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7 Tree Experts and Their Most Actionable Tips For Picking Your Christmas Tree in 2020
December 18, 2020
Every year Canadian families go out to pick the perfect Christmas
tree for their homes. And every year families find out that picking
the perfect Christmas tree is a little harder than just pointing and
choosing, there is a science to it. Too many families pick out old
dead trees that lose their needles before the 25th.
With all the things going on this year we at moovez wanted to
make your ‘Covid-Christmas’ a little bit easier. We decided that to
help make this year a little easier we would round up the best
advice from tree experts on how to pick out a perfect Christmas
tree.
So, we reached out to these experts and asked them:
What are your three most actionable tips for picking out the best Christmas tree?
What we got back were high-quality tips for you and your family to
use this year at the tree farm.
We narrowed down our list of experts to the top seven to ensure
that only the best of the best made it to this exclusive list.
So without further ado, we will let the experts talk:
“Be sure there are no trunk wounds…”
Bio
The Morton Arboretum is a public garden, and outdoor museum
with a library, herbarium, and program in tree research including
the Center for Tree Science. It champions the world's trees
through plant collections, science and conservation, education,
and outreach. The Morton Arboretum's 1,700 acres hold more
than 222,000 live plants representing nearly 4,300 taxa from
around the world.
going.
Tips
1. Christmas trees are often cut very early in the season, so
selecting a tree for freshness will make sure you have a safe,
attractive tree throughout the holiday season.
2. No matter what type of tree you choose, check your tree to
make sure that the needles are fragrant when crushed, firmly
attached, and still flexible.
3. The cut end should still be sticky.
4. Be sure there are no trunk wounds, as the tissue that takes
water up the tree is found just below the bark.
5. Of course, make sure the tree has branches sturdy enough to
hold up your ornaments.
Website: https://www.mortonarb.org/
Facebook: @MortonArboretum
Instagram: @mortonarb
“If you want a Christmas centrepiece that can
withstand more than a few weeks in your home…”
Bio
Forestry England cares for more land and trees than any other
organization in England. Shaping landscapes for people, wildlife
and timber. They’ve built over 1,800 miles of walking, running and
cycling trails, supplying England’s largest amount of sustainablysourced timber, and conserving the homes of thousands of plants
and animals.
around the world.
going.
Tips
1. If you want a Christmas centrepiece that can withstand more
than a few weeks in your home, shopping with quality in mind
is a priority.
2. Be sure to check the needles are flexible and green, tough
needles which snap when bent are a sign of a half-dead tree
which won’t stand the test of time.
3. When checking the health of a tree you can also try tapping
the cut end to the ground, a few falling needles is expected,
but if lots fall off without much movement - it's time to find
another! .
4. Each tree species can be a little bit different in size, smell and
how long they hold their needles, so it’s important to know
what you are looking for.
5. Once you get your tree home, saw half an inch off the trunk to
rid of any hardened sap and then put straight into water. This
will help the tree to absorb lots of water to stay fresh and green
throughout your festivities.
6. Make sure you choose a sturdy stand that can hold a good
amount of liquid. Your Christmas tree needs to be kept in
water at all times, so finding a base with a good well that you
can access is important.
7. You might have been told that Coca-Cola or corn syrup in the
base helps to keep your tree alive. Don’t fall for it! Your
beautiful tree just wants a constant supply of fresh water, it's
that simple.
8. Your tree’s natural habitat at this time of year is out in the cold
air, minimize the shock of the relocation and keep your tree
happy by giving your tree some good distance from the
radiator.
Website: https://www.forestryengland.uk/
Facebook: @forestry.england.uk
Instagram: @forestryengland
“Shop small business, skip the big box stores!”
Bio
Mountain View Christmas Trees is Alberta's premier supplier of
premium grade Christmas trees to retailers throughout Alberta.
They have a reputation for offering high quality trees at very
competitive prices combined with excellent service.
Tips
1. Shop small business, skip the big box stores! All small tree
retailers either grow their own trees or support small family
farms. Box stores don't tend to buy their trees sustainably.
2. Look for premium graded trees, almost all lots say their trees
are premium but it's easy to tell. A premium is sheared for
perfect cone shape, will have no bald spots and should have a
trunk that's almost perfectly vertical.
3. Fraser firs grown in Eastern Canada will last the longest and
are the heaviest, fullest trees.
Website: https://www.mvtrees.com/contact-us.php/
“Keep the temperature down as low as…”
Bio
Pick Your Own Tree is the best collection online of choose-and-cut
your own Christmas tree farms, pre-cut tree farms, tree stands,
tree lots sleigh rides, and other winter fun activities.
going.
Tips
1. Firs are the traditional tree, with the smell, look and needle
retention that most people want.
