Care and Feeding of Cut Christmas Trees

Cutting down a Christmas tree to decorate is a tradition dating back at least two centuries to a time when it was the norm to bring the family into the woods and drag back a newly-felled evergreen. Cutting one’s own is an option that was joined by precut tree sales in 1851, and tree selection was thus made both more convenient and more complicated.

Criteria for a Quality Tree

The ideal Christmas tree must be chosen with several criteria in mind:

• Height. There must be sufficient clearance for the tree topper ornament, so its height should be known in advance. Additionally, the tree stand will add a certain amount of height.
• Branch density. A more sparsely-branched tree is appropriate for more dangly ornaments and garlands, but additional branches permit more areas from which to string lights.
• Freshness. Easy enough to evaluate when one cuts one’s own tree, but more challenging when buying a tree at a corner lot or farm stand. Fresher trees accept water longer, a determining factor in how long the needles will stay green and in place.

Determining Tree Freshness

The Garden Helper’s guide to Christmas trees offers some suggestions.

• Color. It may seem obvious, but green needles are better than brown.
• Needles. Stroke a branch gently to see if any come off from that easy touch – they should be secure.
• Shock test. Drop the tree on its stump from several inches – only a few inner needles should fall out.

Corner lots that appear seasonally may vary quite a bit in the freshness of the inventory, depending on their suppliers. Farm stands that are connected to local agriculture may have fresher trees; ask where their trees are grown and how often they get a delivery to be certain.

Preserving Christmas Trees

Trees should be kept in a cold, sheltered area until it’s time to set them up – a garage or unheated porch is a good choice. When it’s time to bring the tree inside, cut off the bottom of the trunk at a slight angle. This removes a hardening layer of pitch that makes water absorption difficult. Set the tree up in its stand in a place away from big heat sources or strong direct light – these will only shorten the tree’s useful time as a safe holiday decoration. Fill the water tray and make sure the level doesn’t drop below the trunk as long as the tree is inside.

Holiday lights should be as cool as possible – LEDs generate the least heat of tree lights made today. All the wiring should be checked carefully before placing on the tree – bare wires and brittle insulation are potentially dangerous situations, and any damaged light strings should be replaced.

Cut Christmas trees can be cared for to minimize messes and fire hazards, and at the same time maximize the intoxicating smell of evergreen boughs that evokes such strong memories in so many people.