1. Make a fresh cut to remove 1/4" to 1" thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk. Do not cut at an angle.

2. Place Tree in water as soon as possible. Most species can to 6-8 hours after cutting the trunk and still take up water. The temperature of the water does not affect water uptake.

3. Use a stand that fits your tree and has adequate water holding capacity for the tree. As a general rule, stands should provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. Check the stand daily to make sure the level of water does not go below the base of the tree.

4. Applying film-forming anti-transpirants to the tree does not have a significant effect on the rate of moisture loss from the tree.

5. Adding water-holding gels to the stand is not beneficial and can reduce the amount of water in the stand that is available to the tree. Do not use additives in the water, including floral preservatives, commercial tree preservatives, molasses, sugar, bleach, soft drinks, aspirin, honey and other concoctions. Clean water is all that is needed to maintain freshness.

6. Some flame retardants can damage needles an actually increase the rate of moisture loss from trees.

7. Keep displayed trees away from heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight) Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process.

8. Use of miniature lights will produce much less heat and reduce the drying of the tree.

9. Always turn off the lights when leaving the house or when going to bed.