You should check and top up a real cut Christmas tree’s water every day, especially during the first week. Most guides recommend never letting the stand run dry and inspecting it at least once daily, or even morning and evening for large trees or warm, dry rooms.

General frequency

• Plan to add water daily so the water level always stays above the cut base of the trunk; if it drops below, the cut can seal and the tree may stop drinking.

• Large trees or trees in hot, dry rooms may need refilling once or twice a day because they can use close to 1 gallon of water per day, depending on trunk diameter and conditions.

Simple rule of thumb

• At minimum, look at the water level once a day and refill whenever you can see any of the trunk base exposed.

• For maximum safety and freshness, check morning and night for the first few days, then continue at least daily for the rest of the season.