As I mentioned on Facebook, I’m in full-on holiday cheer mode.
I know what the date is, but it’s cold and I’m wearing a sweater and sparkly lights are pretty. Some years I need the Christmas spirit more than others, and this year, it’s flowing through me like holiday meth. And I love it.
Last January, we finally parted ways with our fake tree. It was a vintage set-up I inherited from my grandmother that smelled just like her house on Christmas. I cried packing it away one last time, but the final heap of plastic needles on my floor was too much. If I’m going to vacuum up foliage every evening, it might as well smell authentic.
This year we’re making the jump to real. In my entire life, I’ve never had a real tree. In my head it’s going to be glorious, but I suck at caring for things, especially holiday lore. According to the four mushy pumpkins decomposing on my front porch, whatever pumpkins.
So now this is the part where you real-tree veterans give me your tips. When do I buy it? How much do they cost? What flavor should I buy? How do I make it not die? Will there be squirrels in it? Give me your tips!
1. Buy it like…2 weeks in advance…or that tree will become SUPER BRITTLE and stab you when you go to remove it (make Andy do it)
2. They cost between 50-80 dollars. Depending on the size.
3. They come in icky flavor aaannndd icky flavor. But they come in pretty green and white.
4. Water that cutie smelly tree err day. Or your house WILL DRY IT OUT. Like..a lot. (See: brittle)
5. No squirrels :[[[[
I love long needles, so I always go for a white pine. They tend to shed more needles than short, but I don’t care because I hate the way short needles look. We love going to a cut-your-own farm, and that means it’s always the freshest. We cut ours the day after Thanksgiving and it was still green well into January. You can also go to tree lots and get them already cut, they just might be a little brown by Christmas that way, since the tree might have been cut up to 2 weeks before you bring it home.
Last year, we just fed our tree with sugar water once a week, and topped off with unsugared water in between. Easy-peasy! You do have to get a special stand that allows you to keep water in it, but they are cheap. The only thing to remember is that fresh cut will drop a lot of sap. We got sap all over our presents last year because of that, but we decided that you are just going to rip the paper off anyway, so we just didn’t care. But if that bothers you, then put news paper over the presents, or hold off on putting the presents under the tree for as long as possible. As far as price, we paid $30 last year to cut our own, and that included them blowing out the loose needles, bagging the tree, and tying it to our car. At a tree lot, you might pay up to $100 for a nice tree. I loved cutting our own as a kid, and I loved it just as much as an adult, so google around and see if there is a farm near you. :) I love real trees!!
My tips for live trees (had my first fakie last year, its be all real all the time in world until now)
1) buy as close to where it was grown as possible – go to a tree cutting farm if they are any nearby – that way you know its fresh
2) even if you cut it yourself, and especially if you don’t, resaw/cut the truck just before you put it up. The sap will seal the truck as soon as its cut. Think of it as tree first aid, its a sap bandaid
3) water it EVERY DAY – a couple of quarts of water every day, buy a tree stand that will hold that much water
4) don’t put it up near your heating ducts if you can
5) make sure you know exactly how much space you have both vertical and horizontal for the tree. A tree that is way too wide for the space can look like a “I tried to cut my own bangs” episode by the time you trim the branches short enough.
For more info – there are a number of sites out there but I often use this one (no commercial interest in it….)
http://pickyourownchristmastree.org/caring4atree.php
Have Fun!
okay – I hate my iPads browser- I didn’t even notice half of those grammar and spelling errors when I wrote that because the text was so small… *hanging head in shame*
Buy a Fraser Fir. They have short, soft needles, they have minimal “shedding” and are super fragrant. They also have a cool blueish green color that looks great all lit up. Do not pay more than $10/foot. (7.5′ tree, $75) If you buy it Thanksgiving weekend it should last you through the New Year. When you buy it, they’ll want to cut an inch or so off of the bottom, let them. When you get home, add water with 1/4 cup of sugar to the tree base. Add water about every 3-5 days (basically whenever it gets low), replace the sugar every other watering.
You’ll be golden.
Yes- Frasers are the BEST– sturdy branches that won’t bend under the weight of ornaments and soft needles. If you get a blue spruce or one with prickly needles, your arms are going to look like a pin cushion before you even get the lights on.
Don’t buy it until after Thanksgiving. Otherwise is will be bare branches and a fire hazard by Christmas.
