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.
Measure that base, too. And don’t forget to bring your tape measure when tree shopping!
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.
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.
You don’t want to vacuum any more than necessary. This is the vacuum I might be getting for Christmas! {Insert happy dance here).
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.
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?
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.
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!
Keep the tree out of harsh sunlight and warm drafts from vents. Both will discolor your tree and shorten its lifespan.
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.
Some trees may require several quarts a day, so check the water levels in the stand every few hours.
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.
love this site.
the smell of a fresh cut pine always takes me back to my childhood, ty for the article!
foods to enjoy
Love the smell of a fresh cut pine!
Thank you for having a great giveaway during the holidays <3
All great tips! Thank you for sharing these.
Very interesting things I never thought about
L
Beautiful pictures
Aww.. and The Animals on here Make me smile, The TREE is beautiful!
My tree is going to be artificial this year and it’s going to be a grinch theme!!
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
There’s nothing like a live tree at Christmas time. Love the smell that fills the living room! 🙂
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!
Great ideas and tips to follow. Thanks for the sharing.
great ideas, thanks much!!!
looks like the people that picked the Rockefeller tree should have watched. That tree is pitiful!