Farmer Tim's Christmas Tree Tips

We have four different kinds of Christmas trees this year. We have Norway Spruce, Canaan Fir, Fraser Fir, and Concolor.

As far as picking a good Christmas tree, it’s all based on people’s preferences. Personally, I love a short, fat tree. I don’t know why. I don’t care if there’s a branch missing on one side because that’s probably going to be the side that goes towards the wall anyway. I like adopting a Charlie Brown tree. But it’s all in what you’re looking for.

I love the Concolor. I think it’s a new, up and coming variety. It smells like citrus and it will never drop its needles, even when they turn brown. What more could you ask for in a Christmas tree? Fraser has been number one for a long time, but I think that will balance out. I would pick a Concolor.

Make sure you know where your Christmas tree is coming from. A lot of them come from out of state and are harvested in early October. Ours come from Pennsylvania. They actually come from a farm that neighbors our livestock farm. So we know they’re excellent quality. Ours are also harvested a week or two before Thanksgiving. That’s almost a month’s difference from the ones that are harvested out of state in early October. You definitely want a fresh tree, so ask your salesman where they get their trees.

Always have them cut the bottom for you so you have a fresh cut when you take it home. This allows the tree to absorb water easier and hold needles longer. You also have to consider how many ornaments you have and the weight of those decorations. If you have a lot of heavy ornaments, you want a tree that’s a little narrower. That way, the branches are closer to the stalk and are thicker and able to hold more weight on them.