Vacation plant preservative is a must for Christmas trees

If you know me, you know I won't tout a product unless I've tried it myself. And I don't usually write about a product I tried unless I actually like it. That's why you don't see many negative reviews coming from me. It's not that I love everything, it's that I don't waste your time with stuff that doesn't work.

So, in the wake of this year's Vacation All-Natural Anti-Drought Plant Treatment experiment on my $79 Fraser fir, I wholeheartedly recommend this product for use on Christmas trees. In fact, I'll go a step farther than a recommendation and say this is a must-buy.

Though I caved into John's "what if it doesn't work and the tree dries out and the house burns down?" concerns and filled the reservoir tree stand, I did so only twice in the 20 days since I had given the tree a dose of the preservative, and I'm pretty sure most of the water was lost to evaporation and a thirsty dog.

The tree is as fresh today as it was the day I brought it home, and I didn't have to lug pitchers of water from the kitchen to the tree every day as I had in years past. So, go ahead and buy some next year -- with my blessing. The company asserts the product also works on houseplants, container plants and vegetables, but I haven't tested it on those. But when I go out of town next summer, I'll try it out on my tomatoes and report back. You can nab some yourself at naturehills.com and at some local nurseries for $10 - $15.