Elizabeth Lamb has a Ph.D. in plant breeding and is a senior extension associate with the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s New York State Integrated Pest Management program. Brian Eshenaur is a plant pathologist, a certified New York State nursery professional and an educator with NYS IPM.
Both comment on the Christmas tree industry and offer tips on how to pick and keep the best tree this holiday season.
Eshenaur says:
“The ‘true firs’ are currently the most popular New York grown trees. These include Fraser fir and balsam firs, which have short, deep, dark-green needles. Other true firs with longer needles include the concolor fir that sports a bluish cast and a citrus scent when its needles are bent. The related grand fir has long needles that are the darkest green color and are flattened in appearance.
“The very fragrant Douglas fir, although not as popular as it once was, (because growers are choosing more disease resistant types) is still grown on many NY farms can be found at tree lots around the state.”
Lamb says:
“You can buy a pre-cut tree or cut your own. Christmas tree farms are one of the best examples of agri-tourism as they often have train, sleigh or hayrides; bonfires or wood stoves, visits with Santa and reindeer, or other ways to make a day of choosing a tree.”
“Christmas tree growers are also good stewards of the land.” Tips for selecting the best Christmas tree:
• Firs and pines have the best needle retention and can last for a month or more indoors. However if buying a spruce tree, plan to have it in the house for just a week to 10 days.
• Look for a tree with a good solid-green color. Needle yellowing or a slight brown speckled color could indicate there was a pest problem and could lead to early needle drop.
• Don't be afraid to handle and bend the branches and shoots. Green needles should not come off in your hands. Also, the shoots should be flexible. Avoid a tree if the needles are shed or if the shoots crack or snap with handling.
• Christmas trees should smell good. If there isn't much fragrance when you flex the needles, it may mean that the tree was cut too long ago.
• If possible, make a fresh cut on the bottom so the tree's vascular tissue (pipe work) is not plugged and so the tree can easily take up water. Then, if you’re not bringing it into the house right away, get the tree in a bucket of water outside.
• Once your tree gets moved to inside the house, don’t locate it next to a radiator or furnace vent. And always remember to keep water in the tree stand topped off, so it never goes below the bottom of the trunk.
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