Tree Care
We run into the same problem every year: Marie and I usually head Back East right as the holiday season is really getting into high gear. So if want to make the most of our Christmas, we've got to buy our tree early. So yeah, it's November and it was 60 degrees yesterday, but we went off to Target and we got ourselves a fine six-foot Douglas Fir.
So my online question du jour is, what do you add to your Christmas tree water to keep is fresh and happy? In the past I've added just plain old water, but I'm ready for some better living through chemistry. Sadly, the collective wisdom of the internet has not yet come to a consensus. Karo syrup? Aspirin? I want something simple - not some six-ingredient potion here...
Some sites claim that the tree needs sugar to stay alive, but that doesn't mesh with what little I remember from high school biology. Some sites claim that aspirin is needed to uptake minerals, etc. which I would totally believe if someone offered any sort of explanation. Adding bleach makes sense, as does MiracleGro (or whatever fertilizer). Some say the water should be hot, but how hot? Boiling? Am I making trunk tea, or just giving it a warm bath?
Anyway, my confusion alone is probably going to make me stick to the just water solution. Besides, didn't the Mythbusters disprove all of this?
Comments
Well, people made glucose from digested food, but that doesn't stop hospitals from providing sugar via IV drip. You've had a huge trauma, your normal metabolic processes might not be working at peak efficiency, and if you make sugar available for cells to take up they'll be happier. Those little packets of flower preservative that florists distribute are mostly sugar, I believe.
I've heard the aspirin thing and am pretty curious about it. Is it just its acidity that's supposed to help? Something else?
Anyway, the results of the Mythbusters episode are here. Doesn't look like they tested sugar.
Posted by: Tom | November 25, 2007 04:05 PM
In 2nd grade, I did an experiment on this with cut flowers. Granted, I had one sample set and the mind of a second grader, but I found that aspirin helped a little bit, but a small amount soda (sprite) did not help (or hurt).
Posted by: A.J. | November 27, 2007 08:52 PM
i feel strongly that adding a little bleach will cure all problems.
it gets rid of bathroom mold, therefore it should make a tree live longer.
i rest my case.
Posted by: marie | November 28, 2007 03:19 PM