All About Real Christmas Trees - Including the Hazzards

With Christmas around the corner I thought I would glean some information from the internet.  Here is some valuable information I found on the CBC News web site.  It discusses ways of keeping your real tree fresh, avoiding fire hazzards and the most popular types of trees.


Avoiding Fire Hazzards with your Christmas Tree and Keeping it Longer:

• Make sure your real tree is fresh. It will be less likely to dry out and become a fire hazard.
• Before you buy from your local Christmas tree vendor, examine the needles. Bend them between your fingers. They shouldn't break. Tap the tree gently on a firm surface. If an excessive amount of needles fall to the ground, it's too dry. Scotch pines tend to shed more needles than other types of Christmas trees.
• Make a fresh cut on the trunk of the tree before you place it in your tree stand. The cut will help the tree absorb water. About two centimetres from the bottom should do.
• Leave the tree outside — out of the wind and sun — until it's ready to decorate.
• Water the tree often. The stand should hold at least four litres of water. Do not let the water level dip below the cut line. If you do, the cut will seal and the tree will stop absorbing water.
• Secure the tree to keep it from tipping. Many of the newer "wide base" stands offer much more stability than older stands.
• Keep tree away from floor heaters, fireplaces and other heat sources, as well as electrical outlets and electrical sources.
• Remove the tree when needles begin to fall off in large quantities. NEVER burn your tree in a fireplace. Most municipalities recycle Christmas trees, turning them into mulch.

Most Popular Types of Trees:

• Balsam fir: dark-green in appearance with long-lasting needles, and classic Christmas-tree form. It also retains its pleasing fragrance. Balsam firs need up to 10 years in the field to produce a tree of slightly taller than two metres.
• Fraser fir: similar to the balsam fir, but this species tends to keep its needles longer — up to six weeks, if cared for properly — than other Christmas trees. It can also cost almost twice as much as other trees.
• Scotch pine: tree characterized by long needles. Tends to drop more needles than other trees. Was once the Christmas tree of choice in Canada but has slipped in popularity.
• Colorado spruce: deep blue foliage makes it popular with some. Longer needles compared to other spruces. Handles heavy ornaments well.
• White spruce: short needles with medium blue-green colour and prickly texture.
• White pine: popular among some because of its very soft needles. However, those soft needles mean the tree can only handle light ornaments.