University of Wisconsin - Extension

Madison - If you choose your Christmas tree carefully, prepare it properly before putting it into the tree stand and keep it watered, it should not dry out for at least two weeks. UW-Extension horticulture agent Sharon Morrisey has some other tips for a lasting and beautiful tree.

The first step is to make sure you get a fresh tree. By cutting your own Christmas tree, you'll make sure that your tree is fresh. If you buy a tree at a Christmas tree lot, select it carefully. Avoid trees with lots of brown needles, but remember that dry needles don't always turn brown.

To check for dry needles, grasp a branch firmly, and run your hand out towards the branch tip. If lots of needles fall off, the tree is already dry. You can also check for dry needles by setting the tree upright, holding it by the trunk about halfway up and pounding the trunk stub firmly on the ground a few times. If a lot of needles fall, the tree is dry. You can also check individual needles in different parts of the tree. If they are pliable and bend without breaking, the tree is still fresh.

There are several kinds of Christmas trees to choose from. Some, especially pines, hold their needles longer than others. The most common pines used for Christmas trees in Wisconsin are Scots or Scotch pine, white pine and Norway or red pine. The Scotch pine, a consumer favorite, has excellent needle retention. The white pine, with its soft needles, fragrant smell and blue-green color, is also popular.

Next in popularity are the true firs, including the balsam fir and Fraser fir. The balsam fir is aromatic and has good needle retention. The Fraser fir is sometimes referred to as southern balsam fir, as it is mainly grown in the southeastern U.S.

Next is the Douglas fir, which isn't a fir at all and looks more like a spruce. Spruce trees are last in popularity and include white spruce, Norway spruce and Colorado or blue spruce. The blue spruce has very attractive coloration, ranging from blue to greenish blue. It's a very dense, compact tree with stiff branches and extremely sharp needles.

All Christmas trees, even spruce, have the ability to hold their needles for several weeks, if you select one that's not already dry. However, if you plan to keep your tree up for a long time, your best bet is a Scots or white pine, because they hold their needles the longest.

After you have selected your tree, protect the needles from drying out on the drive home by wrapping the tree securely in a blanket or tarp. Once you get the tree home, cut the trunk an inch or more up from the original cut and put it into water as soon as possible, even if you do not plan to put it in the tree stand right away. The fresh cut increases the tree's ability to take in water.

Many Christmas trees dry out quickly because they are not recut. After you make the new cut and put the tree in water, keep the water level above the cut end of the trunk. Check the water level in the tree stand daily. You do not need to add sugar, aspirin or any other commercially available additive to the tree water. Just keep the tree stand full of water and the tree will be fine.

For more information on Christmas trees, visit the InfoSource Web site at http://www.uwex.edu/disted/infosrce/ and view "Christmas trees: Selecting" (topic #586) and "Caring for Christmas Trees" (topic #587).

For a guide to "Choose and Cut" Christmas tree farms, contact the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association at 608-635-7734 or visit their Web site at http://www.christmastrees-wi.org/ . The guide also includes pictures and descriptions of the Christmas trees commonly

grown in Wisconsin to help consumers identify the different species.