Raise Your Garden

Musings on the Seedier Side

in Garden How To

The perfect live Christmas tree exists~ 13 foolproof tips

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I'll make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Picture

 

 
The perfect live Christmas tree exists. Trust me. 
 
But do you have a Charlie Brown Christmas tree complex? That’s my struggle each year.The sad, pathetic and wilting tree calls my name because otherwise it won’t have a home for Christmas.

 

Then I have to stop. Pause. Think. Be rational. The tree is not a pet. It does not have feelings. I’m not doing myself any favors by hauling home the worst one on the lot.

Besides, live Christmas trees start at $50. The nicer ones are over $100 now. In many cases you pay by the foot so I might as well get the best tree for my dollars.

But what do you look for when selecting the perfect Christmas tree?

These are my top tips so that your perfect live Christmas tree doesn’t sap your holiday cheer or curdle your eggnog. 

Picture

 

 
1.) Before you go tree shopping, measure the ceiling height in the room where you will display your perfect live Christmas tree.It’s easier if you choose a tree that is about a foot shorter than the ceiling. This way, the tree won’t hit the ceiling and should accommodate the base and tree topper. We stained our ceiling one year by picking a tree that was too tall!

 

Measure that base, too. And don’t forget to bring your tape measure when tree shopping!

Picture

 

 
2.) Select a shapely tree that fits the space where you need it. Some people prefer short fat trees, others long, skinny trees.Still others want the “perfect” cone-shaped tree.

 

Retailers know this, so they will charge more for these “perfect” trees. Make sure you know what you want and the price you’re willing to pay.

Some tree farms charge $10 or more per foot. So it’s important to bring your measuring tape if you’re trying to stay within budget and under the ceiling.

And if it’s nearly dusk, it wouldn’t hurt to bring along your handy super bright LED flashlight  either to select the perfect live Christmas tree. 

Picture

 

 
3.) Examine the Christmas tree from all angles. Are there any major gaps missing? Is the retailer trying to hide the “backside” of the tree because it’s sparse or dead?How are the branches? Are they thick and sturdy or wimpy and saggy?

 

Many ornaments are big and heavy. So are your Christmas lights. You’ll want those branches to be able to carry the full weight of all your decor without drooping to the floor.

Picture

 

 
4.) Chopping down your own tree is better than buying a pre-cut tree. Who knows when those trees were cut?
 
August maybe? Could be. Especially if they were bought up from down South.
 
Take a branch and run your hand across it to see if many needles fall off. If they do, run.
 
When trees are cut and shipped, they undergo a lot of stress. Sure, losing some needles is normal.
 
But if the tree is fresh, the needles should be pliable and very few fall off. Ask the retailer to shake down your tree before leaving to remove any extra loose needles.

You don’t want to vacuum any more than necessary. This is the vacuum I might be getting for Christmas! {Insert happy dance here).

Picture

 

 
5.) Next, grab a branch, hold onto it loosely and rake your hand along it- if you get a handful of needles, choose another tree.
 
 
A bent branch should should snap right back in place. For Frasier and Douglas firs, a better way to test freshness is to remove a firmly connected needle and bend it in half.
​
 
Pull off a needle and put it between your fingers end-to-end. If it bends as you squeeze it, that tree is probably still fresh.
Picture

 

 
6.) Does the tree feel light for its size? If so, it might be dried out from lack of water.Weight is a great way to measure freshness.Sap is another fantastic way to test for freshness. After the tree is cut, it no longer produces sap.

 

It will continue to use this sap until little remains. So if the tree is still giving sap the parts should be sticky with it. This indicates a healthier tree.

Picture

 

 
7.) The following five Christmas tree varieties have the best shape, lush branches, rich color and superior needle retention: balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, noble fir and Scotch pine.Still, if you see any brown spots or dead spots, keep looking!

 

​Think about what color tree you prefer and needle length when selecting the perfect live Christmas tree. Do you like long needle or short needle? Do you enjoy a fragrant tree?

Picture

 

 
8.) And don’t  buy a tree until you’re ready to put it up. Even with a fresh tree, the shelf life is only about 4-6 weeks so don’t put up your tree too early.
 
 
Before you leave the field or store, the seller should make a fresh cut about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the trunk.
 
 
The tree needs water and lots of it immediately. For the first 3 or 4 days, you’ll be watering it several times a day.
 

