Hi, I just picked up a Christmas tree from Home depot--a Balsam Fir to be
exact. I was just wondering how to tell if the tree is fresh? We did notice
a decent amount of needles that fell to the floor of the truck on the way
home, but I'm not sure if this is normal or not? Can someone tell me what to
look for, so that I'll know whether or not to return the tree? Thanks.

Some needles will naturally fall out, at the first real good shake. After
it is shaken real heavily to clear out the needles, it should not shed a lot
a day later.

Bend a small branch or stem, out near the end of the branch. It should snap
back pretty quickly instead of staying "with the bend."

Cut about an inch off the bottom of the stump (for a fresh cut) , and place
the tree in water. It is amazing how much water they will suck up. Some
folks put sugar in the water, but I never have felt the need for that. Watch
the water level daily.

Hope this helps !!


--James--

"TheKeith" wrote:

Hi, I just picked up a Christmas tree from Home depot--a Balsam Fir to
be exact. I was just wondering how to tell if the tree is fresh?

Keep it long past Christmas, and you'll see first-hand what "not fresh"
looks like for next year. Plus, as an added bonus, you will get to see how
long it takes.

Ask the guys at Home Depot for tips on keeping it fresh.

--
Farlo, the Urban Fey Dragon

Hey thanks guys for your help. I guess it is fresh then--the branches do
snap back pretty well and it doesn't seem to be dropping as amny needles as
it did when it first got in the truck.



"TheKeith" wrote in message
...
Hi, I just picked up a Christmas tree from Home depot--a Balsam Fir to be
exact. I was just wondering how to tell if the tree is fresh? We did
notice
a decent amount of needles that fell to the floor of the truck on the way
home, but I'm not sure if this is normal or not? Can someone tell me what
to
look for, so that I'll know whether or not to return the tree? Thanks.

It is amazing how much water they will suck up.
Agreed.

Check that dish many times each day and keep it full of fresh water.

When the concern of "fire hazard" starts to bother me, I take a few needles
off the tree, place them in a metal container OUTSIDE, and light them. This
gives me an idea of just how flammable my tree is.


(¯`·._.· £ãrrÿ ·._.·´¯)







"James Nipper" wrote in message
...
Some needles will naturally fall out, at the first real good shake. After
it is shaken real heavily to clear out the needles, it should not shed a
lot
a day later.

Bend a small branch or stem, out near the end of the branch. It should
snap
back pretty quickly instead of staying "with the bend."

Cut about an inch off the bottom of the stump (for a fresh cut) , and
place
the tree in water. It is amazing how much water they will suck up. Some
folks put sugar in the water, but I never have felt the need for that.
Watch
the water level daily.

Hope this helps !!


--James--

Xref: 127.0.0.1 alt.home.lawn.garden:6490 rec.gardens:435486

The Christmas tree you'll soon be buying is at the end of its long
journey. Having grown up in Oregon, it is harvested and placed on a
flat bed truck for its cross country journey. Once every few stops, the
trees are watered down to keep them moist and fresh.
=

Just make sure that the beautiful Tannenbaum you invite into your living
room doesn't make your allergies worse! Although an artificial tree is
best (if you rinse off the attic dust!), here's some tips if you decide
to go with a real tree:
=

That continual watering promotes mold growth. Make sure to spray your
tree with a garden hose before bringing it inside. This also helps
rinse the pollen off the tree. Although pine trees aren't a major
source of tree pollen, they can trigger hay fever if you get a big dose
of the powder right in your face. Rinsing the tree off, plus using your
allergy medicines before you enjoy trimming the tree, may prevent your
Christmas-time allergy. Speaking of trimming the tree, your ornaments
may have spent the off-season in the attic with dust mites and mold. =

Carefully clean them off in a well-ventilated area. After Christmas,
pack the ornaments carefully in sealed plastic bags to make next year's
job a bit easier.
=

Keep the living room well-ventilated. The aromatic resins that impart
the pine scent can act as non-allergic irritants. Our Texas Aggie
buddies suggest the Leyland Cypress tree since, as a true hybrid, it
cannot produce pollen. Fewer resins on the Leyland Cypress mean fewer
odors. http://agnet.tamu.edu/stories/leyland.html
=

Along with cheerful holiday gatherings come colds and flu. How does
your doctor keep from getting all those bugs? We wash our hands with
hot soapy water about 753 times a day. Careful hand washing can prevent
transmission of respiratory viruses.
=

Stay well and Happy Holidays from The Allergy Clinic, your allergy and
asthma specialists!

Republished by Celestial Habitats
J. Kolenovsky



TheKeith wrote:
=

Hi, I just picked up a Christmas tree from Home depot--a Balsam Fir to =
be
exact. I was just wondering how to tell if the tree is fresh? We did no=
tice
a decent amount of needles that fell to the floor of the truck on the w=
ay
home, but I'm not sure if this is normal or not? Can someone tell me wh=
at to
look for, so that I'll know whether or not to return the tree? Thanks.

-- =

Celestial Habitats by J. Kolenovsky
2003 Honorable Mention Award, Keep Houston Beautiful
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.celestialhabitats.com - business
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/personal.html - personal

"J Kolenovsky" wrote in message
...
The Christmas tree you'll soon be buying is at the end of its long
journey. Having grown up in Oregon, it is harvested and placed on a
flat bed truck for its cross country journey. Once every few stops, the
trees are watered down to keep them moist and fresh.

Just make sure that the beautiful Tannenbaum you invite into your living
room doesn't make your allergies worse! Although an artificial tree is
best (if you rinse off the attic dust!), here's some tips if you decide
to go with a real tree:

That continual watering promotes mold growth. Make sure to spray your
tree with a garden hose before bringing it inside. This also helps
rinse the pollen off the tree. Although pine trees aren't a major
source of tree pollen, they can trigger hay fever if you get a big dose
of the powder right in your face. Rinsing the tree off, plus using your
allergy medicines before you enjoy trimming the tree, may prevent your
Christmas-time allergy. Speaking of trimming the tree, your ornaments
may have spent the off-season in the attic with dust mites and mold.
Carefully clean them off in a well-ventilated area. After Christmas,
pack the ornaments carefully in sealed plastic bags to make next year's
job a bit easier.

Keep the living room well-ventilated. The aromatic resins that impart
the pine scent can act as non-allergic irritants. Our Texas Aggie
buddies suggest the Leyland Cypress tree since, as a true hybrid, it
cannot produce pollen. Fewer resins on the Leyland Cypress mean fewer
odors. http://agnet.tamu.edu/stories/leyland.html

Along with cheerful holiday gatherings come colds and flu. How does
your doctor keep from getting all those bugs? We wash our hands with
hot soapy water about 753 times a day. Careful hand washing can prevent
transmission of respiratory viruses.

Stay well and Happy Holidays from The Allergy Clinic, your allergy and
asthma specialists!

Republished by Celestial Habitats
J. Kolenovsky


maybe I should consider converting to judaism!

May the Lorax bitch slap some sense into you.

You are the bad one.


TheKeith wrote in message
...
Hi, I just picked up a Christmas tree from Home depot--a Balsam Fir to be
exact. I was just wondering how to tell if the tree is fresh? We did
notice
a decent amount of needles that fell to the floor of the truck on the way
home, but I'm not sure if this is normal or not? Can someone tell me what
to
look for, so that I'll know whether or not to return the tree? Thanks.