Did you know that people want articles on Christmas trees? I know, right? I had no idea – until I was the one Googling “How early can I get a real Christmas tree?” and “How tall should my Christmas tree be?” and “How to care for a Christmas tree” and “How to get your Christmas tree home” and “How long will a real Christmas tree last?”
This will be our first Christmas in our new house. In fact, it will be our first Christmas in any house big enough to fit a full-sized Christmas tree. And, because of that, it will be our first Christmas with a real tree. Believe it or not, this will be my husband’s first time to ever have a real tree at Christmas. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for years and years.
There are a lot of benefits to having a real Christmas tree. The best part of a Christmas tree is obviously the smell. You can try to replicate that fresh tree smell, but you certainly can’t beat it. People also choose to incorporate real trees into their holiday traditions because they grew up with real trees. Even the process of finding a tree each December can be a special family event. And choosing a real tree is an environmentally savvy choice as well. Your artificial tree would have to last for twenty years to make it environmentally equivalent to getting a real tree every Christmas. Real trees aren’t for everyone, of course. Many people suffer from allergies caused by real trees and no one wants to spend Christmas sick if they don’t have to. Some people find artificial trees easier to set up or more beautiful or safer for pets and children, but there is something special about having a real tree.
Our tree has been up and decorated since the first of December. Since this whole experience was a new one for me, I spent hours figuring out how to best choose care for a real, living Christmas tree this season, and I am excited to share what I’ve learned. Here is your one stop shop for all the Christmas tree tips so you don’t have to do all that crazy Googling that I already did.
When to Get a Real Christmas Tree
While this is yet untested in my house, and seems to be quite contentious on social media, you apparently can bring a real Christmas tree home early in December, or even late in November. My husband, who loves Christmas and always wants to jump right into it, grew antsy waiting for our real tree, so we picked one up the first weekend they were sold locally. Ideally, we’re hoping for it to last slightly longer than a month and according to many anecdotes that I have heard, it is possible, assuming proper care is taken.
It is theorized that purchasing a tree early will help your tree say fresher longer. Since most trees are cut around the same time anyway, purchasing one earlier allows trees to be prepared and put in water sooner, keeping it fresher, longer.
Where to Find the Perfect Real Christmas Tree
So many people have beautiful traditions that include trekking into the forrest to cut down a tree, or going to a tree farm together as a family. These are fantastic ways to find the perfect tree as a family. It is also perfectly fine to go to the nearest grocery store parking lot to find a Christmas tree tree. This year, we did just that, because we were a little worried about transporting our tree home, seeing as we have never done this before. Remember that a Christmas tree has a bigger environmental footprint the further you have to drive to get it.
Choosing where to get your Christmas tree could positively impact your community. You can often find Christmas trees being sold for charity. I know that some firefighters are fundraising by selling Christmas trees here in Halifax. If the environment is a top concern for you, be on the lookout for locally grown, sustainable trees. Locals can purchase their trees through the Ecology Action Centre.
How to Choose the Perfect Real Christmas Tree Height
Measure the room where your tree will be living, floor to ceiling. Your tree should be one foot shorter. With our three stand and the star on top, our seven-foot tree fits perfectly under our eight-foot ceiling.
How to Bring a Real Christmas Tree Home
You will most likely drive your tree home on top of your vehicle. Usually, someone who is selling Christmas trees can help you mount and secure your tree to your car. Bring rope to secure your tree as well as a tarp or a piece of plastic to protect the roof of your vehicle. (This was a tip we learned while we were picking up our tree. Thankfully, I found a quilt that hasn’t left our van since the last time we went to the beach that did the trick).
How to Prepare and Care for a Real Christmas Tree
Make a fresh cut on your tree’s trunk and immediately place it into water. If you are not travelling far, your tree lot may even been willing to make the fresh cut for you. Your Christmas tree will drink a lot of water during the first day or two so make sure to check it often. Never let your three stand go dry – the tree needs to stay in water at all times, or else resin will form over the cut and the tree will no longer be able to absorb water. Have one person in the house be in charge of watering the tree for the entire season so that it becomes habit and does not get forgotten. Water your tree at least twice a day. Keep your tree away from heat sources. Research has shown that trees do not require additives like sugar or aspirin, but fresh water alone will keep it fresh.
If you have a Christmas tree in your home, do you use a real or an artificial tree? Why? If you choose a real tree, when do you bring it home, and what are your tree-care tips?
Great tips. I live vicariously through other people’s real trees. Not that I don’t like my artificial tree, and I do enjoy being able to breath so vicariously it is.
