Buying a Christmas Tree? Here’s Every Measurement You Need to Know

Anyone who’s tried to fit a too-big Christmas tree through their front door can relate: When it comes to this holiday decor, your most powerful tool is a tape measure. Whether you’re cutting yours at a farm, picking it up at a lot, or even ordering it online (fresh or artificial), here are the numbers you need to know.

You’ll need room for a topper, and anything higher will start to make your ceilings look super low. If you have standard ceilings—9 feet—then your tree should be about 7 ½ feet tall.

Measure the area where you’re setting up the tree to make sure there’s plenty of space around it. Ideally, there should be a one-foot border on all sides.

Christmas trees cause upwards of 150 fires per year, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Maintaining a safe distance of at least five feet between your tree and heaters, fireplaces, and radiators helps prevent it. Plus, heat sources dry out trees’ needles, making them go brown and fall off faster.

Trimming off the dry end of the trunk will help your tree better absorb water once it’s in the stand. Make sure to cut straight across using a saw; you can usually have this done on site if you don’t have a saw at home. Don’t whittle away the sides of the trunk to your stand, as this can inhibit water uptake.

Trees need about one quart of water per inch of trunk diameter, says the National Christmas Tree Association. Make sure your stand has enough capacity for your tree to get enough fluids. Check the stand twice a day to make sure your tree’s trunk is still submerged.

A good rule of thumb is to allow for 100 lights per each foot or foot-and-a-half of tree height. If you’re buying ornaments, go for about 10 per vertical foot of tree.