Buy a really good stand, it’s an investment. A heavy one (Ours is cast iron) with a well bigger than you would think you need. The more water you can put in it, the less often you will have to water it. We water ours twice a day. And the well is always empty!
When selecting your tree go to a place where you can cut your own if possible. The ones on tree lots could have been cut a week before, You want that sucker FRESH! Check inside and the lower branches for dead branches. If the outside looks pretty, but all of the inside is brown, you have a dead tree. Run your fingers down a free branches..if the needles come off while you do that, keep looking. It will look bigger outside than it will in your living room. Take it from the woman who had a 22 foot Christmas tree one year.
Be careful to make sure you aren’t getting a tree that’s on a hill. It will looks straight until you get it in your house, then you will notice its crooked! If you can, anchor it with fishing line or the really strong twine they bale it with to something. This will prevent it from crashing down and destroying all of your favorite ornaments. I’ve never had a squirrel in mine but I always like finding a birds nest or pine cones!
I prefer Blue Spruce, they have a really strong pine scent that stays forever. Even though it’s picky, the branches are strong a firm and hold heavy ornaments well ….here’s some tips from Martha: http://www.marthastewart.com/274519/tree-trimming-secrets/@center/1009039/christmas-trees-ornaments?czone=holiday/workshop-christmas/tree-and-ornaments&gallery=276319&slide=274519¢er=1009039
Oh yeah, Florida is way moister than Ohio……add water more often. :-)
You are going to LOVE it!
My dad used to cut down trees in our woods and we used them as Christmas trees for years but they were sadly misshapen and not “Christmas” trees but some random pines that would simply fit inside the house. Mom later vetoed that idea and then we bought from the local Boy Scouts as they were selling trees for a fundraiser and picking the tree was always a family fun activity.
WARNING: They look a lot smaller outside then when you get them in your house, so consider your ceiling height!
Later, when I got married, my hubby and I would drive to a local tree farm, grab a saw and walk around in the snowy fields to pick and cut the perfect tree. It is SO nostalgic for me to have a live tree.
Cut a little off the stump before bringing it inside so it has a fresh cut to suck up the water.
Have the kids climb under the tree and tell you if it needs water.
Put something under the tree stand to catch the water you will spill when watering it. Like a towel.
Don’t put it up until like the beginning of December as it will dry out.
Chances are it won’t have any squirrels, but I can’t guarantee it!
Do you have any cats? I have one cat that loves to sit under the tree and another that loves to bat off the ornaments. Consider placing non breakables at the bottom.
Have fun!
:)
Don’t buy too soon or you will regret it. By Christmas eve it will be half dead and droopy. I am an anxious Christmas tree putter-upper and love to do it the day after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, my husband put a stop to that last year because he was tired of cleaning up broken glass. I hate to say it, but 2-3 weeks before Christmas is probably best. And water the shit out of it. We love Blue Spruce for the smell and shape but the needles hurt like a mo-fo so wear gloves while stringing the lights. Good luck and enjoy!
We typically buy ours the first weekend in December and it easily lasts until New Year’s Day. We could probably get away with bringing it home over Thanksgiving weekend, but it’s usually too busy for me to even think about.
We go to a local tree lot in our area, and a 6′-7′ Fraser Fir runs $55-65 dollars. I always have my husband shake out the tree at the lot and then again when we get home, before we bring it in the house to get rid of any loose needles (and also to check for any stray bugs or animals, neither of which we’ve ever had a problem with). Also, our tree lot will add a really basic cheapo stand for us for an extra $8 – they basically just nail on a bucket to the bottom with a couple of pieces of wood in an X formation at the bottom but it works for us. I know that plenty of people are able to coax a tree into standing up straight in a regular stand themselves without a problem but I’m convinced that if my husband and I tried it, it would end in murder.
Two important notes:
1 – Have about an inch or two of the stump sawed off before you stick it in the stand. They can do this for you when you buy it, or you can do it yourselves at home. It makes it easier for the tree to absorb the most water this way.
2 – The tree will take up the most water in the first few days. A ton of water – be prepared to water it two or more times per day. It trickles down to once a day/every two days after that.
Check out Piney Paradise Christmas Tree Farm in Norwalk. Trees are only $25-$50 depending on the type selected. And you get that “Griswold” experience! I love my natural tree every year – put it up the first weekend in December and take it down after New Year’s. Definitely have to water it daily – never heard of the tampon thing, but gonna try it this year!
