Live Christmas trees

Question

I normally buy a tree that has a large girth, but this year I opted to buy one that was slightly smaller than what I usually buy. I noticed that this year’s tree stayed fresh and didn’t drop its needles nearly as much as all of my previous trees (all Douglas fir). Is it true that since the tree is smaller, the water better reaches the tips/extremities of the tree more readily than a larger tree, therefore it stays fresher/more moist? Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

This is mostly correct, but also has a lot to do with how much more respiration occurs in a larger tree. The exhale of all of its oxygen happens more when the tree is more mature, and this is the reason.