It’s the Yuletide Season, and Time to Partake in the Time-Honored Tradition of Choosing a Fresh Christmas Tree.
The first important thing to do is to select an appropriate spot in your home. This should be away from heat vents and fireplaces. Measure the space’s height and width so you know your limits before heading out to the lot to make your purchase. Buy a reservoir-type stand to hold the tree and the water it will need to stay fresh.
When you buy a real Christmas tree, it may have been cut weeks earlier. Selecting a tree is really a matter of common sense. Look for the tree that is the greenest and has minimal brown needles. Coloring is a common practice, so keep this in mind when gauging a tree’s freshness.
There is a little test I suggest you try on your tree before you commit to buying it. Raise it up about half a foot and drop it on its trunk end. If needles drop off, the tree is too dry. A few brown needles from inside the tree will likely drop off but are of no concern.
Another test: Hold onto a branch and lightly bring your hand toward you while letting the branch slip through your fingers. If most of the needles come off, that is not the tree to bring home.
Inspecting the tree’s base is also important. The trunk should be straight, otherwise it makes securing in a stand difficult. Remove limbs attached near the base that will interfere with placing it in the stand, making sure it won’t negatively affect the tree shape.
Very important: Always check for insects and their eggs before bringing your tree inside.
Once you get the tree inside, make a fresh cut to remove 1/2-inch of wood from the base of the trunk before putting the tree into the stand. Just cut the trunk straight across. If you cut the trunk at an angle, not only will you find it more difficult to place in the stand, but the amount of water available to the tree will be significantly reduced.
Measure the diameter of the trunk and then fill the stand with one quart of water per inch of diameter. You can buy a device that will help to maintain a constant level of water in the stand.
The tree will remain fresher if use of lights is minimal and if the ones used are the kind that produce low heat, such as mini lights.
Check the water level in the base daily. Replenish if it falls below the level of the trunk. Monitor the tree for freshness. After Christmas when the tree is dry, check the Sanitation Department’s schedule for tree pickup and then set it out at the curb. There are also “Mulchfests” that happen after Christmas in our area parks. Take your tree down to the park and have them recycle it into mulch for your garden. This will stretch the value of the tree you bought in December well into the spring and summer months.
