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Home Christmas

Christmas Tree Water (Recipe for Longevity)

Updated: 10/11/22

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

My dad uses this Christmas tree water recipe and claims that it makes a difference in the longevity of fresh trees.

Real Christmas Tree

I was reminded this week how much I love a REAL Christmas tree.

Imperfect? Yep.

Messy? Yep.

A hassle? You bet.

Worth it? Yes.

The scent of a cedar tree in your house is unlike any other. The smell hits you every time you enter the room. It brought back so many sweet memories to be around it this weekend!

When I was growing up, we usually waited to cut down a real tree until early to mid-December so it wouldn’t get too dried out by Christmas. This year however, my dad was eager to get the Christmas season started so he and my brother went out the day after Thanksgiving to scout out some potential trees for this year.

Two men Looking for a Christmas Tree

They came back with a HUGE tree. It’s amazing how they seem to look so much bigger in our house than out in the woods.

Cedar tree inside the house

After following some of these Christmas tree tips to get it all set up, my dad asked me to mix up some Christmas tree water.

What? I didn’t even know there was such a thing. Many sources say, if you add certain ingredients to the water that you give your Christmas tree, it will last longer and keep its fresh scent.

My dad has used the formula below on his past Christmas trees and claims that it does make a difference in the longevity of the tree. I guess the only way to REALLY know is to have two identical trees and use it on one but not the other. However, no one is going to do that so we will just have to trust people who have used it!

Some affiliate links are used below. See our Amazon disclaimer here.

Recipe for Christmas Tree Water

  • 5 quarts of water
  • 2 ounces regular Clorox bleach – Kills bacteria that would inhibit the tree’s ability to take up water.
  • 8 ounces light corn syrup (clear) – The sugar feeds the tree glucose, an essential part of a plant’s metabolism.
  • 2 pinches of Epsom Salt – Magnesium sulfates make the needles green.
Mix all of the above and store in a cool place. It is better to error on the side of being too diluted. Osmosis happens from weak to strong, and if the mixture is too strong, it will actually drain your tree instead of feeding it.
 
Important: Never let the water level dip below the bottom of the tree trunk!

If you don’t want to mess with making your own Christmas Tree Water, you could just buy this Miracle-Gro for Christmas Trees. Looks like it has pretty good reviews, but making your own recipe will be cheaper in the long run.

Looking for more Christmas ideas? Check these out…

Holiday Gift Guides – Ideas for every age!

31 Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids – Simple crafts with supplies you likely have on hand.

15 Books that Share the Real Meaning of Christmas – We own these ourselves and love them.

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Polly Conner

Polly Conner

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Polly’s passionate about helping busy parents get dinner on the table. With a house full of kids, dogs, and (usually) a DIY project in the works, she knows firsthand how every minute (and every dollar) counts. As a business owner, she enjoys wearing multiple hats and serves best as a project manager for Thriving Home.

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  1. AvatarJon says

    Posted on 12/5/21 at 1:01 am

    Per all the gardening sites they say just plain water is all you need. You definitely not add bleach to the water, that will kill the tree faster

    Reply
  2. AvatarKatherine says

    Posted on 12/6/20 at 5:28 pm

    How much do we use of the solution?

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 12/8/20 at 11:11 am

      However much you need to fill your tree base. We refill every few days.

      Reply
  3. AvatarKristy says

    Posted on 12/10/16 at 3:31 pm

    How much and how often do you use this on your tree?

    Reply
  4. AvatarTiffany says

    Posted on 11/29/16 at 11:33 am

    How much do you use and how often every day once a week

    Reply
  5. AvatarAngela says

    Posted on 11/29/13 at 8:11 pm

    How did it turn out? How long does it last? I want to get a tree tomorrow!

    Reply
    • PollyPolly says

      Posted on 11/29/13 at 9:05 pm

      I can’t give a certain time on how long the tree will last because so much of that is contingent on other factors (type of tree, when it was cut down, etc.) but the solution DID seem to help.

      Reply
  6. AvatarTrissy says

    Posted on 11/29/13 at 9:33 am

    So you haven’t tried this yet? Can you post what your results were since I’m assuming you looked it up to actually use it on the new tree you got???? Thanks

    Reply
    • PollyPolly says

      Posted on 11/29/13 at 9:02 pm

      I just updated the post but in short, my dad (who used the solution) said he plans on using it again this year and thinks it made a difference. Good luck with your tree!

      Reply
  7. Avatarjustine says

    Posted on 11/29/12 at 4:55 pm

    did you mean 2 oz. clorox as in clorox bleach?

    Reply
    • PollyPolly says

      Posted on 11/29/12 at 5:03 pm

      That’s what the recipe said. Crazy huh? I think it’s meant to serve as a disinfectant (prevent algae, etc.)

      Reply
      • AvatarMurray says

        Posted on 11/29/22 at 11:02 am

        what about peroxide

        Reply
        • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

          Posted on 11/29/22 at 6:58 pm

          I don’t know about peroxide. This is the recipe that Polly’s dad uses and swears by.

          Reply

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