Cut christmas tree: Tips for Selection and Care of Cut Christmas Trees
Tips for Selection and Care of Cut Christmas Trees
There is no right or wrong species when it comes to choosing a Christmas tree. It all depends on your tastes and what is available locally. Bringing a freshly cut tree into your home, having it hold irreplaceable ornaments and bear witness to the most loving traditions within your family deserves a bit of research.
Most commercially available Christmas trees are harvested the first couple weeks of November. If you enjoy decorating your home as early as Thanksgiving or early December, you are challenging a tree to maintain its freshness in the warm, dry environment of our heated homes. To optimize the length of time a tree looks its best, seek out the freshest tree, choose tree varieties which can take indoor conditions, and optimize the environment once the tree is brought into your home.
The freshest trees are farmed locally and harvested closer to Thanksgiving. Some of these farms allow you to cut your own tree or choose a tree they will cut for you. To locate a Christmas tree grower in your area, visit the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association website.
Some of the most popular conifers grown for Christmas trees
Douglas-firs
have soft, flat, blue-green needles that are attached singly to the stem. Their naturally symmetrical growth habit yields a full, attractive Christmas tree, and their reputation for good needle retention makes Douglas-fir one of the most popular species to invite home for the holidays. The branches are moderately stiff and may not be suitable for the heaviest ornaments. Best of all, Douglas-fir has a sweet citrusy scent that most people enjoy.
Frasier and balsam firs
have soft, flat, dark green needles marked by silver bands on the undersides. They are thicker than Douglas-fir needles, and are also attached singly to the stem. Their overall growth habit is a bit more stiff than that of a Douglas-fir, but quite attractive, and they also win praise for good needle retention.
Their branches are moderately stiff and may not be suitable for the heaviest ornaments. The spicy, resinous fragrance makes Frasier and balsam firs holiday favorites.
White and Scotch pines
have needles bundled into groups of five (white pine) or two (Scotch pine). They are tightly sheared when grown as Christmas trees to create a dense, full shape. Both are popular, traditional Christmas trees with good reputations for needle retention. Scotch pine is quite strong and will hold heavy ornaments with ease; white pine is more flexible and may not support the heaviest ornaments. Both perfume a room with a clean pine fragrance.
Colorado blue spruce
have sharp, square needles that are attached singly to the stem. Valued for their blue-green to silvery blue color, Colorado blue spruce has gained popularity as a Christmas tree. They tend to have a symmetrical growth habit and hold the heaviest ornaments without complaint. They hold their needles well, but only if care is taken to make sure they never run out of water.
Once they dry out, even once, many needles will fall. Another drawback is that their needles are very sharp – this is not a good selection for homes with small children.
Selecting a Fresh Tree
You can definitely be assured of getting a fresh tree if you cut your own tree from a local Christmas tree farm. While this is a cherished family tradition for many, the convenience of purchasing a pre-cut tree is more attractive for others.
To check a pre-cut tree for freshness, look for flexible needles that remain firmly attached when you tug on them. All needled evergreens shed their oldest needles every year, so do not be concerned when brown needles fall from the interior of the tree when you knock the base of the tree on the ground. Just make sure they are thoroughly shaken off the tree before taking it indoors. If the needles pull out easily, or if they appear a dull, lifeless green, that tree may be past its prime.
Maintaining freshness
Maintaining a high moisture level in the tree is the single most important factor in reducing needle loss and keeping the tree fresh.
This is accomplished primarily through the use of water-holding stands and keeping the water level in the stand above the base of the tree. Every year, there are many articles written concerning the handling and care of Christmas trees. Unfortunately, they often contain erroneous information.
These research-based guidelines will help you to maintain the freshness and aroma of your live Christmas tree this holiday season:
- Use a tree stand with an adequate water-holding capacity. A tree stand should have a water basin that provides 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. For most Christmas trees, the stand should hold at least 1 gallon of water. A cut tree will absorb a surprising amount of water, particularly during the first week, so replenish the water daily.
- The tree stand should fit your tree. Some stands have circular rings at the top, so the ring must be large enough for the trunk of your tree to go through the hole. Avoid whittling down the sides of the trunk to fit a stand.
The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed. - If the tree is to be stored for more than a couple of days before display, it is advisable to place its trunk in water and store it in a cool, shaded, and protected, area such as an unheated garage.
