Real tree won't fit in the stand? Don't shave the trunk

Did you get your real tree home only to find out it won’t fit in the stand? It’s so tempting to just whittle the trunk down until it slides in, but that’s the one thing tree growers specifically say not to do! The outer layers of wood, right under the bark, are the part of the trunk that’s best at pulling up water. If you shave those off, the tree drinks less for the rest of December. Today I’m sharing what to do instead so your tree fits and stays fresh.

What to do depends on why it won’t fit. If the branches are in the way, cut off the bottom ring. If the trunk is too wide, take a few more inches off the bottom, where it’s narrower, or get a bigger stand. And if you’re buying a stand, choose it by trunk diameter and water, at about a quart per inch.

Why It Won’t Fit

There are really only three reasons:

1. The lowest branches hit the stand before the trunk reaches the bottom of the bowl.
2. The trunk is wider than the stand opening or wider than the screws can open up.
3. The trunk has a knot, a bump, or a curve right where it goes into the stand.

Figure out which one you have before you cut anything.

Method 1. Cut off the lowest branches

This is the most common one, and the easiest to fix! Tree lots trim the bottom of the trunk, but not always enough for your stand.

Measure how deep your stand’s bowl is, then add an inch or two. That’s how much bare trunk you need at the bottom. Cut off the branches below that line, flush with the trunk. Usually it’s just the lowest ring, sometimes two.

I use the same folding pruning saw I use for the fresh cut, because the bottom branches on a fir can be as thick as my thumb and kitchen shears just won’t cut it.

Don’t throw those branches away! They’re free greenery for the mantel or a centerpiece, and I share some ways to use them in how to add fresh greenery to your decor.

Method 2. Take more off the bottom

Trunks get narrower as they go up, so the trunk a few inches up is skinnier than it is at the very bottom. If it’s close, cutting 2 to 4 inches off the bottom (instead of the usual half inch) might be enough to get it into your stand.

Before you cut, wrap a tape measure around the trunk at the bottom, then again a few inches higher, and see how much it actually narrows. Some trunks barely change and some drop half an inch fast. If it doesn’t narrow enough, cutting more won’t help, and you’ll need a bigger stand.

You will lose whatever you cut off in height. That’s usually fine on a tree that was going to brush the ceiling anyway, which, I’ll be honest, is most of the trees I pick!

Cut straight across, not at an angle and not in a V, and get it into water within a couple of hours.

Method 3. Trim just the bump

The advice is clear about not whittling the sides of the trunk, and I agree with it. But sometimes it’s one stub of a branch or one lump on one side keeping the trunk out of the bowl.

In that case, I’d trim just that bump flush with the rest of the trunk and leave the rest of the bark alone. That’s my own judgment call, not something I found in the official advice. You’re only removing a little bit from one spot instead of a whole ring around the trunk. If more than one spot is in the way, go back to Method 2 or get a bigger stand.

Method 4. Get a stand that fits

If the trunk just plain doesn’t fit, the stand is too small. Every stand lists a maximum trunk diameter and a maximum tree height. Here’s how to check yours:

Measure the trunk. Wrap a soft tape measure around the bottom of the trunk (after the fresh cut) and divide by 3.14. A 13 inch circumference is about a 4 inch trunk. A 16 inch circumference is about 5 inches.

Then check the water. A real tree drinks about a quart a day for every inch of trunk diameter, and it drinks the most in the first week. You’ll see that rule in tree grower and extension guides over and over, so here’s what it works out to:

Trunk diameter	Water it can drink per day	Stand should hold at least
3 inches	about 3 quarts	1 gallon
4 inches	about 1 gallon	1 gallon (more is better)
5 inches	about 1¼ gallons	1½ gallons
6 inches	about 1½ gallons	2 gallons

A lot of stands sold for 7 to 8 ft trees hold less than a gallon, so read the water capacity on the box, not just the height. If a stand runs dry overnight, the trunk can seal over, and once that happens the tree can’t drink no matter how much water you pour in the next morning.

I use the Krinner Christmas Tree Genie XXL Deluxe. It holds two and a half gallons and the cables tighten around the trunk from all sides, so it works with a range of trunk sizes. It’s not cheap, so if it’s not in the budget, any stand that fits your trunk and holds at least a gallon will work.

A Few Things Not to Do

• Don’t drill a hole in the bottom of the trunk. It doesn’t help the tree take up water.
• Don’t wedge the trunk in with shims. I’ve seen people try it, and a wedged trunk still wobbles. Fix the fit instead.
• Don’t skip the fresh cut just because you already cut off branches. Cutting branches doesn’t open the trunk back up. Only the cut across the bottom does.

Once it’s in, everything else about keeping it alive is in how to keep a real tree alive past the first week. And if you’re still shopping, measure your stand before you go and bring the number with you! I talk about what else to check at the lot in how to choose the perfect Christmas tree.

Are you getting a real tree this year? I hope this helped you get it into the stand without a fight! Be sure to post on Instagram and tag me @sugardesignco because I love seeing the beautiful decor y’all create!

-Ciera

Made something with this? Tag me @sugardesignco — I love seeing them.