Tips for Christmas Tree Buying
By Joy J. Fine
Have you ever wondered what factors determine what the best Christmas tree would be for your family? There are many to consider. The first is to decide which place in your home you want the tree. This helps you figure out the tallest your tree can be and how much room you have for the branches to spread. By determining those two factors alone you can begin to narrow down your choices on which tree will be right for you and your family. Most ceilings are eight feet high; take off a foot for the ornaments you will put atop your tree and you know that it cannot exceed seven feet tall. If, on the other hand, you have ten-foot ceilings you have more room to play with. Also you need to take in the tree stand that you will be using as this is often about a half a foot tall. This should not be too much of a problem if you take a little off the bottom when you get your tree.
Another issue when choosing your Christmas tree is how fresh it is. This may seem unimportant but here freshness counts for two reasons. One it will make your tree look and smell better and two it is less likely to be a fire hazard. Some of the signs of a fresh tree are needles that stay on the branch when you run your fingers along it. They should feel soft and move easily on the branch. If they fall off in big bunches then the tree is dried out and is not the one you want to buy. Other signs of a fresh tree are a nice shade of green, no brown, and a noticeable scent. One way to insure the tree is fresh is to cut it yourself or have it cut for you the day you are ready to put it up.
If you buy your Christmas tree from a lot ask the owner how far away they cut the trees. This will give you an idea of how far they had to travel and help you determine how fresh the tree is. Check the bottom of your tree and make sure it does not look dry, that it has not split or begun to peel. If the bottom of the trunk shows any of these signs it is drying out already and you do not want to buy it.
When wandering the lots to find just the right Christmas tree a good hint is to make sure if you find one you like, grab it. Even if you want to hunt around a little more, it is always better to put it back later because you found one you like better, instead of coming back to get it and finding the only tree you liked was bought by someone else. If the one you pick is sort of funny looking on one side but perfect on the other buy it. Put the funny side at the back up against the wall and you will have a beautiful Christmas tree looking out at your family.
Christmas time is a time of giving but it is also a difficult time for some people. If you have a little extra in your heart and in your pocket buy your tree from a charity lot. Maybe you could even buy a second Christmas tree and donate it to a family who is unable to buy one.
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