- If the tree has been cut within the past 12 hours, it will not be necessary to recut the trunk prior to display indoors. If it has been longer than 12 hours since harvest, the trunk should be recut to improve water uptake.
- Cutting off a disk of wood about ¼” thick from the base of the trunk is all that is necessary before putting the tree in the stand. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. Don’t cut the trunk at an angle, or into a v-shape, which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree.
- Keep displayed trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, and direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.
- The temperature of the water used to fill the stand is not important and does not affect water uptake.
- Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree. With many stands, there can still be water in the stand even though the base of the tree is no longer submerged in water.
- Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does not improve water uptake.
- The use of “IV” type devices to supply water directly to holes drilled into the sides of the tree trunk is not as effective as displaying the tree in a more traditional, water-holding tree stand.
- Applying anti-transpirants to the tree does not have a significant effect on the rate of moisture loss. These products are marketed as a way to block evaporation from the foliage surface, but, in reality, they have little effect on a cut tree displayed indoors.
- Adding water-holding gels to the stand is not beneficial, and they can reduce the amount of water in the stand that is available to the tree.
- Do not use additives, such as floral preservatives, commercial tree preservatives, molasses, sugar, bleach, soft drinks, aspirin, honey, and other concoctions, in the water. Clean water is all that is needed to maintain freshness.
- Displaying trees in water with the proper care is much more effective in reducing fire hazards than spraying trees with flame retardants. Some flame retardants can damage needles and actually increase the rate of moisture loss from trees.
- Monitor your tree for dryness. Run your fingers across the needles to determine whether they are dry and brittle. If the needles break easily or fall off in your hand, the tree is dry and should be removed
The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed.
Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.
Newer LED Christmas lights generate less heat than older types of lighting. Always turn the lights off when the tree is unattended.
After the holidays
When you are ready to take the tree down after the holidays, do not be in hurry to send it to a landfill. Evergreen boughs make a great mulch for perennial flowering plants that do not tolerate other mulches that can hold excessive moisture around their crowns. They can also be placed on the ground near bird feeders to create a little shelter for ground-feeding birds. Also, many communities have a special pick up or designate a drop off site for Christmas trees. They may hold a big community bonfire or grind the trees into mulch that can be used for the garden in spring.
Top 22 Christmas Tree Farms Near NYC
If cutting your own tree is a family tradition (new or old!), check out this guide to Christmas tree farms near NYC! Bonus: These farms are all within a 1½-hour drive from Manhattan.
Each farm has a selection of live Christmas trees and allows you to pick your own tree from its natural setting, cut it down, and cart it home. Species of Christmas trees you can buy include beautiful spruces and firs, and they’re all available at these local farms in a range of sizes sure to fit any home.
Fraser firs, known for having that classic, full Christmas tree shape, tend to be one of the most popular trees to buy this time of year. Most Christmas tree farms in the New York City area are slated to open Thanksgiving weekend, but it’s a good idea to call to confirm dates and availability before visiting.
New to owning a real Christmas tree? Learn how to care for a real Christmas tree from the National Christmas Tree Association.
Click on your preferred region below to jump to that section:
- Westchester County
- Putnam County
- Orange County
- Fairfield County, CT
- Long Island
- New Jersey
Cut Your Own Tree in Westchester County, NY
1. Stuart’s Farm
62 Granite Springs Road, Granite Springs
914-245-2784
Facebook
Hours: Season opens late November
Price: Call for information
Head north to Westchester to visit this nearby farm to choose your tree.
There’s an on-site bakery that has hot and cold cider, fruit pies, fresh apple cider doughnuts, jams, and jellies.
2. Wilkens Fruit and Fir Farm
1335 White Hill Road, Yorktown Heights
914-245-5111
Facebook
Hours: November 26 to December 4, Wednesday-Monday, 10am-4pm. Check the website before visiting to see if the farm started requiring reservations.
Price: Call for information
This cut-your-own Christmas tree farm offers Douglas and Fraser fir trees, as well as some pre-cut Fraser firs. Enjoy a farm market, gift shop, and bakery at this Westchester Christmas tree farm near NYC. Customers get a free cup of hot apple cider with every tree purchase.
Cut Your Own Christmas Tree in Putnam County
1. Cockburn Farm
1611 Route 9, Garrison
845-424-3574
Facebook
Hours: Black Friday Nov.25 through Christmas Eve Dec.24, 9am-5pm
Price: $75 and up, depending on tree
Bring your family to this popular Putnam County farm to cut-your-own Christmas tree.
