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Holidays Christmas
Christmas Tree Farms
The smells, sights and sounds of harvest time at a Christmas
tree farm is a December treat not to be missed!
Harvesting
your live Christmas tree can be a fun, memory-making holiday
activity and fun for the whole family. Simply grab the kids
and go to a local cut-your-own
farm. There are about 12,000 Christmas tree farms in the
US alone, so finding one should be fairly easy.
Hints
for picking out the best live Christmas tree
At a cut-your-own
farm, you usually will have the option of cutting it yourself,
or letting a hired hand do the actual chopping.
Before
it's cut, just make sure that you've already carefully measured
for room width, and the height of the ceiling where the tree
will be displayed. Also consider leaving extra room for a
traditional Christmas star or angel decoration to sit atop
your tree.
Besides
the perfect size, you'll want the perfect shape. Other important
factors: smell for freshness and feel for texture and fullness.
Loose needles and sparse branches are definitely out, but
a tree that's too dense leaves little room for hanging larger
decorations and mementos. Choosing the right one takes a little
time, but it's well worth the effort to say that you've found
the most perfect Christmas tree EVER.
Caring
for your Christmas tree
If you
don't already have one, buy a sturdy Christmas tree stand
usually on sale at local cut-your-own farms. Find the largest,
deepest one available. This will ensure your Christmas tree
has an adequate supply of water. Check it daily and add more
water as necessary.
If possible,
the ideal place for a live Christmas tree is near a source
of fresh air, like a front door or living room window. Above
all, keep your tree away from any heat source like an air
vent, floor heater or fireplace to ensure that it will stay
fresh and green throughout the holiday season.
Where to find more Christmas tree farm information around
the Web:
Around
the Web, check out where you can find that best tree ever
- in our guide to choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms in the
U.S., Canada and around the world, along with mail order houses
and how-to's on picking out your perfect Christmas tree this
year online...
National
Christmas Tree Association - Search for Christmas
tree farms in the United States and Canada, the U.K., Germany,
Denmark and Mexico, and check out a list of retailers who
sell Christmas trees by mail order and via the Internet.
Pick
Your Own Christmas Tree - One-stop browsing for Christmas
tree farms throughout the U.S. by state, with contact details
and links to official Web sites where available, with additional
guides to the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand
and South Africa.
Christmas
Trees & More
- From the University of Illinois Extension, with a complete
Christmas Tree Farm guide to Illinois with contact details,
links plus more for Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. And
tool around the rest of the site for Christmas tree facts,
traditions, tree types, related links.
Captain
Jack's Christmas Tree Farm Network - Comprehensive
listing of tree farms in the continental United States, Alaska
and Canada.
The
Virtual Christmas Tree Farm - Fun kid-stuff from Christmas
Tree Farmers of Ontario with a step-by-step guide to planting,
tree care, harvesting, how to's for cutting your own, plus
a bit of history and an identification list.
Selection
and Care of Christmas Trees - Good, general guide
to what to look for and how to pick your choose-and-cut or
retail lot Christmas tree, from the Virginia Cooperative Extension.
also
see related Features -> Christmas
Tree Safety Tips
Selecting & Caring for the Perfect Christmas Tree
Dress
Up Your Door with a Festive Wreath
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