2. Whichever variety you choose, wait until you are ready to put it
up before you harvest. If you get an already harvested tree, get
them to saw the bottom 2 inches off for a fresh cut.
3. Once cut, the bottom MUST be kept in water at all times (the
pores can dry up and seal shut, blocking water uptake!).
4. Keep the temperature down as low as you can stand in the
room where the tree is; even just turning it down at night helps.
5. The studies connected by extension services and tree farms
say the preservatives, sugar, aspirin, etc. are worthless.
Website: http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/
Facebook: @PickYourOwn.org
“Consider getting outside to cut your own tree in
the beautiful foothills west of Calgary.”
Bio
The Junior Forest Wardens is a Canadian volunteer-led
organization focused on developing a wild lands conservation ethic
in youth. The organization is almost a hundred years old. It began
in the 1920s, when a group of boys reported a forest fire to a local
forest ranger.
going.
Tips
1. Consider getting outside to cut your own tree in the beautiful
foothills west of Calgary. Get a TM66 or PUFPP permit from
the AB Forestry website (for spruce/pine trees) or visit the tree
lot link on AJFWA.ca (for pines only).
2. Find out about the Junior Forest Wardens self-serve tree
cutting lot on Powderface Trail. The price is right for 2020 –
previously the permits were $5, but this year they are free of
charge. You still need the permit on hand before cutting your
tree though.
3. You’ll never regret cutting your own special tree with your
family. The air is fresh and clean, the mountains are
spectacular, you can make it a picnic or short hike, and the
memories last many years.
4. You might be lucky to find the “perfect” tree, but it’s more likely
that natural trees will have a “bald spot” or two. You can turn
the problem side toward the wall, or you can actually fill in the
problem areas by adding extra boughs. Just drill some holes
in the trunk where you want extra coverage, taper the ends of
the new branches snipped from a different tree, and insert the
new pieces tightly.
Website: https://sites.google.com/ajfwa.ca/home/home/
Facebook: @AJFWA
“Make sure that you continue to water the tree for
the duration of the season.”
Bio
Through their commitment to great service and quality plant
material, Blue Grass has grown from a small family business to one
of Alberta’s largest tree and sod producers. Blue Grass has always
remained a family operation. They see no better investment in the
future than to plant trees for future generations.
Tips
1. Key point for anyone buying a tree is that any tree is great! So
long as you like it. Most trees now are pretty uniform in shape
to the species.
2. Once you have chosen the tree, if you are going to put it up
right away, ask to have a fresh cut done on the bottom of the
trunk.
3. Once home put in the tree stand and add water to top of
stand, this will allow the tree to absorb as much water as
possible.
4. Then just make sure that you continue to water the tree for the
duration of the season.
Facebook: @bluegrasscgy
“If the tree looks full on the lot then there is no
room for decorations.”
Bio
moovez was created so that everyone can have “that one friend”,
always available and happy to help at the touch of a button. Our
mission, with the help of our technology, is to connect customers
with registered driver partners to deliver almost anything of any
size.
Tips
1. Before leaving the house make sure that your car has a roof
rack for transporting your Christmas tree. If you are going to
put it in your car, make sure to bring a blanket, or you will end
up with very sappy seats. If you don't want to transport the
tree by yourself then check out this blog about
a new Christmas tree delivery service for 2020.
2. Picking the right species of tree is such an important part of
picking the perfect tree, but too many people don’t have any
idea what species they want. I’ll simplify it for you, Nordmann
firs are for people who are looking for excellent needle
retention and that classic Christmas tree look. The other
species we recommend is a Fraser Fir, this tree is the most
popular Christmas tree in North America and has that strong
Christmas tree smell.
3. When you are picking out your tree make sure that it has
spaces between its branches. Too many people buy a
Christmas tree that looks full on the lot, but if the tree looks full
on the lot then there is no room for decorations.
4. Make sure that you pick a fresh tree, so that you don’t end up
with a dead tree on the 25th. At the lot makes sure to test the
freshness by bouncing the tree. For this all you have to do is
hold the tree a couple inches above the ground and drop it on
it’s stump. If the floor is now covered in a layer of needles, this
tree is not the tree for you.
Website: https://www.wemoovez.com//
Facebook: @wemoovez
Instagram: @wemoovez
Next Steps
With our extensive list of tree experts completed we hope that all
of your Christmas tree related questions have been answered.
Now when you get out to the tree lot you will have all the
information required to pick out the perfect Christmas tree for you
and your family. You will have a tree that looks and smells like
Christmas.
We at moovez wish you the best of luck picking out a perfect
Christmas tree during these challenging times.
If you still have questions we at moovez have a blog dedicated to
picking out your perfect Christmas tree.
Ready to get started?