireplace but placing your tree near a heat source is actually a huge mistake.

Positioning your Christmas tree near a radiator, wood burner, fireplace or underfloor heating could result in the tree drying out, looking wilted and shedding needles before Christmas Day.

John explained: “The Christmas tree should take centre stage but always avoid positioning near a heat source like radiators and fireplaces.

« For a home with underfloor heating, try and turn it off in the area with your tree.

« If you can’t avoid a warm place, make sure the stand or box is constantly topped up with water as a Christmas tree uses up to two litres of water a day.”

Despite popular belief, there’s no such thing as over-watering a Christmas tree.

Deemer Cass added: “Regarding the temperature of the water, like most other plants, Christmas trees prefer it cold and there’s no such thing as overwatering unless you fill the stand up every hour.”

As well as the position of the Christmas tree, many forget about the conditions the tree needs to survive.

John said: “The home’s ideal wintertime humidity is between 45 percent to 50 percent and is also the perfect moisture level that your Christmas tree requires.

« If the air is too dry, it will cause the tree to wither, in which case, use a humidifier to add moisture in the air and help your Christmas tree stay alive and fresh until the end of the holiday season.”