Choosing your Christmas tree is a very important part of Christmas holiday season decor. It is often the centerpiece of any Christmas decorations around the house. If you get the wrong one, it can give the whole room the wrong feeling. So before you go out to find one, here’s how to choose a Christmas tree.
The process of choosing a Christmas tree begins before you even leave your home to go hunting. First, you must decide where to put the tree. Avoid choosing a location for your tree that is near a heat source (such as radiators, heating vents and fireplaces). Try to keep the tree out of high traffic areas where it might get run into by small children or tripped on. Next, you must decide how big of a space you’re looking at. Measure that space before you leave. Once a spot is chosen, measure the ceiling height and the width of that space. Write these numbers down so you don’t forget. You should also measure your tree stand to determine how wide of a tree trunk you can use in it.
Now, make sure you take the tape measure with you when you go to choose the tree. You’ll need it to measure the trees you’re considering so that you don’t take home an eleven foot tall tree for your ten foot ceiling room. You should also bring some heavy gloves to protect your hands and an old blanket to protect your car from the needles and sap. If you’re planning to put the tree on the roof of your car, don’t forget some twine or rope to secure the tree on. You may also want to double check your tree stand to be sure that it is still in good condition. You wouldn’t want to place the tree in its stand and fill it with water, only to discover that your tree stand leaks!
Once you arrive at the tree place, you may become overwhelmed with all the options available to you. Here are some common types of Christmas trees.
Fraser Fir: This may be the perfect Christmas tree. It’s needles are silvery-green and soft to tough. It is an easy tree to decorate because there is space between the branches. The branches are firm and strong and can hold heavy ornaments. If properly watered, this tree has excellent needle retention.
Noble Fir: This tree is deep green in color and has a very nice branch shape. It’s needles are not too sharp so they are easy to decorate. They also have good spacing between branches so you can easily hang ornaments on them.
Grand Fir- This tree has shiny, dark green needles about 1″ : 1 1/2 ” long. When the needles are crushed, they give off a citrus type smell. This tree is a fairly popular Christmas tree in the northwest.
Blue Spruce: This tree has an excellent pyramidal shape with strong limbs to hold ornaments. Its color is slightly blue, which can also appear silvery. It’s excellent if your color scheme includes a bluish tint.
You may also ask the attendant at the Christmas tree lot for advice on the type of tree to choose. Be sure to choose a healthy looking tree that is still growing and then cut it yourself. Pull on the needles. If they come off easily, it’s probably not in the best condition. The trunk of the tree should still be sticky and the limbs should be very flexible. Heft the tree and bounce the cut end on the ground. If you see a whole bunch of needles come tumbling off, it isn’t the best tree to take home. You can also choose certain types of trees that will last longer than others to help with this process.