How To Choose a Real Christmas Tree
- December 9, 2008
- 3,745 Views
from
Carlo Scialla
(and 5 others) Subscribe
-
Writer
laurentunnell
-
Music
Alex Maciel
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Voice Over Artist
Gina Limbrick
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Actor
KristinMularz
- Location Mendham Garden Center
Real Christmas trees are beautiful, but they also can be expensive. Make sure you get your money’s worth.
You Will Need
- A tape measure
- A freshness test
Step 1: Measure your space
Measure the space where you’ll put your tree. Take into account the height added by a tree stand and a top ornament.
Step 2: Find a good seller
If you don’t have the luxury of going to a farm and cutting down a fresh tree, choose a seller who gets ongoing shipments during the holiday season, and who stores the trees in a shaded area. If the seller keeps the trees in water, even better.
Step 3: Decide on a type
Consider which type of tree works best for you. White firs, Fraser firs, and Scotch pines all have long-lasting needles, and Scotch pines can handle heavy ornaments. Leyland cypresses are pollen-free, so they’re great for people with allergies.
Step 4: Test for freshness
Lift the tree and then set it down roughly; if the needles easily fall off, the tree is already drying out. Other bad signs are wrinkled bark, discolored needles, and a musty odor. And check the cut end of the trunk; a fresh tree will feel sticky thanks to sap.
Look for a tree with a straight trunk; it will work better in a tree stand.
Step 5: Check out the branches
If the tree is tied up, ask to see how they unfold so you can check for bare spots.
Step 6: Keep it hydrated
As soon as you get home, saw at least a half an inch off the trunk so the tree can absorb water more easily. If you’re not decorating the tree right away, leave it outside in a shaded area, standing in a bucket of water.
The first record of a decorated Christmas tree was in Latvia in 1510, when a merchants’ guild trimmed one in roses in the marketplace.
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Comments (4)
Don't kill a tree! Get a fake Christmas tree - it's cheaper in the long run and you're saving the environment.
over 3 years ago by sanjay
Hello, I think the manufacturing and eventual disposal of a fake tree does more damage to the environment than a lifetime of cutting trees and recycling them.
over 3 years ago by carlo_scialla
Most real Christmas trees (bought at a tree lot in a city) come from tree farms as it is much easier to prune and keep them healthly. While clear cutting forrests down without thought to the future is heinous, they are a renewable and a recyclable resource when managed correctly. Where as the production of fake plastic trees expose the environment (and people) to toxic plastics and are much more difficult to dispose/recycle.
Cheers
about 1 year ago by lochsloyca
Make Sure You Get the Best Fresh Christmas Tree!
about 1 year ago by Mastrocola_Gaetano
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