We’ve heard all sorts of things over the years about the care and feeding of Christmas trees: add sugar, don’t add sugar, use soft drinks; etc. The National Christmas Tree Association says to ONLY USE WATER.

You’d actually be surprised about how much water a tree can use. Ideally, your stand should provide your tree with 1 quart of water per inch of trunk diameter. Keeping the fresh-cut bottom of your tree immersed in water is the most important thing you can do to maintain your tree.

Another thing that will help is to run a humidifier in the room with the tree. Keep the tree as far away as possible from heat (fireplaces, heater vents, direct sunlight). Lowering the temperature in the room will help, too.

Never whittle the trunk of the tree down to fit your stand. Buy a stand large enough to accommodate the base of the tree. This is for two reasons. First: the outer layers of the wood are the ones that are the most efficient at the uptake of water, and, second: the bigger the trunk, the heavier the tree. If a tree is bigger and heavier, it will require a bigger and broader based stand.

When you're through with your tree, please recycle it. If you're a Pay As You Throw customer of the City of Austin, you can just put it out on your recycling day, minus any decorations.