A Trip to the Christmas Tree Farm
If you've never been to an authentic Christmas tree farm to pick out your very own tree, you have no idea what you're missing out on. Although many people today opt for the artificial tree, many of which are indeed rather lifelike and even beautiful, nothing quite beats the smell and look of a freshly cut tree at Christmas time, plus the great experience of being out in the wilderness looking for that perfect tree.
The first thing you'll want to do is be fully prepared for your first trip to the tree farm. Remember that any type of tree is going to look smaller growing out in a field surrounded by many others than it will sitting in the middle of your living room. For this reason, it's imperative to know exactly how big of a tree your home can accommodate. Besides the obvious height measurement, also remember the width as you won't want the branches sticking out into the middle of the room, or be stuck with a lot of cutting and trimming to do.
Most Christmas tree farms give you the option of actually cutting down your own tree, or picking the one of your choice while an employee does the cutting, or choosing from trees that have just been cut and are ready to be taken home. My family and I always preferred the second option, browsing through the "farm" for that one special tree and then letting the experts do the cutting and wrapping while we'd save our energy to concentrate on the fun part - decorating the tree later.
The tree farms I've been to have always had a variety of evergreens to choose from, with the most popular choices being Scotch pines, and Douglas, noble or balsam firs, and blue or white spruce and white pines. The type of trees growing on the farms in your area will, of course, depend on your location. Spruce and some types of pine trees are usually the most expensive, while the Scotch pine is the best choice for the budget minded.
I've always been partial to Douglas firs as their needles are medium length and relatively soft and seem to hold up well. I also like the green color of this type of tree, although you're sure to find many shades of greens and greenish blue trees to choose from at a Christmas tree farm. You will want to steer clear of any trees that seem "unhealthy," including those with brown patches or branches that seem to wilt from a lack of water.
Depending on what type of vehicle you'll be bringing your tree home in, you'll want to make sure it will be amply protected from the elements along the way. Old blankets or a few tarps will do the trick to wrap the tree in after it's cut. Farm personnel will first wrap the tree in netting, and some places even have large machines that the trees are put in to be shaken in order to remove the loose, dead needles before wrapping.
After arriving back home, be sure to put the tree in water as soon as possible, otherwise, a layer of sap will form over the bottom of the trunk and restrict its ability to absorb any liquid, causing it to dry out rather quickly.