Picking the perfect tree
Local Christmas tree farmers offer pro tips on making your pine last
Tis the season for a ‘tree-mendous holiday experience!
As live Christmas trees regain their sparkle, local Christmas tree farmers are dishing out their top tips to make finding the perfect tree a joyful, stress-free adventure!
Amanda Leavitt, whose family owns Candle Tree Farm in Washington County, said the first thing she would tell buyers, especially those that may be shopping for the first time, is to wear the right attire.
“Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and shoes you don’t mind getting muddy,” Leavitt said. “And I would also recommend checking out the website of the farm you’re going to to see if there’s anything else you need to bring with you.”
As for picking out a healthy tree, fourth generation owner of McDonald-based Gazvoda Christmas trees Bruce Gazvoda offers some advice.
“If you want to find a fresh tree, wrap one of the branches around your finger and if it springs back it’s fresh,” Gazvoda said. “Another way to check to see if a tree is fresh is rub your finger along a branch and if a bunch of needles come off, that tree is not in good shape.”
Beth Bossio works as the sales and marketing manager at Quarter Pine Tree Farm in Smithfield and offered a reminder to customers to measure their ceilings before picking out a live tree.
“The last thing you want to do is go home and have the top of your tree pushed up against the ceiling, and you don’t have room for your angle or your star,” Bossio said.
Along with being prepared, all three farmers emphasized the importance of getting fresh cut trees into water as soon as possible.
“(M)ake sure the water goes around the trunk – you don’t want it just touching the base of the trunk, you want it to go around it – and keep checking the water in the first 24 hours to make sure it does not go below that point,” Bossio said. “That’s the key, that’s the secret.”
Bossio also advised keeping the tree out of direct sunlight.
Russell Gibbs, service forester for Fayette, Greene and Washington counties, said it’s also important to water the tree daily.
“Water is essential and you want to make sure that your trees are getting enough so they last the holiday season,” Gibbs said.
But, said Leavitt, perhaps the one true key of making the perfect Christmas tree memory is to relax.
“I think the one thing people need to be prepared for is to have fun,” she said.