Christmas Tree Tips: When to buy, what to look for and how to keep them alive
With today being December first, the Christmas season is now in full swing.
News Channel 3’s Caitlin Thropay went out to a local Christmas tree lot to find tips on when to buy and what to look for when it comes to finding the perfect tree.
At Woody Miller’s Christmas Trees off of Victor and Ramon Road in Cathedral City, they have 250 Christmas trees and five varieties.
“We’ve got Douglas Fir, Nobles, Normans and a couple of other ones slid in there," manager of the Christmas tree lot, Jim Ricke told News Channel 3. "The Nobles and Douglas are our biggest sellers," he added.
Ricke has already sold 75 trees so far this season.
“We came out to find a nice Christmas tree," Isaias Jaimes, one of the tree customers said. "We’re all getting in the spirit of the holidays and we found this nice tree right here at this nice place where they came down from Oregon and we’re happy they came out and we got a real nice tree and we’re happy campers now heading home to set up the decor and everything on it,” Jaimes added.
Ricke's tips for finding the perfect tree:
- Make sure you check to make sure the needles aren't dry or dying.
- Make sure you go to a place where they keep the trees in water.
- If the tree has wax on it or feels a little damp or sticky, that's a sign it's healthy.
And once you have your tree, here are some tips for making your tree last.
- Give it lots of water. Check the water twice a day.
- Use a mister to mist the tree throughout the day to keep it hydrated.
- Buy vitamins to add to the water that will help the tree get the nutrients it needs to live long.
When it comes to the best time to buy your tree, Ricke says it depends on the tree type but tells us that Nobles last the longest because they hold the most moisture.
A tip from Caitlin:
If you want to have your house smell like Christmas but maybe don’t have the room for a tree, you can pick up some free tree cuttings to decorate your fireplace mantle, dining room table or you can even put them in a vase.
Ricke's trees range from 4 to 16 feet tall and the prices go between $35 and $450 dollars but he tells us he offers generous discounts and also veteran discounts.
