We have been cutting down our own Christmas tree at local tree farms for years now. (In fact you can read about last year's adventure
here and
here.) I thought maybe there are some of you who have never cut down your own Christmas tree, and I would like to encourage you to give it a try because it's a fun holiday tradition (and it's nice to have a real tree). But, I figure I should only be fair and impart to you the knowledge we've gained (and lessons learned) after many years.
So, here is my version of
"How to Cut Down and Care for A Real Christmas Tree 101". (Keep in mind, we live in upstate NY (Hudson Valley - Dutchess County area), so for all I know things could be completely different where you live.)
What you need:
Large black garbage bag or tarp
Bow saw (they are inexpensive - you can get one for $10 or less similar to this one pictured I found at Ace Hardware)
Pair of old work gloves (two pairs is even better)
Rope - a goodly length
Old blanket or tarp
Tree stand that is the appropriate size for the tree you want to cut (there are lots of different kinds but we have found the old fashioned, traditional red and green metal ones work just fine, like this one pictured from Ace Hardware)
The first thing to do before you even leave your house is to find out how tall your ceiling is, and decide how tall of a tree you want. You see, it's very easy to come home with a tree too small or a tree too tall (not that that's ever happened to us). Know before you go! Keep in mind you can use your own height as a guide to measure the height of your tree.
Important: remember that your tree stand will add height to your tree and so will your tree topper. So if you have 7 foot ceilings and decide to get a 6 ft tall tree, by the time you put it in the stand and put your tree topper on it may be scraping the ceiling and now you've paid for a bigger tree than you really needed.
Also before you leave, determine just how you are getting this tree home in your vehicle and make sure not to get a tree bigger than you can safely transport home! I can't tell you how many times we've seen people cut 8 and 10 ft trees then try to figure out how to get them home on the top of their little Civic or Camry. If you don't have a truck/van/SUV, you can either tie it to the top of your roof OR if it's not too big, you can lay it sideways across your trunk and tie the trunk lid down over it. You'll want to cover your roof or the inside of your vehicle with an old blanket or tarp, and you'll need plenty of rope to secure it.
Lastly, if it's raining, don't go. Cutting a Christmas tree down in the rain is a bad idea.
Just trust me on this one.
So, when you get to the tree farm, first be sure to take note of the pricing so that you're not met with an unhappy surprise at the end of this wonderful adventure. Some places charge by the foot, others have one price for say, trees up to 6ft and another price for trees up to 12ft or whatever.
Also, many places may only take cash - so be sure to bring enough actual money just in case. Not all Christmas tree farms have those new-fangled debit/credit card machines and such, plus sometimes you pay right out there in the field, so be warned.
Once you are ready to find your tree, you may have a choice of different varieties. Usually there is an attendant who can tell you what type of trees are where. Some varieties may cost more than others. What you prefer is a matter of personal taste. No matter what they say, most any type of tree freshly cut will last at least a month if kept watered and most trees are fragrant. We worry more about two other factors I feel are more important: getting a healthy tree, and one with branches that will support your ornaments.
When you're choosing a tree look at the
underside and also at the
interior branches by the trunk and avoid trees that have branches with brown needles. Sometimes because of poor weather many of the trees will have some brown, in which case just try to find the one with the least brown needles. You want the healthiest tree possible so it will hold its needles well and look great for the entire holiday season.
Also, with your hand press down on some branches. Some Christmas tree varieties have
very floppy branches which will not hold heavier ornaments well, so think about what type of decorations you have. I mean, if you use all lightweight ornaments, any tree might be ok, but if you want to hang your kid's 1 lb. bread dough handprint ornament they made in kindergarten, you're going to need a tree with stiffer branches.
To cut your tree, put on your work gloves (they protect against prickly needles and more importantly SAP) and lay your black garbage bag or tarp down otherwise you risk getting your clothes dirty or wet (not that that's ever happened to us). Take your bow saw and make a cut as close to the ground as you can. It is very helpful if there is a second person who can hold the tree near the top (wearing the other pair of old work gloves to protect against the prickly needles and sap) and gently pull in the direction away from the cut until the tree falls.
