How to pick the perfect live Christmas tree

If you want a live Christmas tree this year, make sure you take some of these points into consideration, so you don’t end up buying the wrong tree!  Because there is always the potential for a fire hazard, here are things you should look for and consider when buying a Christmas tree this year.

• How tall can the tree be?  Measure to the ceiling and chose a tree that is at least one foot shorter.  This will allow room for the tree stand and a star on the top.
• How wide?  Especially if your tree is tucked into a smaller space, measure to see how wide the tree can be, and make sure the one you buy isn’t too wide for the space.
• Is it the freshest cut tree?  Ask when the trees were cut and ask specifically where the trees are that were most recently cut.  Just like in a grocery store, many Christmas tree farms will want to sell the trees they cut earliest to be sold first before the ones they have just cut down.
• How dry are the needles?  The needles can tell you how much the tree has dried out.  The needles should be soft and pliable (ie. bendy), and not dry and snappy.
• Give the tree a shake.  When you shake a branch and run your fingers along the needles, very few needles should fall off.  If a ton seem to be dropping, go on to the next free.
• Is the trunk of the tree straight? If the base part of the tree is bent, it will make your tree lopsided in the stand and it won’t stand straight.  So make sure the base is straight as well as the cut on the base.
• How long is the base?  To be held securely in the tree base, you need to have a good six inches without branches.
• Have your base and Christmas tree preservative ready to go.  You don’t want to get your tree and then start the hunt to find a base.  Make sure it is all ready to go so that you can get the tree into water and the preservative (here is the recipe to make your own tree preservative) as quickly as possible.
• Consider a live tree instead of a cut tree.  With a live tree, it will come oacked with roots and soil, and you can plant it outside once Christmas is over.

By following these tips, you should be able to chose that perfect tree for your living room this year.