Consumer care
and selection of "real" Christmas Trees:
Choosing a real
Christmas tree is a fun outing for the whole family and easy to do. Here
are some suggestions for selecting a tree.
First, do a
freshness test. Gently grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger
and pull it toward you. Very few needles should come off in your hand if
the tree is fresh. Second, take a look at the ground around the tree.
You should not see excessive amounts of green needles on the ground.
Some interior loss of brown needles is normal and will occur over the
lifetime of the tree. Fresh Fraser Fir needles should be crisp and break
when bent between fingers.=
Once you've chosen
your tree, keep it in a sheltered, unheated area such as a porch or
garage to protect it from the wind and sun until you're ready to
decorate it. Before you set up your tree, make a fresh, straight cut
across the base of the trunk (about a quarter of an inch up from the
original cut) and place the tree in a tree stand that holds at least one
gallon of water.
Real trees need
water daily. Never let your tree stand go dry!
A seal of dried
sap will form over the cut sump if the water drops below the base of the
tree preventing the tree from absorbing water when the tree stand is
refilled. If a seal does form, another fresh cut will need to be made.
A tree will absorb
over a gallon of water in the first 24 hours and one or more quarts a
day thereafter. Water is important because it prevents the needles from
drying and the boughs from drooping.
In addition, keep
your tree away from heat and draft sources like fireplaces, radiators
and television sets. Test your light cords and connections before
hanging them on the tree to make sure they're in good working order. You
don't want to use cords with cracked insulation or broken or empty
sockets. Also, be sure to unplug lights before you go to bed or leave
the house.
Sensible
precautions such as these will help preserve the unique beauty and
tradition only a real Christmas tree can provide.
Della Riley
Ashe County Extension Agent
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Handling
Christmas Trees on the Retail Lot
Introduction
Quality
Christmas Trees can be made available to consumers only if proper
handling procedures are followed during harvest, shipping, storage and
display. The retail lot is a critical point in this process where trees
are often maintained in less than optimal conditions. However, by
observing a few simple guidelines, the retailer can provide customers
with fresher, more desirable trees.
Care
and Handling Procedures Heat,
wind and sunlight are the greatest enemies to maintaining freshness of
cut Christmas trees. At temperatures above 70 degrees F, unbaled trees
on retail lots can lose up to half their moisture in as little as 24
hours. Any technique which increases the humidity of the air surrounding
the trees will slow the rate of moisture loss, thereby maintaining
freshness. Trees are best stored by keeping them upright in a cool shady
place, out of high traffic areas. Shading
can also prevent "stringburn", in which needles adjacent to
the baling string turn brown, a baled tree in direct sunlight can
develop string burn in less than 30 minutes. If permanent shade is not
available, a tarp or shade cloth can be used to protect trees from
sunlight and wind. However, any shade should be suspended above the
trees and down the sides with at least a 2-foot air space above and
outside the trees to avoid over-heating.
Misting
trees at night to provide moisture can be beneficial. Retailers in warm
climates sometimes store baled trees with their trunks in a pool of
water, formed by lining wooden or dirt troughs with plastic or tarp.
Trunks can also be placed in moist sawdust as a method to maintain
moisture content of the trees. Piles of baled trees should not be soaked
with water as mold and defoliation can occur, particularly in warm
temperatures. For trees to adequately take up water, a fresh cut on the
tree's base may be necessary prior to storage or display.
Trees
should be handled carefully while being unloaded from trucks, placed in
and out of storage, and delivered to customers. Walking on baled trees
breaks limbs and crushes foliage. In freezing conditions, extra caution
is needed as trees can become quite brittle.
Displayed
trees should be sold on a "first in, first out" basis. Coding
on tree tags is one easy way to keep track of how long each tree has
been on display. Information
for Consumers Several
points should be emphasized by retailers to their customers.
- A fresh cut of
1/2 inch should be made on the trunk prior to placing in water for
display.
- The trunk
should not be allowed to get dirty or muddy, thereby interfering
with water uptake.
- The tree should
be displayed in a stand with sufficient water-holding capacity and
the stand should be refilled each day.
A general rule is
that tress often require one quart of water per day for each inch of
trunk diameter.
Retailers should
also remind customers that fresh Christmas trees, kept well-watered, are
almost impossible to set afire, but to display trees away from heat and
possible sources of ignition (stoves, fireplaces, etc.)
A common question
relates to the possible advantages of water additives for prolonging
freshness. These additives include such compounds as aspirin, sugar,
cola, and various commercial products. Research has shown that additives
provide no real benefit, and may even aggravate the shedding of needles.
The only essential ingredient for maintaining tree freshness is plenty
of clean water in the tree stand.
Summary
Both growers and
sellers of Christmas trees benefit if fresh, high-quality trees reach
the consumers. If proper procedures are followed in handling, storage
and display, trees sold on the retail lot will meet those requirements.
NOTE:
This
publication summarizes information contained in North Carolina State
University publications "Grower Postharvest Handling Christmas
Trees", CTN-015 and "Retail Merchandising of North Carolina
Fraser Fir", CTN-017. These publications should be consulted for
additional information.
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