With so many beautiful artificial Christmas trees available there are still many families that prefer to have a fresh Christmas tree in their home.

Fresh trees have a nice feel to them and a fresh scent that can not be duplicated.

There are several different varieties of fresh cut Christmas trees available, including the Nordmann Fir. The Nordmann Fir has been popular in Europe and the United Kingdom and is now becoming popular here. It has soft thick, dark green glossy needles, that do not fall off, even during cold temperatures. The tree has a shiny appearance because of the waxy cuticles that help prevent it from drying out making it a long lasting tree. The branches are strong, making it ideal for hanging ornaments and are symmetrically arranged giving the tree a nice shape. It also does not have a strong scent making it a good choice for people who have allergies. It has replaced the Fraser Fir and the Grand Fir, both of which were popular trees, years ago.

Another popular tree is the Noble Fir. The noble fir is known for its beautiful four sided, 2.5 cm long soft needles that are a blue green in colour. They twist upward giving the tree a silver appearance. The layered branches of the Noble Fir are strong and well spaced making it ideal for hanging ornaments and holding up lights. The Noble Fir is known as the 'Cadillac' of the Christmas trees.

To keep a fresh tree looking beautiful throughout the Christmas season it is important to pick out a good tree.

First the tree needs to be unwrapped or untied so that you can get a good look at it to make sure that it has a nice shape. When you have found a nicely shaped tree, look at the needles and check that they are flexible, fresh and scented. Next check the tree for needle drop. Pick the tree up 20-30 centimetres from the ground and then give it a good thump. There should be very few to no needles falling off. If a lot of needles fall off the tree, choose a different one.

When you have picked out the tree, the tree can then be wrapped making it easier to transport. Never place the tree on the outside of any vehicle if the temperatures are below freezing. This will cause the tree to freeze and then, when the tree is brought into a warm home the needles will drop off. Transport the tree in a heated vehicle. This is also important to remember if you don't plan on bringing the tree into the home immediately. Store the tree in a heated garage or shed where the temperatures do not go below minus 5 Celsius.

Before the tree is brought indoors the bottom 2cm of the butt of the tree needs to be re-cut to reopen the circulatory system so that the tree can take up water. If you are unable to do this at home, ask at the garden centre if they can recut the butt for you. The night before you plan to decorate the tree place the tree in a solution of 4 Litres hot water, 500 ml corn syrup, 60 ml Micronized Iron or Iron Chelate (available at the garden centre) and 20 ml bleach. Allow the tree butt to soak in the solution for 12 hours and then toss out the solution. Place the tree in a large (4litres) stand and fill it with water, and then decorate the tree. Fill the stand daily with water so that the tree does not go dry. If the tree goes dry the cut end of the tree butt forms a seal and is unable to take up any more water, resulting in a short lived tree.

When placing the tree in your home, choose an area away from heating vents, fireplaces etc that will cause it to dry out and become a fire hazard. Also make sure that you use the proper lights and that you do not overload the electrical outlets. At the end of the season when the decorations come off the tree, the tree can be chipped up and the chips are placed in the compost.

-Jos

Jos Van Hage  owns two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 West at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road