BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Rotary Club has been selling Christmas trees for decades, so its members know a thing or two about how to keep them fresh. They offer some tips:
• Once you and your Christmas tree have safely returned home, make a fresh cut across the bottom of the trunk to open up the pores in the wood, allowing it to absorb water readily.
• Make the cut about 1 inch above the old base, at a very slight angle. The tree should be immediately set in the stand and placed where it will spend the season. Be sure to use a stand with a water reservoir large enough not to need refilling too often.
• Depending upon the size, species, and location of the tree, it might absorb a gallon of water in the first day, so it should be checked frequently and re-watered as necessary. As long as the tree is able to absorb and transpire water, it will stay reasonably fresh and fire-resistant.
• It is important that the tree always be kept watered and not allowed to dry out. Once the reservoir dries, a seal of pitch begins to form on the cut. After six hours, the tree will no longer be able to absorb water and will quickly dry out. To remedy this, it will be necessary to recut the stump again, or the tree will begin to lose its needles.
• Keep your tree away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, and television sets.
• Make sure that all of your light cords are in good shape. If the insulation on the wiring has become brittle or cracked, discard it. It's time to buy a new set!
• Be sure to unplug the lights before you go to bed or any time you leave the house.
• Never overload electrical circuits.
• After Christmas, recycle your tree rather than sending it to a landfill with the rest of your trash.
• Use common sense. Taking precautions such as these will help preserve the unique beauty and tradition that only a real Christmas tree can provide.
The Brattleboro Rotary Club will sell Vermont-grown Christmas trees in front of Brattleboro Bowl on Putney Road from 1-7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Proceeds from the Christmas Tree Sale support the club's annual student scholarship awards of $3,000 each to eight students at local high schools.
For more information, visit the Brattleboro Rotary Club website at www.brattlebororotaryclub.org.