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| Photo Credit: David L. Morgan |
| Like Christmas presents for your family, your fresh tree should be selected with care. |
Selecting a live Christmas tree for your home is the fun part. The challenge is keeping it looking fresh through the holidays.
Obviously caring for a live Christmas tree requires some extra attention so that it survives the dry environment of your home. But how do you do it? Here are a few hints to help your family enjoy your living tree throughout the yuletide season. Select a “fresh” tree. In some locations, “freshness” means buying locally grown and recently shipped trees. In areas where Christmas trees aren’t grown locally, “freshness” may come down to a choice of species. Generally speaking, firs (Abies sp.) hold their needles the longest, followed by pines (Pinus sp.), then spruces (Picea sp.). | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: David L. Morgan | | Make sure the trunk of your tree is straight so it’ll fit into the stand squarely. |
If you’re picking from a tree lot, ask the seller where the trees were grown and when they were delivered. The closer you live to the location of where the trees were grown and the most recently they were delivered ensures that you’ll have the freshest tree possible. (And don’t be surprised if the best trees are the most expensive!) A newly delivered tree will be deep green and have few browning needles. Most needles should be soft to the touch and not fall off as you run your hand over the branch. (Although it’s normal for a few inner brown needles to drop – particularly in pines, which shed their older leaves in winter.) Don’t forget to also check the base of the tree – if it’s crooked, it won’t fit securely in your tree stand.
Remember the size of your house. It’s easy to fall in love with a gorgeous tree that shows great decorating potential. But be honest: Will the one you’re eyeing actually fit in your family room? Some people think that with a little “extra trimming” (read: “chopping”), they can fit a 12-foot pine in a room with 10-foot ceilings. But trimming a few low branches (which is sometimes necessary) is one thing. Hacking off a couple of feet to make it fit is another – and it’ll only make your tree look…well, chopped off and unattractive.
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