I don’t know about you, but my husband and I have always found the daily task of watering the Christmas tree just a bit tedious and frustrating.
Half the time, there’s the problem of even accessing the stand to fill it because the branches block it. Then there's the issue of the scratches on our hands and arms from the sharp needles that we have to grab or push aside.
If there are presents in place under the tree, getting close to the base becomes even more of a problem.
And then when you finally manage to get the watering container near enough to the stand to pour it, you can’t see what you’re doing, and end up with water all over the floor or the presents.
Now, in the grand scheme of life problems, this one surely ranks very near or at the bottom. But I also think it can become a safety issue of people avoid this chore because it's a pain to do.
Well, we've discovered a way to make it as easy as can be.
Half the time, there’s the problem of even accessing the stand to fill it because the branches block it. Then there's the issue of the scratches on our hands and arms from the sharp needles that we have to grab or push aside.
If there are presents in place under the tree, getting close to the base becomes even more of a problem.
And then when you finally manage to get the watering container near enough to the stand to pour it, you can’t see what you’re doing, and end up with water all over the floor or the presents.
Now, in the grand scheme of life problems, this one surely ranks very near or at the bottom. But I also think it can become a safety issue of people avoid this chore because it's a pain to do.
Well, we've discovered a way to make it as easy as can be.
My husband saw an idea on the internet (where else?) for pouring water through an empty cardboard gift wrap tube, and thought that was ingenious.
But it occurred to him that a piece of PVC plumbing pipe would work much better, since it would never get waterlogged or leaky the way even a hard cardboard roll might.
In addition, PVC pipes are very cheap and readily available, and can be easily cut with a serrated blade or hacksaw.
But it occurred to him that a piece of PVC plumbing pipe would work much better, since it would never get waterlogged or leaky the way even a hard cardboard roll might.
In addition, PVC pipes are very cheap and readily available, and can be easily cut with a serrated blade or hacksaw.
The pipe we ended up using was the leftover scrap from a plumbing repair we did some time ago. So, essentially it was free for us.
And it worked splendidly. We were able to water the tree easily, making it less of a pain to do so (quite literally.)
However, the problem of working blind persisted, and we couldn’t see well enough to prevent overflows.
That's when my husband had the excellent thought of using a Velcro strip (duct or masking tape would do just as well) to attach a flashlight to the PVC pipe so that he could see into the stand and tell when it is full enough to stop watering.
Problem solved.
So now, watering the tree is a breeze. And when something is made easier to do, it means it's more likely to actually get done the way it should be. Which means our tree will definitely always have plenty of water in its stand.
And that makes it safer, since a well-watered tree is one less likely to dry out and be a fire hazard.
That's the kind of solution I like.
And it worked splendidly. We were able to water the tree easily, making it less of a pain to do so (quite literally.)
However, the problem of working blind persisted, and we couldn’t see well enough to prevent overflows.
That's when my husband had the excellent thought of using a Velcro strip (duct or masking tape would do just as well) to attach a flashlight to the PVC pipe so that he could see into the stand and tell when it is full enough to stop watering.
Problem solved.
So now, watering the tree is a breeze. And when something is made easier to do, it means it's more likely to actually get done the way it should be. Which means our tree will definitely always have plenty of water in its stand.
And that makes it safer, since a well-watered tree is one less likely to dry out and be a fire hazard.
That's the kind of solution I like.
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