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Index : Miscellaneous Gardening Topics
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- 44. Christmas Tree Selection and Care - Top
- There's nothing like a real Christmas tree to brighten the holiday season. Be it a fresh cut tree or a living tree growing in a pot, the sight and sent of mother nature's handy work can't be beat!
Real Christmas trees are environmentally friendly. Unlike artificial trees, fresh cut trees are completely bio-degradable. Living trees are also available and can be planted after the holidays to enhance our environment.
Christmas trees are a renewable resource. For every tree cut, 3 seedling trees are planted in it's place. Often grown on soils that will not support other crops, Christmas trees help to stabilize soil and provide needed refuge for wildlife. Tree farms also protect water supplies, helps clean the air, and provide scenic green belts.
Christmas tree tradition dates back to ancient times, when evergreens were used to celebrate the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, which occurs the 21st of December. The first recorded reference to the Christmas tree dates back to the 16th century in Strasbourg, Germany. There families decorated fir trees with colored paper, fruits and sweets.
The tradition was brought to America in the late 1700's by German settlers and Hessian mercenaries paid to fight in the Revolutionary War.
Our modern tradition of tree decoration was begun by a man named Charles Minnegrode in Williamsburg Virginia in 1842. Of course, at that time, trees were adorned with candles, not electric lights.
The most popular fresh-cut Christmas trees sold in Tucson are the Douglas and Noble fir trees. Both are short needled and easy to decorate. Douglas fir has been widely used as Christmas tree since the 1920's. It is a short needled tree with an open, but symmetrical branching structure. The Noble fir, like the Douglas, has short needles but is a denser branched tree and has a propensity for holding it's needles longer after being cut. For these reasons it has become the Christmas tree of choice for many.
When you purchase a Christmas tree, regardless of the type, make sure it's fresh. Gently grasp a branch with your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward you. Very few needles should come off in your hand. Also take a look at the ground around the tree. You shouldn't see excessive amounts of needles on the ground. Some brown needles in the tree's interior are normal.
Before setting your tree in it's stand, cut an inch or so off the base of the trunk. This fresh-cut will allow water to be absorbed by the trunk, keeping the needles moist. Make sure your tree stand is large enough to hold a gallon of water. At first, Christmas trees will absorb up to one gallon of water daily.
Always keep water in the tree stand. Never allow the level of water to fall below the base of the trunk. If the cut end dries out, it will seal over with resin and not absorb any more water. It's not easy to recut the trunk on a tree loaded with decorations.
A lot has been said about the magic elixir, one that will keep you tree fresh forever. All you really need is water. But if you'll still like to try a preservative; here's one you can make at home. Mix one 12 ounce can of a citric acid soft drink, such as 7-up or sprite, and two tablespoon of household bleach in one gallon of water. You can also by commercial preservatives in packets that can be mixed with the water. Most importantly, keep plain water or the preservative mix in the tree stand at all times.
Locate your Christmas tree away from heat sources. This includes fireplaces, south and west facing windows, televisions and hot air vents. The cooler the temperatures, the longer your tree will last.
Living trees can also be purchased and used as Christmas trees. Their usually sold in 5 and 10 gallon containers. Like cut trees, they need regular watering. Try not to keep them indoors longer than two weeks. Longer stays indoors can cause significant needle drop.
The living trees most frequently sold in the Tucson area are aleppo and eldaricia pine. Make sure you have plenty of room in your landscape to grow these trees. Both are large evergreen trees, eventually growing 30 feet across and 50 feet high.
Finally, when decorating your tree, remember, smaller lights give off less heat. Limiting the size and number of light strings will help keep your tree fresher through the holidays. This is especially important for living trees.
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Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161.
Material originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on November 29, 1998
- Updated: November 29, 1998
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