Choosing a Prize Winning Christmas Tree
By Kay DiVerdeChoosing a Christmas tree for your home can be an exciting tradition for your family, but it also requires some work. You want a tree that will fit into your home, has a nice shape, is fresh and will live throughout the holiday season. Read about the factors to consider when choosing a tree for your home and then learn the one most important step to keep your tree healthy as long as possible.
When choosing a Christmas tree for the holidays, you want to find the freshest trees available. If you can't cut down your own tree, try these simple tests to check for freshness at tree sales:
- Check the needles. Test a few needles on the tree; see if they bend and then spring back. The tree is not fresh if the needles don't spring back or if they break.
- Bump the tree. Hold up the tree and then bump the trunk on the ground a few times. If you see many green needles on the ground, the tree is not fresh.
- Check the stem. If the tree's stem is moist and full of sap, you have found a fresh tree.
- Don't forget to measure the tree to make sure it will fit in your home. Measure the height, width and the trunk diameter for your stand.
When you bring your prize-winning Christmas tree home from the tree lot or from cutting it at a tree farm, transport it inside your car or wrapped in a blanket on top of the car. Once home, store it in a bucket of water until you are ready to set it up and decorate it. Store the tree indoors or outdoors. If you store it outdoors, choose a location away from the wind and sun. Heat and sun quickly dry out the needles.
The most important thing you can do to keep your Christmas tree healthy and beautiful for the holiday season is to give it a "slice of life." Before bringing your tree inside to decorate, use a quality, sharp saw to make a cut across the butt of the stem. Make the cut at least an inch above the existing cut. Invest in a quality saw for the sharpest, cleanest cut. A straight, smooth cut is essential to maximize water absorption.
To enhance your holiday enjoyment, take the time to choose the freshest tree available. Follow our guidelines for choosing the best tree. Maximize your tree's beauty by giving it a "slice of life" before decorating. Once your tree is up and decorated, give it plenty of water. Some trees take up to two quarts of water each day. Never let the basin run dry: it can inhibit the tree's ability to absorb more water.
Kay DiVerde is a freelance writer, horticultural researcher and consultant for Orchard's Edge. DiVerde also writes for a variety of newsletters and publications in the Midwest.
