TRD DESIGNS TIPS FOR SELECTING AND INSTALLING YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE

1. Depending where you live, you may have several species of trees or very few to select from. Here in the NorthEast, we have the Firs: Douglass, Balsam, Concolor and Fraser. Great evergreens with lasting fragrance
Spruces: Blue Spruces, White Spruce and Norway Spruces: Blues have very sharp needles that can be hard on your skin. Though a good choice when needing a tree with extremely strong branches to handle weight.
Pines: Scotch and White Pines. The Pines are becoming almost extinct for Christmas tree selections. Though Pines have awesome fragrance.Out West, you can find Cedars as well as Firs and Spruces. This year I selected a Fraser Fir
2. Preparing the tree to come inside:
I love to work at table height when measuring the tree. I have a 8' ceiling but will usually buy a 10' tree in order to get the shape I am looking for. If you have a pickup truck, that bed liner is perfect for taking measurements and making your final trunk and limb cuts.
The stand also can be fitted at this time without hassle. Spraying the tree with an anti-desiccant can prolong the life of your tree as well. I normally like to acclimate the tree in order not to add further shock upon it. Bring it in to the garage for a few days if possible before bringing it indoors. Place the tree in a pail of very warm water and do not let it dry out. Using warm water will help the trees intake of water by disolving the sap.
3. Once the tree has come indoors, I like to set it up and prune or thin it out.
This is really necessary since most growers shear the trees so tightly that hanging ornaments is difficult. Knowing what you have to hang on the tree allows you to create spaces for large or special ornaments that require high visability. Make sure that the tree has water at all times! Once inside, the intake starts out fast and slows day by day.
Use warm water again to jump start the flow.