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A tall, green fir tree is usually the focal point of a home's Christmas decorations.Sparkly ornaments and brights lights help to make the Christmas tree's beauty complete, but it takes a perfect tree to begin the display with. There are many artificial trees on the market today that make you look twice because they look so real. They are fine to use, but if you are a traditionalist and would still rather take the family out to pick and choose a good old fashioned Christmas tree, then read on and find out how!
There is no substitute for a real-live Christmas tree standing proudly in your living room. Their fragrance cannot be matched by any bottled or canned concoction on the market. However, in order to get the best tree available, especially a fragrant tree in good shape, you must be careful where you purchase it.
Make sure the tree you choose has not been sitting at its sale location for an extended period of time. You want a fresh-cut or even a relatively fresh-cut tree that has been handled properly. Freshness can be determined by the general appearance of the fir tree. The tree should be green and not have a great number of brown needles on it. Run yourhand over the branches and watch for needles falling off of the fir tree. Keep in mind that a fresh tree will not release many needles.
To ensure the quality of a fir tree, you might choose to visit a nursery or a Christmas tree farm. At these locations, you can walk through a usually huge selection of fir trees which are grown right there on the property. You and your family can then choose the tree you want to purchase and cut it down yourself and take it home. You will know the tree is freshly-cut.
Caring for a live fir tree is a pretty easy task. The tree should be placed in a secure stand located away from doorways, traffic areas of the rooms, furnace ducts, fireplaces, and other heat sources. Fill the water reservoir up and keep it filled as long as you have the tree in your house. Keeping the tree watered will prevent it from turning brown and dry.
If you are concerned about the environment or simply want to spruce-up your back yard, then a living tree might be the right choice for you. These trees are not cut, but rather are uprooted, and because of this, they need a little more care than a cut Christmas tree.
Once you get your living tree home, leave it in an outbuilding for a couple of days before you take it inside your house. Position it away from heat sources just like you would with a cut tree, and keep the roots watered at all times. With teh amount of roots it has, you will need to stand your living tree in a bucket or other suitable container instead of a regular tree stand.
Living Christmas trees can usually be kept indoors for about eight to ten days as long as they are well-watered. Place it back in an outbuilding for a couple days before you plant it.
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