My favorite time of year is nearly upon us! At this time, we usually think of lights, snow, Santa Claus and Christmas décor. Of course, then, there is the tree to either get out of storage or purchasing a real one! Here are some signs to look for when picking out a Christmas tree.
If selecting a real cut tree, look for these signs that the tree is too far gone.
– Needles are a dull, grayish-green color
– Needles fail to ooze pitch when broken apart and squeezed
– Needles feel stiff and brittle
– Needles pull easily off tree
When you have your tree home, recut the trunk about one inch above the original cut. This will open up clogged, water-conducting tissues. Immediately place the trunk in warm water.
Kansas tree farmers typically grow and sell four different types of pines: Scotch Pine, Virginia Pine, Austrian Pine and White Pine. However, you may also find balsam fir, black hill spruce, blue spruce, Colorado blue spruce, concolor fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Norway spruce, Serbian spruce, white fir, white spruce Christmas tree types in Kansas available for purchase in certain locations.
Locate the tree in as cool a spot as possible. Avoid areas near fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and heat ducts as the heat will result in excess water loss. Make sure the reservoir stays filled. If the reservoir loses enough water that the bottom of the trunk is exposed, the trunk will need to be recut. Adding aspirins, copper pennies, soda pop, sugar and bleach to the water reservoir have not been shown to prolong the life of a tree.
If you choose a living Christmas tree, be sure to dig the planting hole before the ground freezes. Mulch the hole and backfill soil to keep them from freezing. Live trees should not be kept inside for more than three days. Longer periods may cause them to lose dormancy resulting in severe injury when planted outside. You may wish to tag the tree at the nursery and then pick it up a couple days before Christmas. After Christmas, move the tree to an unheated garage for several days to acclimatize it to outside temperatures. After planting, water well and leave some mulch in place to prevent the soil water from freezing and becoming unavailable for plant uptake.
