How To Stop Christmas Tree Pine Needles from dropping
A real tree is a beautiful thing for Christmas time, and while artificial ones can look just as good, many people have the tradition of a real tree and would not have anything else. The fresh pine smell it gives off is another reason to love it. However, something everyone experiences is the dropping of pine needles on the carpet, causing much mess and threatening a sparse tree by Christmas day. Here are a few tips on how to stop the pine needles from falling on the floor so much;
The pine needles falling are actually a natural reaction of the tree being dehydrated. Try to ensure you buy a tree that has been as freshly cut as possible, and use a tree stand that allows water to be consumed by the tree. It will help if you can cut about an inch off the trunk when you get it home, unless it is indeed very freshly cut.
The old trick of spraying your tree with hairspray does actually work, as it stops moisture loss through the needles – however, this in turn does make it more flammable, and is NOT recommended due to it being a fire hazard. Nowadays you can buy specialised spray designed for spraying real trees which give the desired effect.
Other precautions you can take are – don’t have the tree next to the radiator, don’t use large lights that give off a lot of heat, it should be kept cool to ensure it doesn’t lose moisture, which will cause needle shed.
You will still be required to vacuum up pine needles every so often, but these steps will go a long way in helping you to keep your tree in tip top condition for Christmas day. And remember, take your tree to a recycling point when it is no longer needed so that is can be recycled in an environmentally friendly way.