Taking Care Of The Tannenbaum

Fri., Dec. 5, 1997

Phyllis Stephens The Spokesman-R

It’s that special time of year - the time to choose the perfect Christmas tree. Since our tree goes up the first weekend of December and comes down the first weekend of January (a possible five-week duration), we select the tree from our favorite you-cut tree plantation.

With proper care, we have yet to have a fresh-cut tree shed its needles before its time. So off we go this Sunday to tramp through the maze of spruce, fir and pine.

We’ll be searching for that exquisite specimen that, when decorated with sparkling lights and tradition-filled ornaments, will warm our home. For anyone who may believe the harvesting of a real tree jeopardizes our forests, please understand that most Christmas trees are no longer harvested from forests. Instead, they are grown on plantations. They are a cash crop like peas, strawberries, corn, etc.

Many trees are harvested weeks early and kept in cold storage for shipment later to all parts of the country. Because they’ve been harvested early, they aren’t as fresh as a tree you cut yourself. Most trees selected from a tree lot have a life expectancy of 10 to 14 days. If you are planning to keep your tree up longer than two weeks, consider choosing a tree from one of our many local plantations. Just bring your good spirits and bungee cords. The plantation provides the saw and hot cider.

Whether you choose your tree from a lot or a plantation, there are a few simple steps that should be followed to ensure your tree spends quality time in your home.

Height and width: Logic would dictate a room with an 8-foot ceiling should comfortably accommodate a 7-foot tree. But before buying a 7-foot beauty, consider that the tree could end up taller, depending on the height of your stand and the number of National Geographics put under it for balance. The angel, star or other top ornament will need its space, too. Or, there are the reductions. Part of the top may need to be snipped to fit your angel. The trunk may need to be cut, or whittled, to fit the stand. This cutting and whittling may result in the loss of a whorl of lower branches. Without a bit of forethought, your 7-foot tree may be reduced to a 4-foot shrub.

The stand: With plantation trees, it’s not unusual to find 3- to 4-inch-diameter trunks. Make sure the tree fits the stand. The bottom of the trunk should be at the bottom of the stand. The best way to ensure this is to take your stand along when choosing your tree.

The end cut: As soon as you get the tree home, recut the end. Removing a quarter-inch is sufficient. Cut the end at a shallow angle to allow more surface area for water uptake. Immediately after cutting, submerge the trunk into water. Do not allow the freshly cut end to be exposed to air. If it is, the tree would seal the end quickly, preventing water uptake. Even fresh-cut trees from plantations should be recut when they arrive home. If you’re not going to decorate the tree for a few days, cut the end and stand it in a bucket of water. When you’re ready to decorate, recut the end.

Water: Depending on its size, a fresh tree can drink five gallons of water or more by the end of the first week. If you have a tree stand that holds one gallon of water (and that’s a mighty big stand), you may get by with watering only once a day. But for most of us who cram that fat, short trunk into shallow stands, our first week may be spent huddled around the base of the tree with a watering can. You’ll be surprised to find that water may need to be added two or three times a day that first week. I can’t stress enough - check the water level often, especially those first few days. NEVER allow the cut end to be exposed to air.

Needle drop: If you’ve had trouble with premature needle drop, you might try flocking the tree (a white cottony substance blown onto the tree, which you can do yourself), or spraying the tree with an anti-desiccant such as Wilt-Pruf. Both methods will help to keep moisture in the needles.

Keep your tree away from heat vents or heating units of any kind, especially fireplaces. And water, water, water.

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