Choosing the perfect Christmas tree is a family tradition for many families celebrating the Christmas season. There are some beautiful artificial trees available that look real, but for some traditionalists, Christmas is not Christmas unless they have a real fresh tree.
Ideally, you want a fresh-cut Christmas tree to look good and last throughout the season, so you need to start with a fresh, healthy tree and look after it properly.
Before you go out to pick out the tree, decide where the tree will be displayed in the home and measure the ceiling height. Choose a tree that is 30 centimetres shorter than the ceiling height.
Ideally, the tree should be displayed in a cool, draft-free area away from the fireplace or heat sources for it to last the season. When you are measuring, don't forget to measure the tree stand, making sure that the base of the tree will fit in the stand.
When looking at trees, look for a tree with a uniform shape and with branches sturdy enough to hold tree ornaments.
Before bringing a tree into the house, it should be kept untied/unwrapped in a cool, temperature-controlled area where the temperature does not go below -5 C as this can harm the tree when it comes indoors.
The tree should look, feel, and smell fresh. When you run your fingers down the branch, the needles should remain on the branch and feel moist and flexible. Pick the tree up a few centimetres and thump the base on the ground, checking for needle drop. There should be very little to no needles dropping off the tree.
Transporting the tree home must be done properly to ensure that your carefully picked tree remains fresh and beautiful. When temperatures are -5 C or lower, the tree should be transported in an enclosed space. If the tree is not being displayed for a while, keep it in a cool location such as a heated garage or shed.
When the tree is ready to be placed in water, cut a two- to three-centimetre slice from the bottom of the tree to reopen the circulatory system, allowing the water to take up water. (This can be done at the garden centre if the tree will be displayed in the next few hours.)
An added step to keep the tree fresh is to place it in the following solution for 12 hours before placing it in a water-filled stand and decorating it.
In the order given, put 3.5 litres of warm water in a pail, add two cups corn syrup, four tablespoons micronized iron or iron chelate (found in the garden centre) and four teaspoons bleach. Place the tree in a clean tree stand that holds at least four litres of water. A tree can take up to one to two litres of water each day. Before decorating the tree make sure that it is taking up water. If it is not taking up water re-cut the bottom end.
Keeping the tree stand full of water is important, so check it daily. If the water level in the stand drops below the trunk bottom, a scab will form and the tree will no longer be able to take up water and will dry out unless another two to three centimetres is cut off the trunk bottom, which would be difficult once the tree has been decorated. Adding tree preservative to the water also helps.
Clean-up after Christmas can be messy. Hiding a plastic tree bag under the stand and tree skirt when you are putting up the tree will make clean-up a breeze.
After the tree has been undecorated pull up the tree bag over the tree and carry it away. The entire mess will remain in the tree bag.
After Christmas don't throw the tree away. Fresh Christmas trees can be shredded and be part of the compost.
