R.I.P. Holiday TreeFollow

Hmm, ya learn something new every day.

My family used to cut our own christmas trees. there was a farm that grew them and then allowed customers out into the field to cut it on the spot. were able to keep those around well into new years week. They might say "fresh" cut but they probably have been at least a day or more out of water. You might want to look into a cut your own tree farm plus it's fun to take the family and make it an event

Ok, once and for all, you can't over-water your christmas tree.

Unless you cut the tree down yourself, you have no idea when it was originally cut. The clock starts running the minute it gets cut, so if you cant actually cut it, try to find a place that will at least be honest about the cutting date. Home Depot or Lowes are not the sort of places to do this.

Next, as has been mentioned, you MUST cut a small piece off the trunk immediately before putting it into water. This opens up the vascular tissue in the inner layer of bark that will become sealed as sap drys around the cut edge. Nothing else matters except re-opening that vascular tissue; not plant food, not poking holes in the woody section of the trunk (this is no longer vascular and is not involved in water uptake), not singing to your tree, etc. After placing the tree in water, it can take 1/2 to 1 full gallon of water, or more, in the first day so watch it carefully, and keep the bowl full (you cant over-water your tree...).

As Jophiel mentioned, species matters. Two very popular trees over the last few years (at least here in the States) have been Firs- the Douglas and the Fraser. Both have exceptional needly retention, and I'm always able to keep my Fraser for a full month or more. I do, however, cut it myself. Scotch Pine and Blue Spruce, two traditional favorites, do not retain needles as well.

I suspect that either the tree you bought had been cut long before you bought it, or, the sap was allowed to seal that vascular tissue.

I'm surprised there hasn't been any enviromentalist threads created to protest the cutting of trees for Christmas, lol.

Well, cutting it myself would mean I had to go and buy a handsaw, which I didn't think was neccessary at the time. I'll wait until next week and head out to get a new one I guess.

I guess the availability of good looking, inexepnsive artificals doesn't help.
Aye. Pulling a random catalog off the shelf, a 6' Scotch pine sells for about $95 as a balled & burlaped landscaping tree. As a cut tree, it sells for perhaps $50 retail which means wholesale has to be closer to $25. Of course, I doubt we've used over a hundred scotch pines this year versus the amount one can sell as cut trees. The most popular landscape conifers around these parts, Austrian pines, white pines & blue spruce, never sold well in my opinion as Christmas tress. I guess you've gotta pick your battles and plant accordingly.

Chicago suburbia. Landscape-wise, and this is large-scale commerical landscaping so I can't speak much for small residental jobs, it goes Austrian pine, blue/green spruce a dip to white pine, a moderate dip down to concolor firs and then a sharp dip to everything else, namely Scotch pine and a few others. Even with firs, you could add together every fir of whatever species we plant and it wouldn't be half the Austrians we use.

It's been a good five years or more since I've sold a Christmas tree but it seemed to either be Scotch pines or Fraiser firs depending on if you wanted to spend a little or a lot. Some Douglas and Balsams in the middle ground but very few spruce -- I don't think you ever really see them around here. I guess the sharp needles are a turn-off. Some white pine but they're a pain to decorate and I've never seen a cut Austrian on a tree lot.