Home » Plants & Animals » California Gardening » Holiday Relief: Christmas Tree Hunting

Holiday Relief: Christmas Tree Hunting

© Keith Muraoka

Tired of going from store to store only to find them out of Pokemon toys? Did you have to park so far away from the store that there's not even any oil drippings in the parking space? Had it with holiday shopping already? Consider, if you will, an old-fashioned cure -- Christmas tree hunting!

Yes, the hunt, which officially started the day after Thanksgiving, can take many forms. We're blessed locally by numerous cut-your-own tree farms nearby. Cut-your-own tree farms offer numerous advantages, including fresh-cut quality and often cheaper prices. Then, you also gain the total experience. Families can enjoy an outdoor outing, bring a camera/video, enjoy a picnic, sip cider and even take a hay ride at some farms.

Of course, you can also buy Christmas trees from independent retail lots, nurseries/garden centers and chain stores. All have certain advantages.

Chain stores, including supermarkets, have grabbed a significant portion of business by buying in volume and often offering better prices. However, generally, the selection is limited. In our area, Douglas fir and Monterey pine often are the lone offerings. Independent retail lots, on the other hand, offer a variety of different species of trees, including Scotch pines and the more elaborate firs like grand, silvertip white, Greek and Fraser. Faced with increasing competition, independent retailers place emphasis on service and quality. They also offer special services like flocking and flame retarding.

Nursery/garden centers will often offer cut trees, but will feature living Christmas trees you can grow for years. Be aware, however, that most living Christmas trees will be quite small, around three or four feet high. Living trees are also more expensive and -- a real drawback -- can usually be kept indoors for only 7 to 10 days at the longest since too-warm house temperatures can be fatal. Of course, "recycling" your tree for use year after year is noy only ecological, but you save money in the long run. Popular types of living Christmas trees include Colorado spruce, deodora spruce, Scotch pine, Norway spruce and Douglas fir.

One important note with cut trees: always utilize tree stands with water reservoirs. Cut trees can drink up to a gallon of water daily, especially when you first get it home. To increase capillary action, cut the trunk straight across before setting up your tree. By slicing off an extra inch, pitch that might clop the tree's veins will be unclogged. After the cut, place the trunk in water as soon as possible.

The copyright of the article Holiday Relief: Christmas Tree Hunting in California Gardening is owned by Keith Muraoka. Permission to republish Holiday Relief: Christmas Tree Hunting in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.