Bring Home the Joy!
It’s the Christmas holiday season, and for many it is the most wonderful time of the year! Keeping traditions alive, from one generation to the next, is a big part of the holidays. Baking cookies with time-treasured family recipes, enjoying favorite seasonal movies and music, and sending Christmas cards are wonderful reasons to celebrate this glorious time of the year. And then, there’s the Christmas tree…
Festive, fragrant, and fun, selecting a cut Christmas tree is a once-a-year tradition enjoyed by many each December. At Heritage Farm and Garden, we bring in hundreds of Balsam, Fraser, and Noble firs to choose from, but only one will go home with you – your special tree.
Enjoy your special tree fresher longer with these helpful tips:
- Your tree should be baled & a fresh cut made at the point of purchase. Why a fresh cut? Sap forms over the original cut, blocking needed water uptake into the tree.
- Make sure your tree stand is sturdy enough to support the tree and capable of holding adequate water. Not sure if the stand is big enough to hold the base of the tree? Bring it with you to remove any doubt.
- Once home, place the tree in a bucket of warm water & keep it in a sheltered location until you are ready to bring the tree inside. Always keep the bucket filled with water.
- When it’s time to bring the tree inside, make a fresh cut (if possible) and place the tree in stand.
- A word to the wise – avoid fireplaces or forced air ducts that will suck needed moisture out of the tree.
- Most important – always keep water in the tree stand reservoir! A dry tree is a dangerous tree inside the home. Check the water level in the stand daily; replenish as needed.
Recycling after the Holidays:
When it’s time to remove your cut Christmas tree from your home, it can have another life outside. Some ‘do-good’ options include:
- Use cut branches as ‘living mulch’ in landscape and perennial borders after the ground freezes.
- Coastal communities use cut trees to stabilize shorelines and reduce beach erosion.
- Give shelter for feathered friends during the winter months.
- Chip it – check with your town to see if they offer free chipping services.