Watering Christmas trees???

[MATTMOSS]

Something that I have always thought at Christmas when you go in friends houses and they are standing their cut trees in a base filled with water.

Are trees still able to take up water from the cut stem? I know flowers can but woody trees? once the roots have gone is this impossible? Theoretically I could belive that it is possible by means of cohesive tension, as the crown dries it will suck up moisture through the cambium, but when I have tried this the tree never seems to last any longer and the water never goes down significantly where I would suggest it is doing anything else but evaporating naturally.

Any biological boffins know the answer?

Matt.

[Gareth Dalzell]

We put trees up in hotels and if we fresh cut the stem and pop it into a self watering base the big trees (15ft) will take 5-10 litre a day no problem for the first couple of weeks and then it slows of. It defintely helps with needle retention as we've tried both with and without water bases.

 

Just like a bunch of flowers?

[MATTMOSS]

Thank you Gareth, It sounds like you have answered the question. They do take up water.

cheers Matt