This time of year is always lovely to have nicely decorated trees inside the house. But, if you aren’t careful, they will dry out and, with all the electric lights on it, one short can create a VERY serious fire hazard, as the video here clearly demonstrates. So how to keep your tree moist? Here’s a simple recipe:

Mix together:

1 gallon warm water
2 cups clear Karo syrup
1/2 cup of chlorine bleach
1/2 teaspoon 20 Mule Team borax
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 Wollite

Cut 1/2 inch off the bottom of the tree and place tree in solution for 12 to 24 hours. Make sure to keep the solution filled – it will get absorbed fairly quickly (relatively speaking, of course). Rinse off the trunk and place in water in a tree stand. This should be done outside to avoid dripping solution on carpets.

This ingredients in this solution cause the tree to take up far more water than normal, supersaturating it and helping to prevent it from drying out. However, the tree will continue to absorb at a fairly good pace, so make sure you keep the reservoir topped off.

Happy Holidays!