- If you can't cut your own tree, ask for a fresh cut on the trunk. Remember that a tree is a live organism -- like a plant, get it in water as soon after the fresh cut as possible.
- If you wait too long to put your tree into water, dried sap forms a seal over the trunk and makes it nearly impossible for water to absorb.
- The tree will drink a lot in the first few days, so check it twice a day and keep the stand full.
- Experts say additives like tree preservatives and sugar solutions don't help, nor does drilling a hole in the base of the trunk.
SEE ALSO: Should you get a real or fake Christmas tree?