Holiday Fresh Cut Evergreens Care Tips

Fresh greenery will last indoors for about two weeks; outdoors it will last considerably longer, sometimes even months. To keep your cut greens fresh, try these care tips:

1. Before making your arrangements condition them to absorb as much water as possible. Snip off the bottom of the stems, then crush the cut ends with a small hammer. Crushing the stems helps them absorb more water. Set conditioned stems in a bucket or the sink full of room temperature water for a few hours.
   
2. Place them out of direct sunlight and away from direct heat sources like vents and fireplaces.
3. Keep them hydrated. Just like Christmas trees cut greens need water to stay fresh. Mist your evergreen decorations with water every couple of days, and if possible even every day.
   
4. If arrangements were made with potting soil as the base, keep the potting soil moist.
5. Spray foliage with an anti-desiccant. These easy to use products seal the pores on the leaves and bark and helps the foliage retain moisture.