We had a real tree a few years…I LOVED the look of it, but hated that my damn cat thought it was his and wanted to climb it every.single.day.
We kept a daily eye on the water level in the stand and it was never enough, as it shed like a mother-fucker. The needles ruined my brand new sweeper, and hurt like a bitch when stepping on them.
Advice: Water it A LOT. And when you think you’ve watered it enough, water it some more.
We also had the lovely issue of sap getting everywhere, so by year 2, we decided we were smart enough to come up with the idea to go to Goodwill and get a cheap blanket to put under it, and waited to put the gifts out until Christmas Eve night.
A few years ago I had enough and threw it over the balcony (lights, cat and all) and promptly hit up the after Christmas sales and bought a beautiful fake one.
Andy is pretty doubtful this is going to be fun. But, since we are in the spot where we HAVE to buy a new tree, I figure its the perfect time to give this a whirl. It may or may not end up thrown in our front yard.
My cat climbs my fake tree. He’s broken two in as many years. Now we’ve added a kitten to the family, so I’m sure the tree that my husband didn’t want to pay for anyways is really going to get mistreated this year.
You will have so much fun with a real tree! They smell amazing! Just always keep some water in it and you’ll be fine :) PS remember if you keep your heater on.. your tree will dry up faster :)
To make watering easier, buy one of those loooong funnels. Nestle it near the main trunk of the tree& you won’t have to break your back to water it everyday. If it’s dry in your house, water 2x a day. If you have a dog who likes to drink out of the tree water(don’t laugh-we found we have one) check the water level more frequently.
We always got a cut-your-own tree from a local farm. Make it a memory!
http://www.thriftyfun.com/Cleaning-Tree-Sap-Off-Hands-Guide.html
Oh yes a few people reminded me, always put something down on the floor before you put the tree down. We use a garbage bag, or you can buy the bags specially made for christmas trees. When you are ready to take it down you pull the bag up over it and it helps keep your carpet from becoming imbedded with pine needles! And protects your floor from watering mishaps or if you have a cat like mine…a cat who thinks he’s suddenly outdoors and pees under the tree!
FRASER FIR, for sure! :) The branches are sturdy enough to hold up heavier ornaments, and they look and smell beautiful! :) Put the tree bag on when you’re setting up the tree (under the skirt), so when it’s time to take it down, you can just pull the bag up, and make mess less. And don’t forget to water it…I struggle most with that part.
1. Definitely cut your own.
2. Frasier Firs are sturdy, pretty, and have fairly soft needles.
3. Water, water, water!
4. Any time after Thanksgiving.
5. Plastic tree bags are a must!
6. Enjoy!!!!
Between stabby needles and sticky sap found months afterwards, I say buy some wonderful pine potpourri and stick with a prelit artifical tree. I’m not trying to be grinchy here – I had the same inclination a few years ago and I’m so over it. While I did love the idea of the real tree, the reality was not what I had hoped for. Watering it was a true job, especially after the presents are placed artfully around it and you have to shove them to the side, getting pricked by needles and covered with sap. I really love my artifical trees (I have three – all bought on clearance after Christmas). I don’t have to untangle lights ever again. That is the ulimate win for me.
AMEN!
If the real tree thing doesn’t work out – it’s always easier to get some really good smelling garland stuff and put that up all over – on the mantle, bookshelves, wherever – that way you get the smell of a real tree, without the hassle. My parents’ have a fake tree (an incredible flip tree we bought through Frontgate after our last fake one died a slow death by dropping its pants after we put the decorations on it. My dad tried super glue, string and praying to try and keep the damn thing together. A couple hours later, we walked in the living room and saw half the tree on the floor.)
We buy a real douglas fir tree that we put in a large tub in the back yard – we put lights on that and then have a live tree to plant in the backyard after Christmas is over. I did a real tree the first couple years at my apartment because I missed having a real one (my sister is highly asthmatic so we couldn’t do a real one at my parents’) but after working hard to keep something alive and not a mess all over, I went with a great fake tree I got through Target online – had it delivered and it’s only three pieces to put together.
The most important thing to have with the real one is patience. You have to water it like crazy, vaccum up needles almost every day, try not to kill each other when bringing it in the house and trying to jam it in the stand and get it to stay up so all your ornaments don’t end up on the floor, and remember to go through that thing with a fine tooth comb before you throw it out because you always leave an ornament behind. And remember that you shouldn’t lift anything to aggrevate that hernia. Better idea – get Andy and some of his friends to bring it in the house and set it up – you get to supervise and yell when it’s crooked. Wear gloves when putting lights on so you don’t get scratched up and sappy.
