Fresh Christmas Tree Care
If you are buying a fresh tree this year, remember it needs to be watered and watered A LOT. You don’t have to buy special tree extender stuff or food. Just water it and water it.
In our area I have noticed that most real trees go on sale December 15th, so if you don’t need to have one early you might consider waiting until then.
Also I know we so often think bigger is better but be sure you get a tree that will fit into your house. This seems like an obvious thing but I once sold a nine foot tree to a lady. I kept asking her if she was sure it would fit into her house because, at that time, most people had 8 foot ceilings, but she insisted it would work. A week later she came back and wanted her money back because she couldn’t fit the tree into her living room.
Jill
Your advice on keeping a fresh Christmas tree watered reminded me of a tip I got from the lady we buy our real tree from. She always told us that when we got the tree home, to cut approximately a 1/4″ to a 1/2″ off of the bottom of the trunk. This will give you a new fresh end for the tree to “drink” from. Also, drill a small diameter hole (3/8″ to 1/2″) from the bottom of the trunk up into the center. This will insure that water will get deep inside the trunk as well. We do it every year and it works great!! From: Dave V.
photo by: chippenziedeutch
Friend of ours always cut that slice off the tree and then painted or wood burned the year on it, drilled a hole in it and used it as an ornament , saving them each each year. Made the tree very personal.
Jill and everyone. this may be a bit off topic but it fits with the season.
If you do the real christmas tree and all the pine around the house let people know you have done so.
A lot of people are allergic or very sensitive to the strong smell of pine.
By letting them know you have it in the house gives them the option of staying away.
My husband is one of those who gets an asthma attack around pine and unfortunately we have pine and birch trees everywhere but in the house.
We went to a house party and Don got to the point where he couldn’t breathe even after using his inhaler. We quietly got up and went to say good bye to the hostess who was a good friend. She started telling us off that if we smoke we shouldn’t complain when others were in the holiday spirit.
Now we don’t smoke in others homes, we were stepping out when we smoked along with many others. We explained why we had to leave and she went ballistic.
Needless to say she is not a friend not by our doing but by her telling all the friends we had in common that we were rude and inconsiderate.
Not much of the christmas spirit in that home.
One lady I knew was always sick at christmas day. Turns out she is allergic or highly sensitive to the smell of turkey cooking. she can eat it but can’t be in the house as it cooks. They now have ham or prime rib roast for christmas dinner.
I miss the christmas smell here at home of pine but I would miss my husband and one son a lot more.
be kind and don’t overdue with room fresheners and pot pourries people are nicer than the great smelling room while some are unable to breathe.
We also have a tradition of prime rib on Christmas. For some reason my husband’s digestive system just doesn’t like domesticated turkey, or chicken, for that matter. He can eat cornish hens with no problem. But prime rib is a once-a-year treat, so we indulge! I also make Yorkshire pudding from the fat drippings.
I read about Yorkshire pudding in my “bookies” all the time and have never had it. I may have to break down and try to make some one day. It all sounds so yummy Jeanne.
Grandma I’m sorry that woman behaved like that. I am allergic to smoke, cats and many artificial substances like air fresheners, cleaning products, perfume, etc. I ask my relatives not to use them when I am coming, or even clean while I there because its raises dust. They normally comply. That woman was probably embarassed that you left her party and made a stink made her look bad, not you. I remember people asking me why I had a dog and telling me to get allergy shots because their chain smoking gave me sinus and upper respiratory infections. I wouldn’t have a dog if I were allergic to one.
We have always bought fresh Frasier Fir trees, our favorite, either cut them down ourselves, or bought them off a lot (here in Virginia there are no longer any tree farms that raise the Frasiers; the soil here isn’t suitable). Last year we bought ours at Home Depot; the trees, from Canada, had only been cut two days previously and were half the price of the private vendors in the grocery store parking lots. Frasier Firs are wonderful because they do not have sharp needles and they are still doing well after a month. We will always buy Frasiers until it’s not longer practical for us to have a real tree.
We also cut about 1/2 inch at the bottom before we leave the store, and put the tree in a bucket of water for a day before bringing it indoors.
We love our Balsum fir for the same reason Jeanne T loves her Frasier fur. It lasts a long time, the needles are soft and there is lots of space between the branches for our long and dangly ornaments. We get our trees from a lot near where our first house was – a lot run by the Lions club. Our tree this year came from Nova Scotia. Guess they can’t grow the Balsum’s here in VA either.
Should have said Frasier Fir not fur.