Now that we have survived Thanksgiving, we now find ourselves in the midst of holiday season and for a lot of us, that means decorations. And one of those main decorations is a Christmas tree. Some of us lean into artificial trees but for the rest of us who think there’s nothing better than a freshly cut tree as the centerpiece of our holiday decorations, here’s some tips on selecting and caring for your tree.

First of all, before you go tree shopping, decide on the size of the tree you need. It’s easy to get overly enthusiastic when shopping over a big, beautiful tree only to get it home and find out you have to cut a foot or more off the tree so it will fit in your home. So, get the tape measure and figure out the size of tree you need.

It seems like when we were younger, there were places selling Christmas trees all over town. We still see a few, but now most of the pre-cut trees seem to be found at our local garden centers.

If you would like the experience of choosing your tree in the wild (so to speak) you can venture to one of our local tree farms. It doesn’t get much fresher than that. You can find one of the local tree farms with a quick internet search on your favorite browser. This could also become a fun, family tradition.

You also probably need to give some thought to the variety of tree you are looking for. The tree farms will likely have trees such as the Virginia pine, Arizona cypress, Leyland cypress, or white pine. Pre-cut trees will likely be Douglas fir, Frasier fir, Noble fir, or Nordmann fir. Any of these trees would be a great choice for your Christmas tree.

One quality you want to pursue no matter which tree you choose is to try and find a fresh one. You can determine freshness by bending some needles. Fresh needles will bend while the needles on trees that have been cut for a while or have dried out will snap when bent. If they snap, keep looking. None of us want to be vacuuming dry needles off the floor every day, not to mention the increased fire hazard of a having a dry tree in your home.

After you make your selection and get your tree home, you’ll want to cut about an inch off the base of the tree and place it in a bucket of water until you are ready to bring it inside.

And here’s a good rule, you’re going to want a quality tree stand, especially for bigger trees. Big trees in cheap tree stands can be a recipe for disaster, especially if you have pets in the house, not to mention small children. You’ll also want one that holds water so it will help keep your tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard. Just bite the bullet and invest in a good stand you can use for years to come.

To lessen the chances of your tree drying out, don’t place the tree near a heater vent or fireplace. If it is near a vent, consider closing that one until after the holiday season is over. And it’s always a good idea to turn the tree lights off if you are not going to be home. There’s no reason to tempt fate.

If you are a fan of a live Christmas trees, as an alternative, you might want to consider purchasing a tree you could plant later. Yes, you can purchase a pine or fir tree that is intended to be planted outside and use that temporarily for your Christmas tree. Be sure to put one of those watering trays under it so it doesn’t leak out onto the floor. Then after Christmas, you can take it outside and plant it in a special place, giving you not only a new tree for your landscape, but a perfect spot to decorate outdoors next year. Good luck!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: OSU Ag. Communications