Choose from a variety of firs that range in size from 3 feet and taller. Hand saws are available to borrow. Handmade wreaths and grave blankets are for sale. Santa is sometimes on-site, but check his schedule on the website.
Christmas Tree Farms in Orange County
1. Emmerich Tree Farm
101 Sleepy Valley Road, Warwick
845-986-0151
Facebook • Instagram
Hours: Weekends beginning Sunday, November 27 from 9am-3:30pm by reservation only.
Price: Call for information; $40 deposit required when making reservation, which will go toward the purchase of your tree
Free trimming, drilling, shaking, and baling. This year, the farm is offering more retail items for sale, including local merino wool yarn, home-made wood crafts, ornaments and more.
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2.
Manza Family Farm
730 Route 211, Montgomery
845-692-4364
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Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10am-5pm, Friday-Sunday; 10am-6pm
Price: Pre-cut trees $35 and up; Cut your own tree $70.
Roping available. Pre-cut trees and wreaths for sale; outdoor gift shop on premises. Bring the kids, because Santa is on-site during most December weekends from 11am-4pm!
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3. Pine View Farm
575 Jackson Ave., New Windsor
845-564-4111
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Hours: Dec. 10-11, Saturday-Sunday, 9am-4pm
Price: $79
Choose from a variety of tree species, including blue, white, and Meyer spruces, and several different firs at this Orange County Christmas tree farm.
Bow saws and tree carts available. Staff will bale and secure your tree to your vehicle for your trip home.
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4. Stone Oak Farm
207 Stony Bar Road, Slate Hill
845-355-4751
Facebook
Hours: Weekends, beginning Saturday Nov. 26 – Sunday Dec. 12. 10am to Dusk.
Price: $70 for trees up to 10ft. $5 extra for each additional foot.
This cut-your-own Christmas tree farm in Orange County offers more than 8 acres of spruce and fir trees of all sizes. Staff will bundle your tree into netting for your trip home for a $5 charge.
Fairfield County, CT, Christmas Tree Farms
1. Jones Family Farm
606 Walnut Tree Hill Road, Shelton
203-929-8425
Facebook • Instagram
Hours: Nov.
18-Dec. 23, daily (except Thanksgiving Day), 9am-5:30pm. To harvest your own tree, arrive by 4pm. Reservations are required on most weekends. Check the website for more information.
Price: Prices vary depending on size of the tree.
Twine and tree baling services available. Holiday decorations and traditional crafts and ornaments for sale. Refreshments available. Leashed dogs are welcome during Christmas time, though they are not allowed in all areas.
2. Maple Row Farm
229 Stepney Road, Easton
203-261-9577
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Hours: Nov. 19-Dec. 23, daily, 9am-4:30pm
Price: $118 on weekends for pre-cut trees. $10 off on weekdays.
Cut-your-own and pre-cut trees available at this Connecticut farm. Tree baling and assistance provided. Saws are provided or bring your own (no chainsaws allowed). Wreaths, roping, and tree stands available. Holiday accessories are for sale.
3. Paproski’s Castle Hill Farm
25 Sugar Lane, Newtown
203-426-5487
Facebook • Instagram
Hours: Tree season is Nov.
26-Dec. 23. Weekdays from 9am-4:30 pm, weekends by appointment only.
Price: Cut-your-own trees start at approximately $60. Cash or check only.
Staff will provide assistance in wrapping and tying your tree to your car. Also offers pre-cut trees and handmade wreaths. New clearing section with tagged trees, allowing you to select your tree in advance.
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4. Fairview Tree Farm
2 Sawmill City Road, Shelton
203-944-9090
Facebook
Hours: Nov. 25-Dec. 18, 9am-5pm
Prices: Call for information
Cut your own Christmas tree at this Fairfield County Christmas tree farm.
The farm is also known for its seasoned firewood, great for wood-burning stoves or fireplaces.
Long Island Tree Farms
1. Elwood Pumpkin Farm
1500 E. Jericho Turnpike, Huntington
631-368-8626
Facebook
Hours: Saturday-Sunday, 10am to dark; Monday-Friday, 3pm to dark. Precut lot remains open daily until 7pm
Price: Call for information. No credit cards.