Good luck.
7. Don’t accidentally buy/cut down a Skunk Spruce.
We have a fake tree, but I go to the tree lots and grab some of the cut off branches (they just give them away) and make swags to hang around the house. That way I still get the smell of a real tree, and then they can just go into the trash or the wood pile when I’m done with them. I dip the ends in Elmer’s glue so that the sap doesn’t get all over.
We always go and get a permit to chop down our own Christmas tree (hello Northern California living!) and last year was the first year that we came home with wildlife in it. Sitting there decorating the tree with the fam, when a field mouse jumped out and ran into our kitchen. It took FOUR hours for us to find that fucker. Actually, it took my husband four hours to find him while I stood on the couch googling local hotel reservations. He finally found him in the very back corner of the kid’s playroom, after every.single.toy. had been removed. But that didn’t stop me from still letting my Christmas freak flag fly. No one spoils my holiday cheer. :) Although seriously, how that mouse survived the ride home strapped to the SUV and the chainsaw to trim branches and the stump, is beyond me.
Also – we always go for a Douglas Fir. They’re lovely and soft and they really don’t shed all that much. I agree with the wisdom above, cutting some off the stump is crucial. As for water, make it warm water. It softens up any sap that might have formed and allows the tree to absorb more! Good luck.
Cutting your own tree is really the best option and you will know it’s fresh. We cut ours the first weekend in December and it lasts until the new year. A Caanan Fir is a nice Ohio tree that has short soft needles like the Frasier. The branches are sturdier than the white pines and will hold your ornaments better. We pay $35-40 for the Caanan Fir, and Frasiers run about $75 in my neck of the Ohio woods. Also, it sounds crazy, but it’s better if there is snow on the ground. The snow covers the mud and it’s easier to pull the tree (and little kids) out of the field on a sled on the snow.
And – if the tree farm has the tree stands with the center post, and offers to drill your tree – do it…those tree stands with side screws are a pain. The peg stands are hassle free.
Don’t go to a lot! I live in Oregon and they started cutting trees LAST WEEK to ship out to Texas and other places! Also, it’s a lot of fun to go out and wander the tree farm looking for a tree. And by fun I mean plan to spend time negotiating with Andy and the kids about which kind, which tree, etc. We have actually had to vote and/or promise particular kids they can choose next year :) Totally worth it though. The place we go serves hot chocolate and candy canes to the kids while we (and by we I mean my husband) tie up the tree and load it in the truck. It does make for some great pictures the kids can pull out later and prove to DHS that we do in fact force them into child labor carrying the tree out to the car…errr for the scrapbook, yeah that’s what I meant.
We used to do this when we were younger and able to deal with it easier. As you said, this is probably the best time for you to try it out.
I think everyone has already said the worst….it will need lots and lots and lots of water, daily water, and make sure you figure the size out correctly, because those real trees just aren’t as perfectly symmetrical as the fake trees.
I have no idea what they cost anymore, cause I stopped years ago, but I’ll bet they are just as expensive as the fake ones, only you have to buy one every year.
Enjoy! ;)
Alright, I’ve had real trees almost my entire life, so I’m going to add to the plethora of good advice offered here.
1. DO NOT GET A SCOTCH PINE. They look and smell very nice, but decorating them is like decorating a tree full of actual needles, like, sewing needles.
2. If you’re getting a tree that has already been cut (I live in Texas and have never had the opportunity to get a live cut), give that bastard a good shake at the lot/stand/Lowe’s/where the fuck ever and see how many needles fall out. Shake several trees for comparison. The fewer needles that fall off, the better.
3. Someone else already said this but I will reiterate, have them cut off the bottom few inches of trunk so that the tree will more easily soak up water.
4. I grew up primarily with Douglas firs. They’re very bushy so they look very full. Now that it’s my family and my house, I’m a sucker for noble pines. Honestly, get whatever your eyes, nose, and hands tell you you love best. (Unless they tell you you love scotch pines . . . SEWING NEEDLES.)
5. WATER, WATER, WATER. The first 3-4 days are crucial because eventually the bottom of that trunk that you had them cut off will harden up and stop drinking so much (trees are quitters like that). Set a daily alarm on your phone, buy a watch and set an alarm on it, if you still use a bedside alarm, set that motherfucker too. My forgetfulness murdered (via dehydration) the first tree my husband and I ever got together; technology has helped me to not become a repeat offender.
