(11/29) It’s getting to be that time of year again. The shopping, the baking, get-togethers with friends and family and many other activities signal the coming of Christmas. What catches my attention, though, are the shorter days with the sun low in the sky. And a Christmas tree brightens the house during this darker part of the year.

Perhaps you’ve decided that the fuss of a real tree no longer needs to be part of your festivities, or allergies make the presence of a real tree in the house misery. If you decide a real tree is not a good fit for your household, there are good choices available. But wait! Some ‘Christmas tree allergies’ come from pollen and other outdoor irritants, and cleaning the tree with more than a good shake before it’s brought inside can take care of that. A truly tree-related allergy comes from terpenes that conifers give off as a real tree wakes up in the warmth and light of the home.

If you decide to bring home a real tree this year, there are a few things you may want to consider. Think about how the tree lives outdoors and you will see how all those tree-keeping hints work to help you keep your real tree fresh longer.

If you have the space in your yard and want to turn your tree into a keepsake, you can buy a living tree to plant after the holidays. These trees are small, and they always have a root ball. They have been dug up and readied for transplanting. When you get your tree home, keep it cool and shaded outside under shelter or in a cool garage. Water it only enough to keep the root ball damp. While your tree is indoors, keep it out of the sun and give it water but do not soak it. You are trying to convince the tree that it is still outside with its roots in the soil, waiting for spring. Conifers can break dormancy for short periods of warm weather, but you don’t want your tree to think winter is over. Conifers get through the winter much like hibernating animals that rise a few times during its winter rest, but remain in their slow metabolic state.

Keep it indoors for only about a week and then put it into the ground as soon as possible. Know where you will plant it after the holidays and have its hole dug early in December before the ground starts to freeze. Follow the same planting guidelines as you would if you were planting the tree in April, though this tree will not need as much water in the winter. Save the fertilizer for April when the tree wakes up.

If you want a cut tree, you can to keep it inside for three to four weeks, depending on what kind of tree you choose. It also depends on how well you prepare it and take care of it. The first thing to consider is whether you will get your tree precut or you will cut it yourself. If you opt for a precut tree, the best place to get it is a tree farm which cuts its own. If that is not an option ask the proprietor where the trees came from; a local source is better. Also ask how long ago the trees were cut. Regardless of the answer, check for freshness yourself. Pull your hand over the needles and smell. A fresh tree will smell fragrant.

Another test for freshness is to shake the tree, holding it by the trunk and letting the base hit the ground a few times. If the only needles that fall off are the brown ones from the interior, you can confidently say your tree is fresh. In living conifers, the interior needles are shaded as the tree grows; the tree sheds them when they can no longer carry on photosynthesis. Green needles from the exterior of the tree should not fall off. If they do, the tree is no longer fresh. Before you leave the tree farm or lot, have the tree shaken to clean it and wrap it to protect it for the drive home.

When you get it home, cut a half inch from the bottom of the trunk and place it in water. When the tree was cut from the roots, its vascular system was cut. Just like a clot and scab will form when our skin is cut, the tree will try to heal its wound by covering the cut with resin. Once that happens, the tree cannot take up the water it needs. When you bring a tree into the house, the warmth and light will convince it that spring is here. The tree will react as though its roots are in the ground and it will open the pores on it needles - the conifer equivalent of leaves – to start photosynthesis. It will start drinking water, a quart or more per day at first.

Check for critters that call this tree their home, too. Shaking the tree at the tree farm doesn’t always remove every last one. We often brought home a tree with a praying mantis egg case, which I remove to one of the garden beds for the rest of the winter. Spray the tree down with a hose to remove remaining pollen, dust and mites to decrease the chance of allergic reactions.

The tree stand you use should be large enough to hold the tree and lots of water. Be sure to clean it each year; your tree is susceptible to fungal infections that can clog its vascular system. Once the vascular tissue is clogged, it can no longer absorb the water and it will quickly dry out.

I love the scent, brightness and cheerful atmosphere a real tree brings. And I can rest assured that while I am enjoying a little outdoors in my living room during these dark days of the year, the seed catalogs will be arriving and the days will getting longer again.

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