Christmas trees will start arriving the week before Thanksgiving and this year we will have a selection of the most popular Fraser Fir, but also some Canaan and Concolor Fir trees.
Canaan fir trees combine many of the characteristics of balsam fir and Fraser fir. They are sometimes described as a hybrid between the two, but are actually a specific balsam fir from the Canaan Valley of West Virginia.
Concolor Fir trees offer longer needles with a strong citrus scent.
How to Care for Your Fresh Cut Christmas Tree – Use lots of water!
The following care tips have been provided by the National Christmas Tree Association:
When a Christmas tree is cut, more than half its weight is water. With proper care, you can maintain the quality of your tree. Burger Farm advises not to put up your Christmas tree until after Thanksgiving so your tree has the best chance of looking good longer. Below are a number of tips on caring for your tree:
Note: A fresh cut Christmas tree should provide 4 to 5 weeks of Christmas joy when cared for properly.
Displaying trees in water in a traditional reservoir type stand is the most effective way of maintaining their freshness and minimizing needle loss problems.
To display the trees indoors, use a stand with an adequate water holding capacity for the tree. As a general rule, stands should provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. Devices are available that help maintain a constant water level in the stand.
Use a stand that fits your tree. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed.
Make a fresh cut to remove about a 1/2-inch thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. Don’t cut the trunk at an angle, or into a v-shape, which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree.
Note: Make sure your Christmas tree is taking up water before you decorate it! If your tree doesn’t take up any water; you may need to give it a new fresh cut which means you may need to remove the tree from its stand
Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does NOT improve water uptake but some tree stands may require one by design.
Once home, place the tree in water as soon as possible. Burger Farm recommends getting the tree in water within 3 to 4 hours after cutting the trunk. Don’t bruise the cut surface or get it dirty. If needed, trees can be temporarily stored for several days in a cool, shaded location. Place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket that is kept full of water.
The temperature of the water used to fill the stand is not important and does not affect water uptake.
Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree. With many stands, there can still be water in the stand even though the base of the tree is no longer submerged in water.
Keep trees away from major sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.
Use of lights that produce low heat, such as miniature lights, will reduce drying of the tree.
Monitor the tree for freshness. After Christmas or if the tree is very dry, remove it from the house.
Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace.
Burger Farm has worked with the same fresh cut Christmas tree farms located in Canada and North Carolina for more than 25 years and offer what we believe are the best and freshest trees available for our customers. A fresh cut Christmas tree however is a perishable item and will eventually dry out and drop needles. There is no way to tell how fast a fresh cut tree will dry out as it depends on many handling and environmental factors beyond our control. Therefore, Burger Farm cannot guarantee how long a fresh cut tree will hold its needles or offer any type of returns or compensation for a tree that doesn’t take up water or dries out prematurely. NOTE: All trees will drop some needles as they can be damaged during shipping or simply have loose needles in the tree from other trees and being located nearer the bottom of the pile.
We look forward to seeing you this holiday season and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!