Buying and setting up a real Christmas tree is not as simple as going to a store and just buying an artificial tree in a box. Although it may require a little more effort and planning, having a real Christmas tree definitely has it’s advantages and if you know what you are doing you can actually make the experience a great part of your holiday tradition.
If you are buying your first real Christmas tree or you simply just haven’t had a real tree in many years you probably have quite a few questions on buying the right tree as well as the best way to care for the tree.
Real Christmas Tree Buying Guide
Plan Ahead For Your Christmas Tree
Before you even set foot out the door to go look at your local tree farm or go cut down your own Christmas tree you need to get out the measuring tape and decide just how much room you have for your tree.
You’ll need to know how tall your ceilings are as well as account for your Christmas tree topper as well as for the trunk and base to hold the tree. Along with the height of the tree also be sure to measure how much width are you have for your tree as well. This is especially true if you are working with a smaller spaced are or a room in your home where you only have a limited are of where you can place your tree.
You don’t want to have to be chopping off branches or cutting off several feet of tree trunk because you didn’t plan accordingly before picking out your tree. This means you should take your measuring tape along with you when you go tree shopping so you can accurately measure the widest diameter of the tree as well as the height of the tree to determine if it will fit in the allotted space in your home.
It can be quite deceiving on how large a tree actually is when you are outside in the open and you don’t have much to compare how large the tree will be in your home.
When Should You Buy a Real Christmas Tree?
When it comes to when to buy a real Christmas tree there are some differing opinions and some things that you should take into consideration.
Some people like to have a tradition at the holidays and they go shopping for their Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing this with a real tree if you can properly take care of the tree and make sure you have one of the best Christmas tree stands for a real tree that makes keeping it hydrated with enough water a simple task.
If you are planning on any type of travel away for a few days during the holiday season you should consider buying your tree after you get back as you may just find a dead, dried out tree that becomes a safety hazard after a few days away.
Some people like to go get their Christmas tree early because the pickings seem to be better the earlier you go, but this isn’t the case everywhere.
On the other hand some people don’t want a Christmas tree in their home for a month and would rather buy it 1-2 weeks before Christmas. There is nothing wrong with this as well but just make sure that you know places that are still selling nice trees and they aren’t picked over yet.
They key to buying your real Christmas tree early is to simply provide it with adequate water and make sure it never runs dry and you will have no problem with most trees making it 5 weeks in your home during the holiday season.
Choose Where to Buy Your Christmas Tree
Most people have a choice of a variety of different places to buy their real Christmas tree from. This does depend on your exact location as some ares of the country will have more options than others.
If you are lucky enough to have a local Christmas tree farm, that is probably one of the best places to buy a tree from if you don’t want to have to cut it down yourself. There are tree farms that also do allow you to go and cut the tree yourself if you are interested in that as well.
Other places that you can buy your Christmas tree from include seasonal Christmas tree stands and stores, local home improvement stores, and some special churches or charity locations.
Also, nowadays you can even buy your real Christmas tree online and have it sent right to your home directly from a Christmas tree grower. This may be a nice option if you don’t have the time to go looking for the perfect tree or you don’t have local tree farms that have fresh-cut trees. But do remember that this is often more expensive because of the delivery charge straight to your home, but it does save you gas and time.
You should try to decide where exactly you want to buy your tree from and how you are going to transport it home before you start making any plans for decorating.
What Type of Real Christmas Tree Is Best?
If you haven’t ever bought a real Christmas tree before you may not realize that you have a choice in the actual type of tree you can buy for your home. The different types of trees that are available you may vary slightly depending on the area you live in but you should still have a few different options available.
A good choice for a stiff branched tree that holds up well all holiday season long is a Blue Spruce. They tend to have larger and stiffer branches that can hold up to heavier and larger ornaments.
Another good choice for a tree that will hold up well for quite a few weeks is a Scotch Pine. They also tend to have stronger branches that are nice for heavier ornaments and decorations.
If you are looking for a nice smelling Christmas tree that usually holds up fairly well through the holidays then look for a Fraser Fir or a Douglas Fir. Many people like these trees because they have that “real Christmas tree smell” and they tend to be able to hold ornaments pretty well. They are not as sturdy as the Pine Christmas trees but you can usually find a pretty stable one that will hold basic ornaments.
Be Sure to Check Your Tree Over Before Buying
So now that you have found the perfect tree at a great price and you can just imagine it all decorated sitting in your family room, how do you know if the tree will is a quality one and will last through the whole Christmas season?
A quick test you can do to see if the tree is really fresh, is to simply pull a few needles on a branch and see how many of them easily fall out. Most fresh trees will hang on to most of their needles even when you gently pull them. If you are easily able to pull off all the needles without any resistance at all, you are most likely looking at a tree that is not very fresh and may not last til Christmas.
You can also do a simple shake test but some Christmas tree stands and tree farms don’t like people going around shaking all the trees. All you have to do is give the tree a little shake to see how many needles it loses. If you see lots of needles falling, that’s not a good sign and you may want to look for another tree.
The later you shop for a tree you should take into consideration the less “fresh” the trees may be and the less choices you may have for the tree. This may mean you might have to take a tree that loses quite a bit of needles but it’s not as bad as the other trees that are already going bare.
Lastly, be sure to walk around the tree to check it out from all angles. This is one reason why I don’t like the tree stands that bundle up their trees before you can even look at them. You want to be able to see the tree from every angle to determine if it is the perfect fit for your home.
Choosing your first real Christmas should be a fun experience and get you into the holiday spirit. Try to not make it more of a deal than it should be and have fun and stop stressing over the “perfect tree” and just enjoy the experience.