Tree Care
• Displaying trees in water in a traditional reservoir type stand is the most effective way of maintaining their freshness and minimizing needle loss problems.
• Make a fresh cut to remove about a 1/2-inch thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. Don't cut the trunk at an angle, or into a v-shape, which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree.
• Once home, place the tree in water as soon as possible. Most species can go 6 to 8 hours after cutting the trunk and still take up water. Don't bruise the cut surface or get it dirty.
• If needed, trees can be temporarily stored for several days in a cool location. Place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket that is kept full of water.
• To display the trees indoors, use a stand with an adequate water holding capacity for the tree. As a general rule, stands should provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. Devices are available that help maintain a constant water level in the stand.
• Use a stand that fits your tree. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed.
• Keep displayed trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.
• The temperature of the water used to fill the stand is not important and does not affect water uptake.
• Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree. With many stands, there can still be water in the stand even though the base of the tree is no longer submerged in water.
• Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does not improve water uptake.
• Use of lights that produce low heat, such as miniature lights, will reduce drying of the tree.
• Always inspect light sets prior to placing them on the tree. If worn, replace with a new set.
• Do not overload electrical circuits.
• Always turn off the tree lights when leaving the house or when going to bed.
• Monitor the tree for freshness. After Christmas or if the tree is dry, remove it from the house.
• Go to www.realchristmastrees.org and type in your ZIP code to find a recycling program near you.
• Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace.
- National Christmas Tree Association
The tradition of bringing a live tree into the home and decorating it as part of the Christmas celebration is relatively new. Only in the last 200 years have private homes had Christmas trees, but the tradition took firm hold in Christian communities and the Christmas tree became symbolic of the holiday.
Local tree farms and Christmas tree lots do the majority of their business during the first and second weekends in December. Today is expected to be one of the busiest days of the year for Christmas tree farms and lots. Sam and Janet Minturn, owners of Hilmar Forest, said they open for business the day after Thanksgiving, but they have had customers even earlier than turkey day.
“The season really looks like a bell curve. We’re slow right after Thanksgiving, but last weekend and this weekend are really busy. Then it gets slow again right before Christmas,” Sam Minturn said.
The iconic Christmas tree is an evergreen, but trees come in a large variety of types. Nancy Peterson, owner of Nancy’s Christmas Trees in Escalon, said she is a noble fir gal herself. Unfortunately, noble firs do not grow well in this area.
“God didn’t build a forest in the flatlands, so I get them fresh-cut from Oregon,” Peterson said.
Shipping trees from Oregon is common for California Christmas tree lots. Hilmar Forest grows several varieties of Christmas trees, but also sells cut trees from Oregon. Monterey Pines, incense cedars, Leyland cypress and other varieties will do well in the Valley. Noble firs do not, although this variety is sought after in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. Nancy’s lot contracts with a grower in Oregon and she gets fresh shipments of trees. But she said the biggest mistake people make is to take a fresh live tree in a warm house without taking proper care of it.
“People try to put live trees in their house too early. The trees die,” Peterson said.
Peterson and Minturn both agreed that making a fresh cut to the base of a tree before putting it in a watering stand was important. Minturn said the sap will actually seal the tree if the cut is out of water for more than 30 minutes or so, and the tree will die quicker.
“Always make a fresh cut, and keep the water line above the base of the tree,” Minturn said.
Another alternative to buying a cut tree is the cut-your-own experience. Sam and Jan Minturn planted their first trees at Hilmar Forest in 1970, and were selling trees by 1973. Christmas trees can take anywhere from four to 15 years to reach a height of four feet, although the average is around six years. Sam Minturn planted Nordmann firs, which take between 15 and 20 years to reach a height considered acceptable for Christmas trees. He jokes that he planted those for his grandkids to cut down. Minturn said one common misconception is that people who chop down their own Christmas tree are causing deforestation. He said when one tree is cut down at a Christmas tree farm another is planted in its place.
“These trees are a renewable crop just like corn or any other food crop. They just take a little longer,” Minturn said.
Joann and Robert Rhein were shopping for a tree at Hilmar Forest on Friday evening. Joann Rhein said it is a family tradition to cut their own tree at Hilmar Forest, and they come from Los Banos each year to get a tree.
“We also want to keep the money local,” Robert Rhein said.
Live Christmas trees from a cut-your-own farm are the ultimate form of shopping local. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 85 percent of artificial trees are made in China. Almost every pre-cut live tree sold in California was grown either in California or Oregon, although some do come from other states or Canada.
Nancy’s Christmas Trees is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the weekends. It is located at 9302 Temple Creek Rd., Escalon.
Hilmar Forest is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It is located at 8608 Washington Rd., Hilmar.
To contact Andrea Goodwin, e-mail agoodwin@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2003.