A 20-acre farm in western Long Island that offers trees in a variety of sizes. Bring your own saw to cut your tree, or the staff can cut one for you. Pre-cut trees are available. Staff will help you tie your tree to your car (no charge).
2. Tilden Lane Farm
43 Wyckoff St., Greenlawn
631-533-5960
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Hours: Nov. 26-27, Dec. 3-4, and Dec. 10-11, Saturday-Sunday, 9am-3pm
Price: All trees $80 and up
This year, the farm has a limited supply of cut-your-own trees, so it’s a good idea to go as early as you can.
Pre-cut trees are available. The farm is known for its honey. If it’s warm enough outside, you might even be able to see some bees at work! Hand-made wreaths are for sale.
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RELATED | Browse even more cut-your-own Christmas tree farms on Long Island
Cut Your Own Christmas Tree in NJ
1. Barclay’s Christmas Tree Farm
35 Orchardside Drive, Cranbury
609-799-1855
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Hours: Black Friday, Nov. 26-27, and Dec. 3-4. Call for hours
Price: $75-$150
Choose from Douglas, white, and fraser firs, as well as blue and Norway spruces at this New Jersey Christmas tree farm. Saws, rope, and netting are available for free.
2. Simonson Farms
118-260 Dey Road, Cranbury
609-799-0140
Facebook • Instagram
Hours: Opening for the season on Black Friday. Check here for detailed hours.
Price: $65-$150
Head to this third-generation cut-your-own Christmas tree farm in NJ to choose from pre-cut, choose-and-cut, balled, and burlap trees.
3. Hidden Pond Tree Farm
4 W. Field Road, Mendham
973-865-6362
Facebook • Instagram
Hours: Opens daily 8am-5pm
Price: Call for pricing
Pre-cut trees are also available. Refreshments available. Free hayrides (weather permitting). Marshmallow roasting around the bonfire. Christmas shop with wreaths, greenery, centerpieces, and other decorations. Cash or checks only.
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4.
Rolling Green Farm
61 Hacklebarney Road, Long Valley
908-879-7457
Facebook
Hours: Friday, Nov. 26, 10am-5pm; Nov. 27-Dec. 25, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-5pm
Price: All cut-your-own trees $50.
Wreaths and other items available for sale in the shop. The farm asks customers not to cut trees that are shorter than 6 feet. Pre-cut trees can be trimmed down.
5. Holiday Tree Farm
44 Augusta Hill Road, Augusta
973-948-7488
Facebook
Hours: TBA
Price: All trees $62
Trees range in size up to 9 feet at this NJ farm. Saws provided. Christmas shop on premises with wreaths and other holiday decorations for sale. No credit or debit cards.
6. Shale Hills Farm
98 Pond School Road, Sussex
973-875-4231
Facebook
Hours: After Thanksgiving Day: Saturday-Sunday, 10am-4pm
Price: All trees $99
Santa will make appearances throughout the day.
Christmas movies in the hayloft and a petting zoo full of animals in the barn.
7. Stonerow Tree Farm
242 Wykertown Road, Branchville
973-875-7968
Instagram
Hours: Starting Nov. 26, open Saturdays-Sundays, 9am-4pm
Price: $65-$75
Spruces and firs available. Saws and twine available. Dogs are welcome on a leash.
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8. Evergreen Valley Christmas Tree Farm
77 Jackson Valley Road, Washington
908-835-0557
Facebook
Hours: Nov. 25-Dec. 23, Wednesday-Sunday, 9am-4pm
Price: Tree prices start at approximately $45; vary by species.
Browse thousands of Christmas trees of all kinds, and enjoy a free wagon ride.
Hot chocolate available. Assistance provided.
9. Wyckoff’s Christmas Tree Farm
246 County Road 519, Belvidere
908-475-4508
Facebook • Instagram
Hours: Starting Black Friday, Saturday-Sunday from 8am-4:30pm; Monday-Friday from 10am-4:30pm
Prices: Tree prices start at around $14 per foot for cut-your-own trees.
A favorite cut-your-own Christmas tree farm in NJ since 1958, Wyckoff has more than 5,000 trees available. Wreaths, grave blankets, green décor, and more are also for sale.
How and where to cut down a Christmas tree for free in the Leningrad Region for the New Year 2023
In the region’s forestries, you can cut down a spruce or other coniferous tree for free from December 1 to January 10. LenTV24 publishes the details of the action.
