To me, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a real Christmas tree. Every year millions of families shop for and buy a “real” cut Christmas trees.

According to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), 56 million trees are planted each year for future Christmases and 30 to 35 million families will shop and buy a “real” Christmas tree this year The following are a few hints to help you select that perfect tree:

It is essential to choose a tree that has been recently cut and is still fresh. Look at the needles: if they look bright, that’s a good sign.

Avoid any tree with dull and dried up ones. Give the tree a gentle shake and if they start falling off, you need to move on.

Remember to choose a tree that fits where it is to be displayed. For example if the tree is displayed in front of a large window, then all four sides should look as good as possible.

If the tree is displayed against a wall, then a tree with three good sides would be okay. The more perfect a tree, the more expensive it is. And,

If you are not putting the tree up right away store it in an unheated garage or some other area out of the wind and freezing temperatures. Make a fresh one inch cut on the butt end and place the tree in a bucket of warm water.

When you decide to bring the tree indoors, make another fresh one inch cut and place the tree in a sturdy stand that holds at least one gallon of water. Or, a rule of thumb is one quart of water for every inch of diameter of the trunk.

Water, water, water. Christmas trees are very thirsty and will use up to a gallon of water each day. Check the stand each day for water.  Most experts insist that plain old water is all you need to keep your Christmas tree fresh through Christmas.

Choosing a large capacity stand is one of the most important steps to maintaining tree freshness. Avoid small “coffee cup” stands.

Generally, a tree can use up to one quart of water per day for each inch of stem diameter.

Display your Christmas tree in a cool place but out of a draft. Fireplaces can dry your tree prematurely.

Do a little research on different  Christmas tree types. Some Christmas tree varieties will hold needles longer than others.

We prefer Douglas fir. It has short needles,strong branches,good even coloration,and lasts without dropping too many needles on the floor.

Another good one is the Fraser Fir. It’s branches curve up and can generally hold a medium heavy ornament. They are not as strong of branches as the Scotch Pine or the Blue Spruce. But they smell great and will hold a decent sized ornament.

Any of the Fir variants (Fraser, Douglas, Balsam, etc…) will have the “smell” of Christmas but do not have the strongest branches. The Pines (Scotch, White, etc…) will hold needles better than any others.

The Spruces (Blue, Norway white, etc…) generally have stiffer branches but drop needles faster than the others, with the exception being the Blue Spruce, they hold needles almost as long as the pines do.

Have a great Christmas with your best Christmas tree ever.

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener