Now Is The Time To Buy Your Real Christmas Tree

For folks that still enjoy a real Christmas tree for the holidays the challenge is always when to purchase it. If you buy it too soon then the challenge will be to try to keep it "drinking" water to keep it somewhat robust through the holidays. If you wait too long to purchase it, you might not get the best selection because a lot of the good trees have already been chosen and tossed on the roof of a car.

According to a new survey, REAL Christmas tree shoppers fall into SIX categories, based on when they buy their tree.   Here's the breakdown:

1.  The early birds who put it up BEFORE Thanksgiving, 14%.  This group REALLY has to work to keep their tree from drying out by Christmas. Chances are that by Christmas Day, the tree is losing a lot of it's luster and beginning to sag a bit

2.  The people who buy their tree over Black Friday weekend, 33%. This is a very common time to buy one because folks like to turn the page from Thanksgiving to Christmas as soon as dinner is done. You should still get a decent selection at this time.

3.  The "seasonal purists" who get a tree the first weekend of December, 33%.  So basically, two out of three people get a REAL Christmas tree about a month out.  That also means we're in the middle of a 10-day stretch were MOST people get their tree.

4.  Then, there's the people who wait until the second week of December, 16%.  You are being very risky here, because at this time most of the good trees have been purchased already. The selection might not be that great, but hopefully the tree will be robust enough to get through early January.

5.  The people who put it off until the THIRD week of December, 3%. These folks cannot be choosey about what kind of Christmas tree they bring home. The selection is not great, but hopefully the prices have been slashed.

6.  The "Christmas Eve Traditionalists," who put it up ON Christmas Eve, 1%. God bless you! We wish you luck with finding a tree that you feel good about bringing home. The good news is, you might get a great deal from the tree shop managers who just want to be rid of the trees before Christmas.

There may have been a time when putting a real tree up that late had a little MAGIC to it . . . but these days, it feels like a lot of effort to just have a real tree up for a few days.

Plus, a lot of people like enjoying the spirit of the holiday season in their homes throughout the run-up to Christmas.  (Possibly to counterbalance the stresses and distractions that pop up here and there.)

(PR Newswire)

Happy National Christmas Tree Day! It's on the 8th for a very good reason: The random lady who came up with it thought the 8th seemed good. (???) And if you're doing a REAL tree this year, this list is for you. Here are Five things that will KILL a Christmas tree . . .

Cats love everything about Christmas trees, the lights, the dangling ornaments and especially the tall ones they climb all the way to the tippety top! A big cat that can climb to the top of your tree can take it crashing down breaking ornaments and limbs. The damage to the tree may be enough to render it useless so find a way to keep your kitty far from it.

 Forgetting to water it.  The general rule is Christmas trees soak up one quart of water a day for every inch in diameter the trunk is.  So if the trunk is four inches across, that's a gallon of water every day. 

Putting it too close to a heat source.  Heaters and radiators can dry it out fast, and then it's a fire hazard.  The best place for a tree is near a door or window, where it might get some fresh air once in a while.

Planting it in dirt.  (???)  Kids might wonder why we put Christmas trees in water, not dirt.  The answer again is its pores.  Like flowers, you're just trying to keep it alive as long as possible.  And dirt would clog things up.

 Forgetting to cut an inch or two off the trunk before you set it up.  A fresh cut opens the tree's pores, so it can soak up more water.  If you don't do it, they'll be blocked by sap, and the tree won't last long.  It takes less than three hours for dried sap to block the pores again once its cut.