Christmas Tree Without Water - How Long Will It Last?

[Muskythedog]

We have a real Christmas tree for the first time this year, a 7' Nordman fir bought from a local farm. We got the tree home last Sunday and put it straight into our stand, the type with a water reservoir. We didn't notice at the time but the stand had a crack in, and it turned out that the water seeped out of the base over the next few hours and into the carpet and not into the tree. We got a replacement stand sent by the stand seller and put the tree in it last Wednesday. Basically, the tree hasn't taken any water since last Wednesday, and according to google it should take around a gallon or more in the first few days.

Question is, how long do we reckon the tree will last before it starts to wither and die - have we any chance of it seeing it through to Christmas or do we have to go to the ball ache of taking it down and sawing some off the bottom hoping this will work, or taking the decorations off and buying another one?

Any thoughts please? ta

[Monkeylegend]

If you pine for it, it will be ok.

[TEKNOPUG]

Dead by next Monday

[hornetrider]

A gallon? Are you sure?

[FreeLitres]

[dudleybloke]

You need to try the emergency revival method.
Wait till its raining then take the tree outside and run up and down the main road for about 20 mins or so while shouting motivational phrases at the tree.
Get someone to film you doing it so we can critique your running technique.

[Pints]

dudleybloke said:

You need to try the emergency revival method.
Wait till its raining then take the tree outside and run up and down the main road for about 20 mins or so while shouting motivational phrases at the tree.
Get someone to film you doing it so we can critique your running technique.

Definitely this. I'm pretty sure it's guaranteed to work.

[northwest monkey]

The tree might not see Boxing Day, but the memory of it will last for pretty much all of 2016 when you're still vacuuming up the needles.

[menguin]

bks. We never used to water our tree and it'd last until the new year.

[andy-xr]

Water your tree? What?!

[Monkeylegend]

If you have a male dog he should keep it wet enough if you keep it in doors until boxing day.

[Bluebarge]

A gallon???

If it's got no roots, it will absorb hardly any water. If it has roots, I would expect it to take up a pint or so over the course of a week at most. If you do nothing, but don't stick it right next to a radiator, it should still last beyond the New Year.

[red_slr]

Should easily last into early January if its a good quality tree and been cut fairly fresh.
Sounds like it given you bought local on a farm.

We used to sell xmas trees (no money in it now so don't bother) and we would often have trees left over that might sit there till mid January looking pretty good.
Never told customers to water them! The only thing we used to do was mist them down once a day to keep them looking good whilst on sale.

[GAjon]

Muskythedog said:

according to google it should take around a gallon or more in the first few days.

This tree, is it grey with a long trunk and floppy ears ?

[soad]

Monkeylegend said:

If you pine for it, it will be ok.

The poor sap. At least he's not a rootless wanderer, though the family has apparently gone to seed.

[Monkeylegend]

soad said:

Monkeylegend said:

If you pine for it, it will be ok.

The poor sap. At least he's not a rootless wanderer, though the family has apparently gone to seed.

[Vizsla]

Monkeylegend said:

soad said:

Monkeylegend said:

If you pine for it, it will be ok.

The poor sap. At least he's not a rootless wanderer, though the family has apparently gone to seed.

Barking!

[Muskythedog]

hornetrider said:

A gallon? Are you sure?

Taken from the Dummies website:

A tree will absorb as much as a gallon of water or more in the first 24 hours and one or more quarts a day thereafter. Watering your Christmas tree is important because it prevents the needles from drying and dropping off and the boughs from drooping. Water also keeps the tree fragrant.

[Muskythedog]

Vizsla said:

Monkeylegend said:

soad said:

Monkeylegend said:

If you pine for it, it will be ok.

The poor sap. At least he's not a rootless wanderer, though the family has apparently gone to seed.

Barking!

Didn't realise I would get so much needle for asking a question. Leaf me a lone.

[dudleybloke]

Don't do anything yule regret later.