Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Tips on selecting the right Christmas tree

If you're shopping for a live Christmas tree, there's some things you need to know before you head out the door. Before you even get to the tree farm you should measure your ceiling because the tree outside will look smaller than it will inside your home.

"If you have 10ft. ceilings, get a 9 ft. tree and it fits in nice and there's room for the star on top of it," says owner of Nieman's Christmas Tree Plantation, Tom Nieman.
if you don't have a lot of room for a tree you may opt for a more narrow shape. But there are also wide trees and different varieties to fit any style.

"Frasier furs are one of the most fragrant there is. What we recommend is that people go in the back of the tree and break some of the branches every couple of days. And the odor will go through the whole living room and you'll be able to smell it all the time, which is really nice," says Nieman.

Other kinds are Colorado Spruce and Douglass Fir. Christmas trees take about 8-9 years before they're ready to cut.

"The one thing you want to look for is good color. If the tree is yellowish cast then there's probably a chance that it might not hold up as well," explains Nieman.

If you see some trees that are dyed green, it may already be dried out and will not last through the season. A test of the tree's health is pulling on the limb. There should not be any needles in your hand. Once the tree is home, it will be very thirsty.

"I'd just keep checking it every day. Some people with those big trees, 12 footer, they'll tell us they'll check it twice a day. It'll pull up maybe 2 gallons of water a day. The smaller ones, not so much," says Nieman.

Properly watering the tree will reduce the risk of fire and keep it looking healthy through the holidays.

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