Residents of Leningrad can independently cut down or cut down a tree up to 3 meters high. No more than one spruce is allowed per person.
How to get spruce for free
1.
Choose a forestry where it is more convenient to harvest spruce.
2. Call the forestry at the phone number from the list below, and you should find out the days and hours of work, as well as the address where the sale and purchase agreements will be drawn up.
3. Before arriving at the forestry, it is necessary to fill out 2 copies of the sales contract form. It is necessary to enter your full name, passport number, dates of harvesting and removal of the Christmas tree, details of the buyer. A separate form is presented for each forestry. They can be downloaded here.
Also, the contract form can be obtained in electronic and paper form at forestry offices or requested by e-mail. Details can be obtained by calling the Forestry.
4. With a passport and forms, come to the forestry from December 1 to January 10 at office hours to draw up an agreement. The employee will check the passport and the data in the form and fill in all the information from the forestry.
One copy of the agreement is handed out.
Addresses and numbers of forestries of the Leningrad region, where you can cut down a Christmas tree for free:
Boksitogorsk forestry – Boksitogorsk, per. Oktyabrsky, 11, phone: 8-813-66-24-098;
Volosovskoye forestry – Volosovo, Terpilitskoe highway, 1st km, phone: 8-813-73-24-223;
Volkhov forestry – Volkhov, st. Vokzalnaya, d., phone: 8 8-813-63-23-958;
Vsevolozhsk forestry – Vsevolozhsk district, settlement Toksovo, st. Gagarina, d. 22, phone: 616-25-87;
Gatchina Forestry – Gatchina, Krasnoselskoe shosse, 6, phone: 8-813-71-939-21, 8-813-71-32-718;
Kingisepp forestry – Kingisepp, st. Dorozhnikov, 37, phone: 8-813-75-25-331, 8-813-75-40-170;
Kirishi forestry – Kirishi, the mouth of the Black River; p.
Budogoshch, st. Sovetskaya, d. 50, phone: 8-813-68-72-077;
Kirovskoe forestry – Kirovsk, st. Kirova, 41, phone: 8-813-62-22-449;
Lodeynoye Pole forestry – Lodeynoye Pole, st. Zheleznodorozhnaya, 11, phone: 8-813-64-212-44;
Lomonosovskoe forestry – Lomonosov, st. Chernikova, d. 20A, phone: 423-03-37, 423-06-20;
Luga forestry – Luga, per. Petergofsky, d. 9a, phone: 8-813-72-20-601;
Lyubanskoye forestry – Tosnensky district, Lyuban, Seletskoye highway, 16, phone: 8-813-61-71-631;
Podporozhye forestry – Podporozhye, st. Isakova, 19, phone: 8-813-65-219-34, 8-813-65-228-52;
Priozerskoye forestry – Priozersky district, settlement Sosnovo, st.
Academic, d. 7, phone 8-813-79-616-98, 8-921-568-50-89, 8-813-79-616-07
Roshinsky forestry – Vyborgsky district, Roshchino settlement, st. Krugovaya, 10, phone: 8-813-78-64-475;
North-West Forestry – Vyborg, st. Pesochnaya, d. 1-a, phone: 8-921-306-16-42, 8-813-78-519-27;
Slantsy forestry – Slantsy, Komsomolskoye highway, 21a, phone: 8-813-74-362-88, 8-813-74-363-11;
Tikhvin forestry – Tikhvin, st. Socialist, 10, phone: 8-813-67-51-371;
Educational and experimental forestry – urban settlement Ulyanovsk, Moscow highway, phone: 8-921-768-78-20.
Where to cut down a Christmas tree for free and legally in the Leningrad region, it became known December 1, 2022 – December 2, 2022
Society region officially opened the season of harvesting Christmas trees.
The government of the region informed citizens that it is completely legal and free of charge to arrange the felling of a New Year tree for your home in any regional forestry until January 10.
“In the forests of the Leningrad region, areas have been allocated for felling conifers for the holiday, where it is necessary to thin the forest from young growth,” the administration of the 47th region clarified.
Earlier Fontanka wrote that official Christmas markets in St. Petersburg will traditionally open a week and a half before the New Year – on December 20th. And since December 17, the main Christmas fair starts in St. Petersburg. The style of the townspeople will not surprise.
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