After the tree is cut, hopefully you are at a tree farm with a baler, and hopefully you noted the location of it when you arrived because that's where you want to take your tree next. It's much easier to transport if it's baled. Drag it, carry it or throw it in your vehicle and bring it to the baler.
I highly recommend getting your tree baled even if you have a pickup because it is much easier to get your tree inside the house if it is baled. "Baling a tree" is pulling it through a device that puts a strong nylon netting around it that holds the branches in. Baling has always been free everywhere we've ever gone.
Next, pay for your tree and then secure your tree in or on your vehicle for the trip home. Whether it's going on the roof or inside, make sure to lay an old blanket or tarp down to protect your car from scratches, sap and mess. If you're unsure of the best way to secure it, just ask one of the attendants for help. They've seen people try everything, trust me - 'cause so have we.
When you arrive home if you need to recut the bottom because it's not level, do that first. If possible, do this outside because even though the tree is fresh it will shed needles - and the less inside your house, the better. Then, before you cut the plastic netting off, put it in the stand. Again, you can do this outside if you want. Once the tree is secure in it's stand and you have it placed in your house, then cut the netting off. Be careful - sometimes those branches really pop out when released. Immediately fill the tree stand reservoir with water.
Keeping the tree watered is the key to keeping your tree fresh for the holiday season. You will have to water the tree every day in the beginning. Try not to ever let it go dry. At least definitely not right away. If you let the reservoir go dry for any length of time, the sap dries over the cut trunk and basically plugs up the tree's means of drawing up water (not that that's ever happened to us) and your tree won't stay nice and hold it's needles as well. It's also less of a fire hazard if it's not completely dried out. We use an empty 2 liter soda bottle to fill our tree stand reservoir.
Important: if it has been longer than 4 hours or so from the moment you cut the tree down to the time you are going to put it in the tree stand, recut the trunk before putting it in the stand - otherwise it likely won't draw up water well because the sap has had a chance to dry on the base.
For the first few days the tree will "drink" a lot, and then it will gradually slow. Lots of places sell bottles of mystery potions that supposedly make the tree last longer. If it makes you feel good, buy some, but we gave up on those and use plain old water and as long as you don't let the tree go dry those first few days where it's really drawing up a lot of water, it'll last fine. I mean, you don't need the tree to last until Februrary, you know?
Keep in mind when you are deciding where you place your real Christmas tree inside, the further from a heat source the better. If it's up against a baseboard heating unit or floor vent, close them. Heat is just going to dry your tree out more.
The tree will drop needles as the days go by, but generally it's not too bad at all until the end (the end being when you un-decorate the tree). By then, it will likely be raining needles. There are two tricks to minimizing this mess. The first trick will work well if your tree isn't terribly big or wide: when you initially set up the tree, you put a big black garbage bag under the stand (which you can cover with the tree skirt), and when the tree is undecorated, you can draw the garbage bag up the tree so you can carry it out of the house with minimal mess. (In fact, they even sell special "tree bags" for this at some of the farms, which may accommodate even larger trees.) If you have a bigger or a wide tree, the second trick is useful: before you un-decorate you can spread an old sheet out and slide it under the stand so that the sheet will catch most of the needles and then you can wrap the tree in the sheet as you carry it out to minimize the mess. We actually don't bother with either of these tricks - we just vacuum when it's all over. No biggie. Plus when your vacuum bag gets full of Christmas tree needles, it usually makes the air smell nice (as opposed to the normal, unpleasant smell of dog hair in the case of our house) and you can still get that "Christmas Feeling" the next few times you vacuum.
This is what was left after we undecorated our tree and took it out last year, to give you an idea (the towel was originally under the stand because sometimes we get a little "spilly" when we fill the reservoir). Keep in mind that we actually had our tree up for close to six weeks and we had not bothered watering it in the end either, so it was super dry - this is a lot worse than what most people would experience:
So that's "How to Cut Down and Care for A Real Christmas Tree 101". Feel free to leave me a comment if you have any questions, or your own tips and tricks! Otherwise, good luck, and enjoy your beautiful tree! Yes, it is more expensive in the long run than buying an artificial tree, but a real tree is a special thing, and you make lots of (hopefully) fun memories cutting it down.
The end.
