Talking Trees Live: How to Pick the Perfect Christmas Tree & Proper Care

Описание: Fa la la la! It’s the most wonderful time of the year–and our favorite part of the season! Join ISA board-certified master arborist R.J. Laverne as he shares tips for picking the Christmas tree and how to care for your live tree once you bring it home.

What are the Best Tree Species for a Christmas Tree
*Colorado Blue Spruce (00:05:51)
Popular landscape tree, known for its beautiful shape and color
Great for needle retention, as long as you keep them watered
Downside: be careful with its prickly needles

*Fir Trees (00:08:59)
Known for their classic Christmas scent, fir trees have nice sturdy branches for hanging heavy ornaments. Here are a few popular species and characteristics for each:

*Species: Fraser (00:07:45) Canaan (00:08:40)
Holds foliage well
Needles are softer
*Species: White Fir (00:09:24)
Longer needles compared to the Fraser and Canaan
Needles are flexible
Requires a little more care with watering for needle retention
Eastern White Pine (00:10:43)

How to Pick the Perfect Christmas Tree
RJ’s advice is to first go to your local tree farm and bring your loved ones! It is less about the species of the tree, and about the memories, you make finding it.

Make the adventure of finding the perfect tree about the experience with your loved ones.

Now that you have your perfect tree, time to bring it home! Let’s talk about the placement.
Keep your tree away from heater vents to prevent it from drying out too quickly. More importantly for safety, keep it away from wood stoves, fireplace, and any candles. (00:22:33)

Tips on How to Care for Your Live Christmas Tree to Prevent Needle Drop
*Use newer LED or small miniature lights to help keep the tree from drying out because the larger bulbs tend to dry the tree faster (00:14:00)
*Water frequently to prevent foliage from drying and needles dropping
*Myth Buster: There is no ‘magic dust’ to add to your water to prolong the life of your tree. (00:23:35)

Here are some additional tips on how to stop needles from falling off your Christmas tree and how to keep your Christmas tree fresh and green:
*https://blog.davey.com/2018/12/how-to...
*https://blog.davey.com/2018/12/how-do...

For safety purposes, always be sure to have a fire extinguisher in your house.

How to Catproof Your Christmas Tree
RJ passes along a tip he heard, that cats don’t like the smell of orange peels. So try putting some at the base of the tree. (00:26:00)

Here are some other ways to “catproof your Christmas tree.”
https://blog.davey.com/2019/12/cat-pr...

Viewer Questions
*If you shake the tree and a bunch of needles falls off, does that mean the tree isn’t good? (00:16:24)
*How to care for a ball and burlap tree? (00:18:31)
*What do I do with my Christmas tree after the holiday? (00:21:32)
*What size tree stand should I get for my tree? (00:24:15)
*How long do live Christmas trees last? (00:29:50)