Texas-grown Christmas trees.

Trail Creek Farm

Tree Care

Christmas Tree Care

Choosing a real Christmas tree is a fun outing for the whole family and

easy to do. Here are a few simple steps for selecting the perfect tree.

 

In most households, the holiday season didn’t begin until the family went

to the local lot or tree farm to pick out their tree. Then, the whole family

would decorate the tree. Gifts would be wrapped and placed underneath

it. And, on Christmas morning, the family would once again join around

the tree waiting for the festivities to begin. The scent, aroma, and the

real tree itself were an integral part of the family unity as well as the

holiday season itself. This tradition continues to this day as more than 37

million families celebrate with a real Christmas tree.

 

The celebrating of Christmas with a real tree has been a tradition for over

400 years. At one time, all Christmas trees were cut from natural stands

(or straight out of the forest). As you can imagine, these wild trees

looked nothing like today's professionally grown and sheared trees.

Today, 98% of trees are grown on plantations. These plantations may

sell them to local lots, or act as choose and cut farms where people go to

select and cut down their own fresh tree.

 

To make your tradition a more memorable and pleasant one, we’d like to

offer a few helpful hints when selecting a tree:

 

- Do a freshness test. Gently grasp a branch between your thumb and

forefinger and pull it toward you. Very few needles should come off in

your hand if the tree is fresh. Shake or bounce the tree on its stump. You

should not see an excessive amount of green needles fall to the ground.

Some loss of interior brown needles is normal and will occur over the

lifetime of the tree.

 

- Once you've chosen your tree, keep it in a sheltered, unheated area

such as a porch or garage to protect it from the wind and sun until you

are ready to decorate it.

- Before you set up your tree, make a fresh, straight cut across the base

of the trunk (about a quarter inch up from the original cut) and place the

tree in a tree stand that holds a gallon of water or more.

Warning: Keep the tree stand filled with water. A seal of dried sap will

form over the cut stump in four to six hours if the water drops below the

base of the tree, preventing the tree from absorbing water later when the

tree stand is refilled. If a seal does form, another fresh cut will need to

be made.

 

A tree will absorb as much as a gallon of water or more in the first 24

hours and one or more quarts a day thereafter. Water is important

because it prevents the needles from drying and dropping off and the

boughs from drooping. Water also keeps the tree fragrant.

 

In addition, keep your tree away from heat and draft sources like

fireplaces, radiators and television sets. Test your light cords and

connections before hanging them on the tree to make sure they're in

good working order. You don't want to use cords with cracked insulation

or broken or empty sockets. Also be sure to unplug the lights before you

go to bed or leave the house. Never overload electrical circuits.

 

Sensible precautions such as these will help preserve the unique beauty

and tradition that only a real Christmas tree can provide.

RECYCLE YOUR

CHRISTMAS TREE