6. I haven’t had a lot of experience with sap, so listen to all those people who have.
7. You’re going to be vacuuming up needles for the rest of the year. Accept this now. Seriously. I mean, it will only be a few, but next Thanksgiving you’ll be giving the “tree spot” a going over before the family gets there and WTF THERE ARE STILL NEEDLES HERE.
8. When I was a kid, I loved reading by the lights of the tree. I would literally have my head and a book under the damn thing. It was colorful and beautiful and smelled amazing. Now I have to sit a little off to the side, but it’s still pretty awesome.
What part of Texas? I know of two tree farms. One east of Austin on 290 and one north of Houston off 45.
I’m in north Texas–Austin is about 3 hours away. Thanks for the info though, that was really sweet of you.
You might Google in the DFW if there is one there. I just found out we have one here in Waco and I have lived here for almost eight years!
GLOVES are a must when dealing with a real tree. No one wants itchy, red hands. Especially after decorating the tree, it takes the fun away. Specifically gloves that are not cotton, those defeat the purpose. I have learned this lesson, trust me!
We used to always get a real tree and then we figured out that the reason my husband couldn’t breathe around Christmas was his allergy to pine trees…hmm. Anyhow, we got a gorgeous tree online from Balsam Hill which is prelit and I love it. Huge improvement. Putting lights on a real tree is not fun. My advice on getting a real one is to wait until a week or ten days before Christmas. They dry out so fast. Make sure to get a stand that is very sturdy and easy to adjust in case the tree is crooked at all. Since we have cats, we always used fishing line and put a screw into the wall to hold it up as an additional safety net. Whatever one you get make sure that the branches are not so soft and bendy that they won’t hold your ornaments. It stinks if you hang things up and the branches bend and your ornaments just slide to the ground.
All this advice is great. My family has had a live tree my entire life and there’s nothing like it. If you get one with a bird’s nest, it’s supposed to be good luck. Also, there’s a legend about Christmas spiders, too. My mom always stuck a nest in our trees (unless they already came with one) and hung a couple of glass spiders on it.
I, too, am in the Christmas spirit. I put out all my decorations the other day and turned on the Christmas music.
So, I’m guessing you don’t want to hear about the time I bought a live tree that turned out to be full of fleas. I kid you not. So, there’s that.
But in general, real trees are super easy. Have the tree lot guys trim off the end of trunk so it will absorb water and then keep it watered.
And whatever you do, don’t put Miracle Grow in the tree water. This from a friend who learned the hard way. You’re welcome.
Real trees are are a giant, messy pain-in-the-ass. But I would never consider having a fake one. We always get a 7-foot Fraser Fir at The Andersons, never paying more than $40, and eat at Tony Packo’s first. It’s a tradition. Then we cart it home on top of the car, drag it inside and cuss and swear until we get it standing reasonably straight and steady. It will drink a shitload of water at first. And it smells fantastic. Then hubby’s work is done! I slip the”Christmas Vacation” DVD in, pour a glass of wine, and start testing all the lights. Spend 12 or 14 hours getting the lights shoved up into all the branches just so, not counting the hours running to KMart or Target to pick up replacement strands. Then comes the ribbon, 42,000 ornaments, the topper, the skirt for underneath and the other little baubles that we scatter about the room for the holidays. It’s a project, I tell you. But an artificial tree is just so…unnatural.
Cut your own! Go big or go home!
I don’t know about type but I always look for a tree with sturdy enough branches since we have a lot of heavier ornaments and some types of trees have very thin of flimsy branches.
Pull the tree you like best out from the crowd and go all the way around it making sure there aren’t any huge, obvious bare areas without branches, and that the overall trunk is straight so you don’t have a leaning tower of Pisa situation when you get it home.
You can also run your hand down a couple of branches and if it sheds a ton of needles it’s not fresh enough. Then you make sure they cut a couple of inches off the base so it’s fresh (like cutting the stems off of flowers before you put them in water).
For first time live-tree buying I don’t recommend getting the flocking (white snowy stuff) on the tree, it won’t smell all fresh and piney like you want it to.
If you cut a live tree yourself aside from the sap shedding there is also bug shedding, so you usually want to leave it outside for a few days to a week to let all the creepy crawlies run away and not get all over your house.
