On 12/12/2015 10:44 PM, David wrote:
replying to Finite Guy, David wrote:
Mine won't drink water either.
I looked online and it said that when a tree is cut at it's base the sap
at the base dries and hardens, preventing water and sap loss from the
tree. It also said that the sap can take up to 6 hours to harden at the
cut.
My tree was cut and i brought it home and put it in the garage on its side
over night before setting it up the next morning. I think mine is beyond
saving. This was the first time it's happened to me in maybe 10 Christmas
tree preps. Guess I should have been quicker on the drawer.

It's interesting that over the last 6 years I've bought fresh cut trees
(watched the guy cut the tree I selected) and have usually taken at
least 1/2" off the bottom, at home, before putting it upright. Some
years they take lots of water and then trail off in a few weeks. This
year, the tree took 5 gallons in the 1st 9 days, the most ever. I can
maybe attribute some of it to the fact that I didn't have to take off
too much bark to make it fit the stand; just a little on the bottom. I
have a reservoir which feeds water through a 1/4" hose to the stand, so
the water level is usually kept pretty high, unless I forget to fill the
reservoir. I understand that the layer just under the bark is where most
of the nutrients are sucked in, so that part of the trunk is always wet.
Next year my tree probably won't take any water. Too much work getting
it, cleaning up after it, etc. This year my wife actually had 2 asthma
attacks, probably from molds, etc, while working on it. I should have
power washed it before before bringing it into the house. We though we'd
buy one of those Balsam Hills trees ... pricey, but they seem to look
really good.