Each year as the Halloween candy is eaten in our home, there is a debate about when we should start to decorate for Christmas. I make it no secret that Christmas is my favorite holiday and I’m a better person when Christmas tunes are on the radio. I get a head start buying presents in October and begin thinking through family Christmas menus before Thanksgiving leftovers have been put away.
Social media and my husband demand that Christmas cheer be put on hold until the end of November, but I typically get started sooner despite their best efforts. I’m not so extreme that I put up the tree on November 1st, but there will definitely be Hallmark Christmas movies and Alvin and the Chipmunks in my living room soon!
Regardless of when you decide it’s time to get your annual evergreen, here are a few tips for selecting a live tree and caring for it throughout the season.
Before you ever travel to the tree farm or pop-up shop for your tree, have a good idea of where you will place it. Trees tend to look smaller outdoors than once they are in your living room. Also, tree toppers and stands will typically add 6 inches or more to the total height.
Very few families have the opportunity to harvest their own tree nowadays. The majority will be grown on a farm elsewhere, cut, and moved to a local hardware store or somewhere similar. It’s hard to tell exactly how long pre-cut trees have been cut or how long they might last. You can hold a branch about 6 inches from the tree top and allow it to slip through your fingers as a type of freshness test. If the tree has been harvested recently, very few green needles should slip off. This comparison cannot be made across tree species as many will retain needles differently. Give your tree a few extra good shakes before brining it inside to dislodge the rest of the dried needles, insects, and dust.
A cut tree is still a live tree with all the normal physiological processes of a tree. So it will require hydration to keep it fresh. Trees have the ability to seal off a cut with sap. This will prevent the tree from taking up water. Make a fresh cut about a quarter of an inch above the original cut before placing your tree in a stand at home.
Watering the tree should be a simple process and doesn’t require any special additives. Give your new tree about a gallon of water, between another quart and gallon the next day, and check the stand regularly. Make sure it never runs out of water. Cut trees should be placed away from heat sources to help keep them from drying out too quickly.
Also, to avoid accidental fires, avoid placing your tree near a space heater, wood stove, or fireplace. Likewise, electric lights and extension cords should be inspected for frayed wires, broken pieces, or loose connections before use each year. While a well-watered tree should be safe, still take precautions of using only lights approved for the task and unplug all decorations when your tree is unattended.
If you are on the early Christmas side of the fence or you would rather I had waited another month to write this article, I wish you and your family a festive and safe holiday season!