If you can’t put your Christmas tree up immediately, you’ll need to put the tree in a bucket of warm water outside away from the wind and cold.
Picture

 

 
9.) Think about room placement before bringing the tree in the house. Where are your outlets? Heat sources. Cats. Dogs.You know how cats are, they bat at the ornaments. They can also get tangled in the lights when they gnaw on them.In fact, our cat nearly toppled the Christmas tree one year. Try your best to keep pets away from the tree for their sake and yours!

 

​Shake the branches one more time before bringing the tree inside to get excess needless off. Be sure to use the extra branches to make a fresh wreath! 

Picture

 

 
10.) Place the tree in your home or apartment away from hot, dry heat. Next to the radiator or heat vent is a bad spot.
 
And the tree should never be put up in a room with a stove. Unless you’re looking to turn it into kindling of course.

Keep the tree out of harsh sunlight and warm drafts from vents.  Both will discolor your tree and shorten its lifespan.

Picture

 

 
11.) The base of the tree needs to be cut immediately before putting up the tree to increase its ability to take up water.
 
Prior to buying a tree, ensure that the base of the tree is straight and at least six inches long so it will fit easily into the tree stand.
 
Make a fresh cut in the trunk of at least 1″ before installing the tree in the stand.
Picture

 

 
12.) The bigger the tree, the wider the base needs to be. Make sure that base can hold a lot of water.If your tree is large like ours, then you might want to mount it to a piece of 4×4 plywood to help distribute the weight.Regardless of what stand you use, it needs to be able to hold at least one gallon of water. Don’t add anything to the water.

 

​You probably have heard all the wives tales of adding aspirin, soda water, bleach, salt, sugar, or Karo syrup to keep the tree fresher longer. But most experts insist just plain H2O is best.

Picture

 

 
13.) The first time you water the tree, use hot water. Once the sap starts to seal over the pores of the tree it will stop drawing water.This is why it’s so important to get the tree into water as soon as possible after the fresh cut.Besides, water prevents the needles from drying and dropping off and maintains the fragrance.

 

​Some trees may require several quarts a day, so check the water levels in the stand every few hours.

Picture

 

 

One final very helpful tip…

Each year Tom lays a plastic tarp under our homemade wooden Christmas tree stand to catch needles and other debris falling from the tree.
 
It sure prevents needles getting spread all over the carpet. Then I quickly use the vacuum to suction all these needles before they get stuck in our socks. Ouch.
 
Another bonus is when I do overfill the tree with water, it flows onto the waterproof tarp, not our carpet.
 
 
Do you put up multiple Christmas trees? Real or fake?

Secret code – seed

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Deborah Ragno says

    One tree, fresh cut. We visited the farm just yesterday since the weather is beautiful for November and tagged our tree. We will go back to get it the second week of December. They will cut it, haul it, shake it, wrap it, and put it in our van. Our youngest daughter’s bd is 12/7 so I always insisted that no Christmas decorating started until after her birthday. Even though she has been out of the house since 2003, I still wait until the second week of December to get the tree. It stays fresh until the second week of January. I’m always sad to see people tear down their trees and decorations on Dec. 26. One trick our son-in-love showed us to make the tree last longer — just before putting it in the stand (and right after trimming the inch off the bottom — drill a hole up through the bottom of the tree and stuff some absorbent fabric strips (old flannel works great) into the hole, leaving a tail that will wick up the water into the tree.

    Reply

  11. Tracey Barfield says

    A real tree brings back some many memories of Christmas, my family always had a real tree and the smell of that tree brought the Christmas magic to the house. Thanks for sharing the tips

    Reply

  13. Betsy Pauzauskie says

    When our family was young we enjoyed cutting our Christmas trees. When our oldest daughter was in high school I developed allergies and we switched to a large artificial tree. Over time, we got a smaller artificial tree, since the kids were grown and no grandchildren were on the horizon. And, we kept the smaller tree after our 7 Grandchildren arrived. However, our children were given most of the Hallmark, Enesco and other Ornaments we’d collected over the years for their own family trees. Your tree tips were spot on; and, brought back many wonderful memories for me. Thank you!

    Reply

  17. Terri David says

    I prefer to admire the trees in our yard and not cut them down. Birds and critters need the habitat more than I need to decorate my house.

    Reply