Christopher D Drew recently posted..A Pretty Jacket- 9th Day Of Advent
My parent have an artificial tree, and while I might have not loved it when we first got it, it is 100% Christmas to me still. In fact, I aim to have a tree as perfect as theirs. Real trees are great, but not necessary at all. :)
Laura O’Rourke recently posted..How to Bring Home a Real Christmas Tree When You’ve Never Had One Before
Very nice advice on the care for a real Christmas tree. There’s nothing I love more than the look and the scent of a freshly-cut Douglas pine. Unfortunately, thanks to sinus problems I no longer do the real thing anymore.Your blog with your pics of your two boys was wonderful.Merry Christmas to your family!
Thank you so much, Susan! That smell is so hard to beat, but not being able to breathe certainly has a way of putting a damper on that. Merry Christmas!
Laura O’Rourke recently posted..How to Bring Home a Real Christmas Tree When You’ve Never Had One Before
Great tips! We are a fake tree family after one year when our real tree fell over and it was devastating. The watering part is so important. We are also not reliable tree-waterers. Fake it is for us!
Your tree is beautiful, by the way. :)
Andrea recently posted..The Liebster Award
When you know you know! I’m surprised I’ve managed to water the tree for a week. I forgot for the first time yesterday… the day after I finished writing this, and the day before I published it. For the sake of irony, I’ll blame the writing of this post on being too tired to remember to water the tree. :)
Laura O’Rourke recently posted..How to Bring Home a Real Christmas Tree When You’ve Never Had One Before
I will never need a Christmas tree, but this has been a really good read, Laura. I’ve always wondered what it involved, getting a real tree home. For example, I had NO idea that it needed to be watered. #ignorant
Your photos are gorgeous!
Alison recently posted..Love Language
I’m glad you enjoyed in Alison! Also? I’ve always wondered what getting a real Christmas tree home involved too. Which is why I Googled ALL THE THINGS before actually doing it.
When I was really young we had real Christmas trees because a local tree farmer would bring a big one and a little one to our house at the beginning of every season. I’m not sure, but I bet he gave them to us for free. We lived in a tiny little farm town and Dad was the pastor. So, I’m not sure if I have EVER gone out and found a real tree to bring home with my family. Maybe a few times between when we moved from the small town and when we got an artificial.
Laura O’Rourke recently posted..How to Bring Home a Real Christmas Tree When You’ve Never Had One Before
Before we had children, we used to have a real tree every year – until one year, we waited so long to get a tree that by the time we went to look for one – it *might* have been Christmas Eve – none of the lots had any left. So we bought an artificial one that year and we have had one ever since. Now that we have the boys and my oldest has allergies, I am not sure how we would do with a real tree.
But your gorgeous photos make me kind of long for the whole experience again. Lovely!
(And awesome tips, too!)
Kim@Co-Pilot Mom recently posted..Blogging Advice: Don’t Do What I Did
Artificial trees certainly make it easier – they make it easier to set up early, and easier if you set up VERY LATE like you experienced. Artificial trees don’t take anything away from the holiday season. My Mom puts up an artificial tree now every year and it is the tree that our tree will always strive to be.
Laura O’Rourke recently posted..How to Bring Home a Real Christmas Tree When You’ve Never Had One Before
We’ve had artificial for the last two years and always real before.
I think the secret to it staying fresh is that it should not be cut until the temperature has dropped below -10 at least once. At least that’s what we always did when we cut our own and it always stayed fresh forever.
Kerstin @ Auer Life recently posted..Happy House
That is some seriously cool advice that I didn’t see in any of my searching, Kerstin. I’m not sure if it got that cold here before tree season hit.
Laura O’Rourke recently posted..How to Bring Home a Real Christmas Tree When You’ve Never Had One Before
The main reason we do not have a real tree is laziness, I think. But allergies play a part as well. ;) I think they are great though. We had a real tree when I was growing up until I was in high school, I think. I do kind of miss the smell, still. These are great tips, I had no idea about it was better to get the tree earlier since it was already cut anyway!
I have never had a real Christmas tree – or not, at least, since I was a little tiny girl and we discovered the extent of my allergies. But I loved reading this and living the tree experience vicariously through you! xo
Kristin Shaw recently posted..What I will know
Great tips! We failed for years with the buy-it-early-to-keep-it-fresh tip, but we were proactive this year and cut down our own the weekend after Thanksgiving!
Dude Mom recently posted..Wordful Wednesday. How to Take an Awesome Family Photo.
Your tree is gorgeous!!!