The Joy Of Real Christmas Trees

There are several important things you need to consider when buying a real Christmas tree. The following hints will help you pick a tree that not only looks great but will last through the entire holiday season.

Don't you love showing off your beautifully decorated Christmas tree?  It all starts with getting the best tree possible.  Shop early; there will be less competition for the best tree. 

You may have the choice of buying a pre-cut tree or going to a tree farm, choosing one and cutting it down yourself.  Pre-cut trees are harvested on large farms and shipped to retail outlets.  Cut your own trees are usually available from smaller, local tree farms.  You can find a tree retailer near you by using the tree locator on The National Christmas Tree Association website. https://realchristmastrees.org/dnn/All-About-Trees/Tree-Locator

Cutting down your own tree is a wonderful Christmas tradition and makes a great family outing.  Most tree farms will provide the saw and some provide gift shops and hot chocolate or cider stands.  If they don't, make sure you have treats when you get home!

Trees look smaller when they are on display or in a field.  You don't want to buy a beautiful tree only to find out that it's too big for your room.  So, before you go tree shopping determine where in your house you're going to put the tree.  Try and pick a place close to an electric outlet and not close to a heat source.  Measure the space and take the measurements with you.  How high is the ceiling?  How wide is the space?  Allow room for a tree topper if you're going to use one.  And don't forget that the tree stand adds height.

Armed with these measurements you can pick the perfectly sized tree for your home.

A tree's shape is just as important as its size.  The tree should be nicely proportioned, not too wide at the bottom and not too thin at the top.  How many ornaments do you have and how big are they?  A large tree with only a few ornaments may look unfinished.  A small tree with many ornaments may look overloaded.  Heavy ornaments need sturdy branches.

It's very important to buy a fresh tree.  If you're buying a pre-cut tree, ask when it was cut.  The needles should be green; look out for brown ones.  Some trees are painted, so it's important to do a careful inspection and look for green coloring on the bark and branches.  When you run your hands down a branch most of the needles should stay on.  Bend the needles.  Fir tree needles should snap crisply; pine tree needles should bend but not break.

Enjoying your beautiful tree throughout the entire holiday season begins with setting your tree up correctly.  Here are ten tips for getting off to a good start.

If your tree is frozen or has snow or ice on it, lay your tree on the floor on some old newspapers and wait for a day or two until you can move the branches and the snow or ice has melted off.  Only do this on a floor that is OK to stay wet for a while.  Some people do this in their shower or bathtub.  Some people use a partially heated garage.

A vigorous shake will remove many of the dead needles and leaves stuck in your tree.  It is much nicer when these come off before the tree is all the way in your home.

Saw about one inch off from the bottom of your tree.  Sap at the bottom of your tree prevents it from absorbing water.  Sawing a little bit off the bottom removes the sap.  Even if the tree seller did this for you, you still want to make a fresh cut.

The most active, water absorbing cells of your tree are just under the bark.  Carving the base of the tree to make it fit into a stand removes these cells.  Use a bigger stand if you have to.

Branches that interfere with your tree stand will compromise stability.  Cut them off before putting your tree in your tree stand.

"Watch out for that cord!"  Nearby outlets remove the need for extension cords that look ugly and are a safety hazard.

Heating vents, fireplaces, radiators or other heat sources will dry out your tree. Put your tree up in a location that is away from these heat sources.

Take the effort to adjust your tree in its stand to make sure it's standing straight.  A leaning tree is more likely to tip over.

As soon as your tree is in the location you want and straight, put water in the stand.  Your tree is alive and needs to stay hydrated.

A common problem with Christmas trees is that the stand goes dry.  Evergreen Helper is the best Christmas tree watering system.  It increases the water capacity of your stand, makes it easy to see when more water is needed and easy to add more water.

There are a number of wikihow sites, such as https://www.wikihow.com/Put-Up-a-Christmas-Tree, https://www.wikihow.com/Set-Up-a-Christmas-Tree and https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Your-Christmas-Tree-Fresh-Longer  that provide additional information.