When the right tree is picked out the tree might be wrapped up or tied up. That helps a bit when driving home to keep the water in the leaves from being stripped by the winds of travel.
Picking out the perfect Christmas tree for the winter holidays can be a fun way to bring all the family outdoors to see what trees are available.
One of the most popular of trees is the Fraser Fir, a native tree that in nature thrive only in the highest elevations on the summits in the Appalachian Mountains, the far north western part of North Carolina, the north eastern part of Tennessee, the southwestern corner of Virginia and northern section of those mountains in Georgia.
They are considered a rare and endangered plant in their home territories, but in the Christmas tree farms in North Carolina, the Fraser fire is the most popular of all the trees grown.
It is an elegant tree that grows in a narrow, pyramidal habit with a spire like crown, perfect for a Christmas angel or star.
The soft, lightly fragrant shiny dark green needles have 2 silver bands on the underside which can be seen as the needles curve upwards, showcasing both the dark green and silver.
The strong branches and the ability to retain the colorful soft inch long needles along with its slender shape make it a wonderful tree to fill with decorations.
But there are other wonderful choices including the Balsam Fir with a strong fragrance and rich deep green needles.
Douglas Fir has soft pale green needles with delicate stems, perfect for small or light weight ornaments. Colorado Blue spruce has icy silvery blue needles that are really sharp with a wonderful fragrance. Scotch pines have hairlike needles while Virginia pines have a classic pine fragrance with slightly sticky needles.
Leyland cypress has deep green needles and is a good choice for those with allergies as it is not fragrant.
Most Christmas trees are purchased right after Thanksgiving when there is a wonderful selection of trees to choose from.
If you do pick one up early, trim off a half-inch of the trunk and place the tree in a large container that has at least 3-5 gallons of water, keep the tree outside in the shade and out of the wind for up to 2-3 weeks before the holiday, keeping the holder full of water each day.
Picking out the right tree needs to start at home by measuring the height of the ceiling of the room that the tree will hold court, and measure just how wide the tree should be.
When shopping for the perfect tree, look at the branches and stems to see if they are sturdy enough to hold the ornaments. Pick up the tree and bounce it lightly on the ground it to see if only the inside needles drop off or some of the needles on the outside of the tree drop off.
It is natural for the trees to drop the older inside needles, healthy fresh needles should be bright or shiny dark green but only really dry trees will lose the needles on the outside, and those are the ones you should not purchase.
Another test is to hold a twig between your fingers and thumb, then pull along the length of the twig to see if the needles stay on or get stripped off. You can also roll a few of the needles between your fingers to smell the fresh outdoors aroma.
Check to see if the trunk is narrow or too wide, it must fit into a tree stand and hold the tree upright. When the right tree is picked out the tree might be wrapped up or tied up for travel.
That helps a bit when driving home to keep the water in the leaves from being stripped by the wind of travel.
When the tree is back home, check to see how the trunk fits into the holder, then cut at least a half-inch to 1 inch off of the trunk, put the tree into the holder that is filled with fresh water.
The best holders are ones that can hold up to 3 gallons of water!
If the tree trunk is kept out of water too long, it will begin to sap up with resin and seal the cut, which prevents the tree from drinking up the water it needs to stay fresh.
If that happens cut another half-inch off the trunk and place in water. When the tree is brought into the warmer indoors, it will drink a lot of water so the holder should be checked two or three times for the first few days and then every morning and evening to keep fresh cool water in the holder.
If the tree is left without water for even a day, the tree will not be able to drink up any more water and will slowly turn very dry and brittle.
It is best to place the tree away from heating vents, fire places, radiators, space heaters and direct sunlight, all of which can make the trees dry faster.
A few other things to check before bringing a tree indoors that you should not bring into your home is old birds’ nests, no matter how lovely and the egg sacs of the Praying Mantis.
A tree that has been kept well hydrated can usually for several months in doors, keeping the holiday cheer going.
When it is time to remove the tree, take off all the ornaments including tinsel, and check with your town to see when they have their recycle center open for the trees.
(Editor’s Note: Ginny Rosenkranz is a commercial horticulture specialist with the University of Maryland Extension.)
