Christmas Tree Tips

The day after Thanksgiving, we headed up to Summit County to cut our Christma

Lodgepole Pine

Dillon Ranger District

Fireproofing Your Tree

1. After choosing your tree, get a saw and immediately make a fresh cut at the base of the tree trunk. Try to make a level cut about an inch above the old one.

2. If you need to store your tree, put in a place away from the wind. A garage, patio deck or back porch work well.

3. After you've made a fresh cut on the trunk, mix up the ingredients for the fireproofing mixture. Fill a 2 gallon bucket to within an inch from the top with hot water from the tap. Then, into the water, add:

• 2 cups Karo Syrup


• 2 oz. liquid Chlorox bleach


• 2 pinches Epsom Salts (from a drug store)


• 1/2 tsp. Boraxo (from the supermarke)


• 1 tsp. Chelated Iron (from the garden shop or plant store)


• Let the tree stand in this bucket of ingredients until you're ready to bring it indoors.

4. When you've set it indoors, fill the reservoir twice a day with remaining mixture, every morning and every night before bedtime! Now your tree will be fireproofed!

How does it work?

The Karo syrup provides the sugar which allows he tree to soak up enormous amounts of water. Without the sugar, only the smallest amounts of water are absorbed. You can expect the tree to soak up 1 1/2 gallons of the recipe during the 10 to 14 day period your tree is up.

The Boron (in the Boraxo) makes the water and sugar move to every needle of your tree. Boron does this not only in trees, b ut in vegetables, fruits, and even house plants.

Then, there's the Epsom Salts and the Chelated Iron. Epsom Salt is magnesium sulphate, and this, together with the iron, provides the center molecules in the process we know as chlorophyll production. This ensures green needles.

The Chlorine bleach stops a mold from forming when water and sugar stand for a period of time.