We always duct tape a few heavy duty plastic garbage bags together and put the tree stand and tree on top of them, just in case there is a water spill and to make needle clean-up easier.
Once you get it home and set up in some kind of water-holding tree stand, you can add tree preservative (like this http://www.amazon.com/Chase-Prod-499-0507-Tree-Preserve/dp/B002SAPUUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384275033&sr=8-1&keywords=christmas+tree+preservative) and follow the directions to help keep your tree alive longer.
How long it stays fresh depends on how warm and dry your house is, but usually if you get it the first week of December it will be okay (but very dry) by New Year’s. As a precaution you don’t want to leave the tree lights on 24/7, and especially turn them off when you’re not home.
I hope you like having a real tree! It’s absolutely one of my favorite holiday traditions and it does smell amazing.
We always set up right after Christmas & Noble Fir because I love the needles, the incredible smell, the perfect shape, love, love, love. Watering daily, sometimes twice a day, is critical. As a child we used to go to a tree farm and I loved it. One of my fav childhood memories. BUT as an adult I’m a bit of a tree snob, the tree lots must have tree fairies growing their trees because they are perfection. But you do pay for it – tree fairies aren’t cheap. However if I had kids I would give up perfection for the experience … Hot chocolate, trooping through the snow to find their version of perfect, watching Dad cut it down and helping drag it back to the attendant, some places have “Christmas villages” or additional entertainment. We’re in WA State so not sure what they offer in your area.
It’s worth all the fuss, watering, needles on the floor, I never have sap issues but maybe that’s not a noble fir thing. Totally worth it!
I think everyone has already given you all my helpful tips, except that nobody has mentioned Home Depot. I’ve been getting my trees (Fraser Firs, of course!) there for years and for the most part they have been great and stayed soft and green into January. And they’re a lot cheaper than the pop-up tree lots around where I live. They also have the tree preservative stuff, which I always use.
I’ve never used a fake tree, so of course I think real ones are worth it!
We started cutting our own Christmas tree when we started having kids. So for 10 years now we have been trekking over to the same tree farm in the frigid cold (I live in Maine). We walk around a long time, look at 1000000000 trees, and usually end up cutting the first one we saw. Then we drag it to the payment shack, take a tractor ride, and have some lousy hot chocolate and delicious candy canes. I.love.it. My favorite year was when we dragged our 2 week old newborn out there with us (4 years ago). I hope my kids remember it as fondly as I do.
I have no tips that haven’t already been mentioned, but I did learn a few things from other posters, so thanks!!!! :)
I forgot to mention the downside, which is that they cost about $65. But that seems to be par for the course, so….
Don’t put the tree on green shag carpeting. We used to find tree needles in June.
[…] It's Alive! Tree Experts Needed. — Brittany, Herself. […]
I love noble firs. When you water the tree, use hot or boiling water. Even if you saw the stump (that sounds weird). The sap tends to harden, and the hit will dissolve it and the tree will soak up more water.
I heard a story one time about people who bought a live Christmas tree and it had Praying Mantis eggs in it and they hatched and were all over her house…
But that is just a story….didn’t know them personally…
still freaks me out tho
Just a suggestion, but a friend and I have always been intrigued by our local Whitehouse Christmas Tree Farm as the very handsome son of the owner tends to show up in brown leather chaps, and if you’re lucky, bends over and cuts the tree for you. Oh…and they have hot chocolate and hot dogs in case the vision in chaps doesn’t appear!
Reading a lot of these comments is making me realize that there are some significant regional differences, especially in cost. Oregon is the top producer of Christmas trees in the world, so they are pretty effing cheap and available everywhere.
Noble and Grand firs are my favorite. They smell the best and tend to hold onto their needles the longest. If you have super sensitive skin, make sure to wear gloves when putting the lights in the tree. Both my mom and sister would break out in hives.
I second the hot water suggestion, it will take in more water that way and stay fresh.
Before bringing it inside, give it a good shake. This will get any remaining spiders out, and will shake out a lot of the dead needles.
Whatever you do, when you remove the tree, try to get most of the needles up with a broom first. I have seen many a dead vacuum as a result of too many needles.
[…] a live tree has been a live, in-home therapy session for my closeted holiday […]
always had a real tree. this year our tree was infested with little black bugs called aphiads or something. what a problem. i think i am turned off to real trees now. they multiply like crazy and start covering everything. make sure too inspect trees before bringing them in the house and decorating them.