How to Choose and Care for a Fresh Christmas Tree

As tempting as a pricey, artificial pre-lit Christmas tree may be, few things about the holidays are as satisfying as a fresh, real Christmas tree. Real trees smell like “Christmas” in a way that fake trees never will.

Fresh test

Gently grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward you. Few needles should come off in your hand if the tree is fresh. Shake or bounce the tree on its stump. You should not see excessive green needles fall to the ground. Some loss of interior brown needles is normal and will occur over the life of a tree.

Size

When choosing a tree, remember the most important characteristic is water capacity. A good rule of thumb is one quart for every inch in diameter of the tree’s trunk. For example, the average six-foot tree has a trunk with a four-inch diameter, so the tree stand should hold one gallon of water.

Proper fit

You should also make sure the stand fits the tree. If it is too big or too small it might cause the tree to tip over. Never trim the sides of the trunk to fit in a stand.

Keep it fresh

Until you are ready to bring it into the house, store the tree in a cool, shaded place out of sunlight such as a covered porch or garage. Just before you bring it into the house, cut 1/4-inch off the trunk and immediately plunge that cut end into a bucket of water.

Water, water, water

Never allow your tree to run out of water. Check it daily. If a fresh tree is properly cared for and watered, it should stay fresh through New Year’s Day.

Additives

You can save the sugar, aspirin tablets, can of Sprite and other tricky kind of additive that’s supposed to keep a Christmas tree fresh longer. The National Christmas Tree Association does not endorse any additive to the tree’s water. They promise that your tree will stay fresh with just plain water.

Forgot to trim the trunk?

Within four to six hours of exposure, the tree will form a sap seal over the stump and will not absorb water. If you forget to make a fresh cut and the tree is all set up and decorated, remove the water from the stand (use a turkey baster to suck it out). Now drill holes into the side of the trunk below the water level. Immediately refill with water making sure none of the holes are above the water line.

Why real?

If the nostalgia of a fresh, fragrant tree is not reason enough to go natural, consider these facts:

  • The average life of a fake tree is about six years, but centuries in a landfill.
  • One to three seedlings are planted in the U.S. for every harvested Christmas tree—a total of 41 million were planted in winter/spring 2013 alone.
  • Ninety-three percent of real Christmas trees harvested are recycled in community programs providing mulch for landscape and replenishing the earth’s soil.

Fire hazard? Not really

The National Fire Protection Association tracks fires and their causes. According to their data, of all residential fires real Christmas trees are involved in less than 1/10 of one percent (0.1%). Sensational blazing trees on the evening news are often doused in a flammable liquid to create a show, or are very old and dried out.

Caution

Never burn a tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Pine trees have a lot of sap which can flash and create a chimney fire.

 

Quick Tree Facts

  • Approximately 25-30 million Real Christmas Trees are sold in the U.S. annually.
  • There are nearly 350 million Real Christmas Trees currently growing on Christmas Tree farms in the U.S. alone, all planted by farmers.
  • North American Real Christmas Trees are grown in all 50 states and Canada.
  • Eighty percent (80%) of artificial trees worldwide are manufactured in China, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
  • Real Trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and possible metal toxins such as lead.
  • More than 4,000 local Christmas Tree recycling programs are in the United States.
  • For every Real Christmas Tree harvested, 1 to 3 seedlings are planted the following spring.
  • Nearly 15,000 farms are growing Christmas Trees in the U.S., and over 100,000 people are employed full or part-time in the industry.
  • There are about 350,000 acres in production for growing Christmas Trees in the U.S., much of it preserving green space.
  • It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of typical height (6 to 7 feet) or as little as four years, but the average growing time is seven years.
  • The top Christmas Tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Washington.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

More from Everyday Cheapskate

Valentines day greeting card with rose flowers and gift box on white wooden background
february-2024-wallpaper-calendar-valentines-day
silver flatware forks on linen napkin
Goals plans make to do and wish list for new year christmas concept, girl writing in notebook. Woman hand holding pen on notepad at home on winter holidays xmas. Christmas decoration, gift boxes
bills and credit cards overspent for christmas
Family tradition of playing a game in front of Christmas Tree
Colleagues at the office exchanged gifts for Christmas. A group of employees. The concept of surprises, greetings and secret Santa.
gift for her


Please keep your comments positive, encouraging, helpful, brief,
and on-topic in keeping with EC Commenting Guidelines



Caught yourself reading all the way 'til the end? Why not share with a friend.

4 replies
  1. Calissa Ross Silver Dollar City Foundation says:

    I live in a lake area of Missouri, many real trees are sunk in the lakes to provide habitats for fish. I like that they are useful after the holidays.

    Reply
  2. Polly says:

    When my kids were little we had real trees and they were sick every Christmas. My mom gave me her fake tree and the kids were fine till I missed the smell and brought in fresh boughs to decorate and get some smell in the house! Even as an adult, my son got a rash when planting pine trees on his property ( had to hug them to pick them up). He had forgotten the sick Christmases!

    Reply
  3. Betsy Hoekstra says:

    Mary, I loved this post. We have cut our own tree for 50 years ! Back in the 70’s it cost $5.00! It’s a tradition I treasure and have passed to my daughter and god daughter and family. We have had an abundance of memories and even some crazy mishaps as well . I also value your info. on why to buy a real tree! Our tree farm asks us to return the trees for recycling I always go to the MN State Fair for corn dogs and the Christmas Tree display just to wander through and enjoy that pine smell! <3

    Reply
  4. Luisa says:

    Thanks for all the good info on Christmas trees, Mary. Over the years I made a lot of those mistakes, but finally got it figured out. One year our cat kept pulling the tree down. We finally screwed a bolt into the wall and hooked a bungee cord to it to hold the tree up, then repaired and re-painted the wall after Christmas. Also I appreciated the statistics on the advantages of real trees over fake ones.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *