A lot of families consider the selection of the right Christmas tree as the beginning of the holiday season. You shouldn’t choose this Christmas season to forget this important tradition. You should follow these bits of advice offered by America’s Christmas Tree Growers association in order to get the right tree for your family this Christmas.
You should select a tree lot which will let you cut down a tree chosen by yourself or which you can watch someone else cut it in order to maintain its freshness. If you have to buy a tree that has been pre-cut, you should make sure that you enquire about where it was shipped from as well as the time that it was cut.
When you are looking for a good tree, you shouldn’t disdain those that have flat or badly shaped sides. Nature usually leaves one side of a tree quite full and the other very flat. Any imperfections in your tree can usually be hidden by placing it in a corner or by a wall in order to mask any imperfections.
People should remember that trees usually look bigger when they are placed outdoors, in order to know the best tree for your home, you should have measured your ceiling height properly before you leave your house. Other things that should be measured include door widths and room sizes. By doing this you ensure that the tree will actually fit in once you have taken it home.
You should always look for trees with needles that are pliable. If these needles snap or bend easily or their branches can pull off with little effort, it means that the tree may have been picked weeks or days earlier. This also means that the tree won’t stand heat inside your home and may lose all its needles as soon as it is decorated.
All evergreen trees tend to shed needles from their inner branches on a very regular basis. People shouldn’t worry if a few of these needles fall off when the tree is picked up or shaken. Certain tree retailers offer a tree shaking service in order to get trees rid of loose needles before they are sent to your home.
Trees can also be baled in plastic tree netting as this makes it easier for you to get these trees home and set them up.
As soon as your tree has been chosen and you have gotten it home, you have to take great care of the tree to make sure that it lasts for the entire duration of the holiday.
Here are a few tips on how to care for your family’s new Christmas tree:
If you are not planning on putting your tree up immediately, cut about a half inch off of the trunk and set it in a bucket of water until you’re ready to take it inside.
As soon as you’re ready to bring your tree inside, cut another ½ inch off the bottom of the tree trunk, you should then place it in the tree stand with enough water to cover the entire diameter of the tree – about one quart of water for each inch of diameter stem. You should make sure that you keep the water at this level to make sure that it remains fresh. A trunk that is allowed to seal over will dry quickly and lose its needles before Christmas ever arrives.
You should also make sure that you check the label on your tree stand to make sure it can accommodate the size tree you have chosen.
The best tree preservative is plain water. There is no need for added chemicals.
Keep your tree away from all heat sources. Turn down the heat in that room if at all possible to keep your tree moist and fresh.
