A fruit bowl filled with Clementines, grapes, apricots, pears, plums, pomegranates, dates and bananas makes your room look much more festive. But, as some fruit ripens, it gives off a gas that can prematurely wilt your tree.
Ethylene is omitted by stone fruit and bananas, causing other ethylene-sensitive fruits, like apples, to spot and brown. Unfortunately it can have the same affect on conifers and house plants, making the needles (and leaves) brown and drop sooner than they should.
Apricots, avocados, bananas, melons, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, pears and plums are the worst ethylene gas offenders. B&Q says its best to keep your fruit bowl away from your tree, so it looks fresh and full until the new year.
Countryliving.com quotes the DIY chain, also advising customers to keep their Christmas trees away from radiators, which makes sense because conifers are used to cold climates. It tells people to not be afraid to water their tree daily, either. Christmas trees can drink up to two litres a day, depending on size, and hydration is crucial to ensuring the conifer stays looking plump and full.