Four steps for keeping your Christmas tree fresh

Michael Ryan, 81, owner of the Clemsonville Christmas Tree Farm in Carroll County, offers the following tips for keeping your cut Christmas tree fresh.

1.     After bringing a freshly cut tree home, put it in a five-gallon bucket of water in a cool place away from sunlight, such as a porch or garage.

2.     When you’re ready to decorate it, cut another inch off the bottom of the tree’s trunk.

3.     Put the tree in a stand that holds water.

4.     Maintain a high water level in the stand. Otherwise, the bottom of the tree will seal up and not take in any more water, causing it to dry out.