5 ways to keep your Christmas tree looking great until 2017

At the Christmas Tree Research Centre in Bible Hill, N.S., Prof. Raj Lada with Dalhousie University's faculty of agriculture and his team of researchers are busy studying how to grow the season's smartest tree.

They have partnered with the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia to come up with products and innovative technologies to reduce the number of stray balsam fir needles in your home.

While they work in the lab and in the field to engineer a better tree here are Lada's tips for choosing and keeping your tree healthy once you get it home.

1. Check out the branches

At the Christmas tree lot, look for fresh and green. Run your fingers over the branches. If a pile of needles falls off instantly, move along to the next tree. Be gentle it's a living thing.

2. Keep it hydrated

A dry, thirsty tree will suck up the most water from its stand in the first day or two. Keep adding plenty of water, but ...

3. Avoid chlorinated tap water

... don't use chlorinated tap water in your tree stand. Well water or distilled water is fine, but chlorine is not. Some people swear by adding Coke or Pepsi, but Lada says it doesn't help.

4. If you're cutting down a tree, wrap it up

If you travel to a lovely farm to cut your own tree, wrap it in burlap for the drive home. Nothing dries out a tree faster than leaving it unprotected on the top of your roof while driving 100 km/h. It is detrimental to the health of the tree.

5. Keep away from fireplace or radiator

Shake the tree a little when you get it home, but go easy and do not physically damage it. Obviously keep it from a hot radiator or fireplace that can quickly dry out a tree.

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