O Christmas Tree!

[kav122]

We have always had a fake Christmas tree, but this year I think we are going to get a real one. I have some questions:

I heard that I should buy it the day after Thanksgiving, before they are all "picked over". Won't it be dead by Christmas?

I usually put up my (fake) tree the day after Thanksgiving. If I do that with the real one will that make it dry out quicker than if I buy then store it for a couple of weeks?

If I should store it for a week or so, should I store it outside (where it will quickly freeze) or in the basement in a bucket of water?

Sorry if this seems silly, I just don't want to waste my money and have a dead tree by Christmas.

[lucille]

Ask around locally and find out who has the best trees. Places like Walmart and Home Depot get theirs trucked in after being cut long beforehand. If anyone in your family has allergies check online about what tree varieties can create allergic reactions. Some can. We found out the hard way one year. Brought the tree home put it up, started to decorate it and I siezed up. I ended up spending an hour on the deck in December while everyone else removed and cleaned up after this tree. Then I went to Target and bought a really nice fake one!
Locally the YMCA guys group runs tree lots. They get theirs locally and in batches so you can get a recently cut tree in December. There are also tree lots, like apple orchards, some will even cut them for you in the field.
IIRC your in Mpls. I would check with Bachmans. They may cost more but you would be able to know more about when it was cut and they always seemed to be good about quality. My mom used to get her baby blue flocked tree from them every year in the 70's. It matched her living room furniture!

[Julie Rains]

kav122, I have been thinking of doing the opposite this year: getting an artificial tree rather than a real one! Checking out the source of the tree (and how long ago it was picked) is a great point that Lucille mentioned -- in my area (near Christmas tree farms), some big box retailers use local growers and some lots bring in new trees during the season.

To keep our tree from drying out, we put water in the tree stand. The lights or rather heat from the lights may also dry out the tree so you could limit the use of the lights (though that might defeat the purpose of the having the tree as a decoration). Here are some tips from Lowe's.

I live about 90 minutes from Christmas tree farms but a 5' fir (can't find a white pine like I used to be able to) seems to run around $60. And waiting later in the season doesn't seem to help in getting a bargain, like it used to.

If anyone has ideas on artificial trees, let me know (like the best kind to buy). I am undecided and may wait until after the season to get a better price.

[amyschiff]

Many years ago my family started getting live trees with the roots still attached as opposed to live cut trees. They are great if you have a place to plant them after the holidays. The ones with the roots are called balled-and-burlapped because it's just a root ball with burlap wired around it.

We usually get it about a week before Christmas and keep it in the garage in a galvanized tub (the place we get it from lets us pay for it but then pick it up later so we get to pick our tree without worrying about it being sold). We crumple up newspaper and tuck it in around the root ball and then moisten it so that it stays fresh. Staying in the garage for a week also helps it transition from outdoor temperature to indoors.

The one catch is that the root ball makes the whole thing very heavy. We have a system of placing it on a rug and sliding it across our floor into the family room and we definitely don't get ones as big as we used to. Even in northeast Ohio we are able to find some time after the holidays to dig the hole for the tree to be planted in. It may seem like a hassle but it's definitely worth it to see your christmas trees growing in your yard afterwards.

@JulieRains: last year my parents got a "Miracle Tree" from Home Depot. There was a sale where you got a Home depot gift card with the purchase of one. They are pre-lit trees whose big selling point is that they are easy to set up because the branches are already attached to the different tree sections. The trickiest part was connecting the lights properly.

[khorrell]

We're having the Christmas tree dilemma this year, too! After years of purchasing, planting and killing live trees, we're thinking of either cut or fake. I hate the idea of both and am trying to figure out which one is less deplorable. I appreciate all the tips for cut trees, I'm leaning towards cut this year then purchasing a fake tree after Christmas for future Christmases. (Don't tell my kids, they're still upset that we're not getting a live tree.)

If you do go for live, get it from a reputable local center and ask a lot of questions. If at all possible, get one with a money back guarantee and keep your receipt. I know that I don't have a green thumb, but they seem to be pretty easy to kill. Make sure you are getting a variety that is suited to your climate and follow the directions exactly. It really shouldn't be in the house more than a few days...we usually decorate the Sunday before Christmas and take it down the day after. Which means you don't get much decoration out of the tree, maybe a week at the most.

Can't wait to hear what everyone else thinks!

[gt0163c]

Growing up, my family always had a live tree. And we were all sick and/or sniffly throughout the holiday season. It took a while for someone to realize that we're a family of people with pine allergies. Thing is, my mom refused to get a fake tree for years. (To her credit, she and my sister, who have the worst allergies, are allergic to all sorts of other stuff, so being sniffly was kinda a way of life before good allergy drugs became available). Then, one year, the cat started sneezing. After Christmas, we got a (50% off) fake tree and that's what my parents have used ever since. Yes, we still give Mom a hard time about caring more about the cat's allergies than the rest of the families.

Now, I have a little, three foot, artificial tree. Since I go to be with family every year for Christmas, it doesn't make sense for me to have a big tree just for my place. My sister and her family have a very nice, very expensive, pre-lit (and bought at a large percentage off after Christmas) tree. My sister and I like that it doesn't make us sniffly. My sister especially likes that it doesn't shed needles or need watering (although her cats seem to miss the alternate water bowl that the Christmas tree stand always became).

Personally, I think that nice, artificial trees, look just as nice as the real thing and they're less work. They can be expensive, but most real trees are getting expensive now too. It probably wouldn't take too many years for an artificial tree to be more cost effective. As for when to buy, right after Christmas would be the best time. Most stores mark their trees down 50% on the 26th. But trees go fast at those prices. In the past few years, Target (and possibly others) have been marking down some (all?) of their trees 30% a week or so before Christmas. For those who can wait that long, that might be the best compromise on price and having a tree for this year. Also, pre-lit = very cool and so much easier than dealing with putting lights on the tree. Plus, extra savings because you don't have to buy more lights.

[khorrell]

I was thinking about the lights the other day, and I wonder: Do they make pre-lit trees with LED lights? I guess I'll have to look into that!

[gt0163c]

Originally Posted by khorrell

Do they make pre-lit trees with LED lights?

Yes.
There's a variety available on Amazon and I'm sure elsewhere as well.

[kav122]

wow, thanks for all of the great responses! Some points were brought up that I hadn't even thought about.

So, just to clarify, if I buy it the day after Thanksgiving, and put it up immediately, but keep it watered, will it be dead by Christmas (cut tree, not the root ball one)?

[Julie Rains]

The cut tree should be fine from Thanksgiving to Christmas; mine have usually lasted 30 days or so. Just make sure it looks reasonably fresh when you buy it.

Thanks for other advice and mentioning the live trees; our family did that several years ago (my parents that is) though that particular tree didn't last, it's a good way to buy something that could possibly last.