Tips about Christmas trees

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Agri News 

"Over two million trees are harvested as Christmas trees across Canada each year,” says Toso Bozic, woodlot extension specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “In Alberta, we have very few Christmas tree growers when compared to eastern provinces.”

Baron Friederick von Riedesel is credited with having the first Christmas tree in Canada in Sorel, Quebec, in 1781. It was a balsam fir cut from the dense Quebec forests. Today, the members of the Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association are part of a thriving business that produces trees not only for Canadians, but for export markets as well.

“When cutting your own tree, you know that it’s fresh. When buying a Christmas tree, be sure to conduct a freshness test. Grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger and pull it towards you. If the tree is fresh, no more than 5 or 10 needles should come off in your hand, unless it is very cold and dry outside, and then a few more needles may come off. This is a good time to check the fragrance of the tree as well.”

When it comes to choosing and caring for a Christmas tree, the industry has a few tips:

• measure the height and width of the area where the tree will be displayed. Cultivated Christmas trees tend to have an 80 per cent taper. This means that a tree that is two metres tall will be approximately 1.6 metres wide (7' tall will be 5' 6" wide) at the bottom
• some species have more open foliage, stiffer branches or longer needles – you may want to have an idea of your decorating theme before you pick your tree
• the Christmas Tree Species webpage provides information about the characteristics of different species of trees that are sold as Christmas trees
• look for a retail lot that keeps its Christmas trees fresh in a protected area
• store the tree in a cool place, out of the wind and rain, until it is ready to be brought indoors
• place a tree-moving bag under your tree, ready to be drawn up around the tree to make disposal easy in January
• ensure your tree stand is large enough to hold four liters (one gallon) of water as well as the trunk of the tree
• when bringing the tree indoors, cut 1 to 2 cm (½ to ¾ of an inch) off the tree stump before placing it in water – the cut must be no more than four hours old; otherwise sap will seal the cut and prevent the water from rising, thus drying out the tree
• the first water fill should be with very warm water enabling the sap to flow readily. As the tree thaws, water will be drawn upwards replenishing the moisture to the extremities. No additives are required
• have a family member top up the water twice daily so the base of the tree never dries out. Your tree will drink several liters of water every day for the first week or two
• after the holidays, wrap the entire tree in the moving bag, bring everything outside, including the stand, which can be easily removed once the tree is outdoors and on its side

“Safety is a consideration when having a real Christmas tree in the house,” says Bozic. “It’s a wonderful family tradition, but be sure to follow the instructions for keeping the tree watered so that it doesn’t dry out and present a fire hazard.  Real Christmas trees are 100 per cent reusable and recyclable. Contact your municipality for details of where and how to recycle the tree in January.”

The Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association website is here.