Eight Tips for a Healthy Fresh Christmas Tree

With about 900 Christmas tree farms in the state, you don’t have look very hard to find one near you in Michigan. One of my family’s favorite holiday traditions is picking out our Christmas tree together.

We go to the same Christmas tree farm every year and cut one fresh. My boys love the wagon ride out to the field and the free hot chocolate back at the barn. The farm we go to also sells beautiful handmade wreaths. Some Christmas tree farms even have reindeer on site as well as other activities for the kids and tasty treats for sale.

I love having a fresh tree in the house. It’s just so pretty and smells so nice. If you plan on having a fresh tree in your house this season, here are a few tips for finding a healthy tree and making sure it lasts until New Year’s Day.

1. Height – You want to make sure your tree fits in your house. One year our tree was too tall, even though our house had 10 ft. ceilings, because we didn’t have enough room left at the top for the angel. We ended up lobbing it off to make it fit. It didn’t look quite right after that. To get the right size tree, measure your ceiling height, subtract the height of your topper and allow a few more inches for your stand. Take a tape measure along when you pick out your tree.

2. Check for freshness – If you cut the tree down yourself there isn’t any question whether it’s fresh or not. If you buy a pre-cut tree you want to make sure it’s healthy. Run your fingers loosely down the needles on the end of a branch. The needles should stay put. If they fall off easily the tree is probably dried out already. Also, a fresh tree should have a strong pine fragrance.

3. Strong Branches – Check that the branches are strong enough to hold your ornaments. Thin, weak branches will droop and decorations will fall off.

4.When you get the tree home – If you cut your tree fresh, take it home and put it in water as soon as possible. If you aren’t going to put it in the stand right away, prop it up in a bucket to keep it hydrated. If you purchase a pre-cut tree saw off at least one inch from the base before putting it in water. Sap from the tree forms a seal on the bottom and can prevent the tree from soaking up water.

5. Plenty of water – All real Christmas trees need plenty of water. Always keep the stand full of water, so it doesn’t dry out. A dry tree will lose its needles and the branches will start to wilt. It’s also a fire hazard. The first year my husband and I were married we put up a real tree on Thanksgiving evening. Then a week before Christmas we went out-of-town for three days. By the time we got home our tree stand was bone dry, our beautiful tree was saggy and the floor was littered with needles. By Christmas morning it really looked sad.

6. Keep away from other drying factors – If you put your tree up in front of a window keep the curtains closed during the day. Too much sunlight will speed up drying. Also do not place it near a draft or heating vent. The moving air will dry it out as well.

7. Easy clean up – Using a Christmas tree skirt that’s as wide as the base of your tree will help to catch any needles that do fall and makes cleanup easier. You can also a purchase a special bag that you fit around the base of the tree when you put it up. Hide the bag with the tree skirt. When it’s time to take the tree down you just pull the bag up over the tree and close it. That way you won’t have a trail of needles all the way through the house to the front door.

8. Recycle – Consider recycling your tree. Many cities offer curbside recycling. Check with your local government for rules and schedules. Your trash service may also offer tree recycling. If pick up isn’t available you can usually drop your tree off at the community recycling center for free. Or consider using your tree to help the local wildlife. People with private ponds and lakes throw them in the water to create shelters for feeding fish. You can also place your tree out in the yard. Hang orange slices, popcorn strings or bird feeders on them to keep the birds well feed all winter. Eventually the tree will grow brittle, and you can easily break the tree apart by hand and dispose of it as yard waste.