Time To Get A Christmas Tree … Woo Hoo!

It’s that time of year again people …

Christmas is right around the corner (I bet your kids know this all too clearly … am I right?)! Now, I don’t care who you are, what religious background you have, your political beliefs, where you live or any of the other stuff that makes us only slightly different from each other, but when it comes to one thing in this country we can all agree on this (at least those of us whose last name isn’t Scrooge): Christmas trees are awesome … I mean really totally awesome!

Don’t you just love the smell of them? Or the way they brighten up your day when you see them all lit up in your living room … or in a store display somewhere while you’re out shopping? I mean, I could be wrong about all of this, but really I don’t see how I could be …

Are you like me, and have a fond admiration for this celebrated American tradition? Yes? Good, then let’s go about helping you pick out the right tree, and keeping it look and smell its holiday best:

Buying a pre-cut tree? Well then, you better pay attention to the manner in which it is stored and displayed. If it’s under shade and displayed standing in water or misted at night, then the lot operator is working hard to keep the trees as fresh as possible. Give him a Gold Star, and then buy from him!

Testing the product. One simple way to see how “fresh” your future tree is: gently grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward you. If the tree is fresh, very few needles should come off in your hand. My old man taught me this one!

Shake it up baby! Go ahead, and give it a few bounces on its stump … don’t be shy (you’re the customer, and you’re always right). Here’s the fact: you should not see an excessive amount of green needles fall to the ground. If so, move on!

After you get it home: the tree stand you must use should hold at least one quart of water for every inch in diameter of the trunk, once the tree is in the stand. This is just basic math (if you’re into that sort of thing).

Warning: never add bleach, aspirin, fertilizer or other things to the water to make trees last longer (note: forget what those idiots are saying). Research has shown that plain tap water is the most effective method to maintain moisture levels across all species of trees. So do this, and you should be cool!

Ok, now go out and get that sweet little Christmas tree already … before someone else gets their hands on it! Oh, look at the time … Christmas is right around the corner — you better hurry! Good luck out there my friend … to tell the truth, I’m going to pick one up after work, and this is why this topic is on my mind! Maybe I’ll see you out there, if you’re in the South Florida area! Well, catch you later!