So first things first: buy a good tree from a reputable supplier. The warmer your house, the worse it is for the tree. Put it in a stand without water and it will soon look dry, lack lustre and miserable. The advent of the no-needle-drop tree, mainly Nordmann fir, stopped all that, but it did mean we expected the tree to survive whatever we did with it. When we just used Norway spruce as a Christmas tree we expected it to drop its needles: it was almost a feature of Christmas. It won’t wilt and fall over like a delicate cut flower, but it will lose lustre and may drop its needles, depending on variety. If it doesn’t get water it will wither and die. If it gets a good drink and you maintain the water supply it should stay in peak condition until well into New Year. Remember this is a living thing: I want you to think of it as a cut flower. It's always a challenge to help your Christmas tree look great throughout the holiday period.
