Should you mist your christmas tree free#

Mold releases volatile organic compounds into the air which not only produce an acrid smell but look awful on your tree too. ‘If your home is particularly humid, you mist your Christmas tree leaves regularly, or you were simply in a rush to put up your Christmas decorations and brought the tree in early, the chances are your tree is suffering mold and mildew,’ says Rachel Crow. The result? A rotten-smelling Christmas tree – and possibly gnats too. ‘If this doesn't work, you may need to remove the tree from its holder and cut the bottom inch or so off of the trunk.’Ĭut Christmas trees are capable of going moldy if kept in the wrong conditions for too long.

Should you mist your christmas tree free#

‘To free the base of your tree from resin without trimming the trunk, pour some hot but not boiling water into the reservoir to help melt the solidified layer of sap,’ says Rachel Crow, Homes & Gardens' garden editor. If a resin cap is present, it requires retrimming. Take the time while it is out of the water to check for a resin or sap cap on the base of the trunk which may be preventing proper water absorption. If your Christmas tree stand has a drainage hole at the base, this should be a simple task, but it will be troublesome if not.Īlthough difficult, take precious decorations off of the branches before having someone lift the tree free of its stand as carefully as possible. If the smell has not dissipated after a few days, then you may need to drain the reservoir completely and exchange the old water for fresh tap water.

First, adding two to three tablespoons of plain white vinegar can help to neutralize the smell of stagnant water and kill water-borne bacteria without harming a tree.

If you notice the water level isn't dropping after a day or so, it may be that the base of your tree has been sealed over by tree sap or resin, causing water to become stagnant and smelly. When watering a Christmas tree, keep an eye on the water level to make sure it is being absorbed before topping it up.