Christmas tree shopping

Fri. Nov. 26, 2021

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:

Is it Black Friday? I saw ads for so many “early” black Fridays beginning a few weeks ago that I’m not sure it’s a thing! I DO hope you get a chance to shop your local businesses! 

Local nurseries are stocked with fabulous fresh greens and copious amounts of Christmas trees. 

Fresh cut trees at Gertens

The scent of a real tree has created many a lasting memory for most of us. Although there was that period in the 60’s with metal trees and colored lights..  They were kinda fun! 

Anyway, TODAY is about choosing the best TYPE of real tree to suit your needs. If it’s the scent you aspire to, then might I suggest trying a Balsam Fir or a Fraser Fir, 2 of the most fragrant types of Christmas trees available. 

Frasier fir even the cat loves the fragrance!

Two Christmas tree types with good needle retention include the White Pine and the Norway Pine.  The white pine is also fragrant with soft looking 2 to 4 inch long needles while the Norway pine has soft 3 to 5 inch long needles. 

White Pine tree

I love that look and needle retention is very important if you buy your tree early.. 

White pine needles

The white spruce is also called the Old-fashioned Christmas tree with it’s symmetrical shape and short, dense needles. 

White Spruce tree

You can hang a lot of ornaments on it.  You can hang heavy ornaments on this guy and it’s blue/green foliage really looks pretty.  

For more information on types of Christmas trees and where to find them in your state:

  • In Minnesota click HERE
  • In Wisconsin click HERE
  • In Iowa click HERE
  • In South Dakota click HERE

The vast majority of Christmas trees are grown on farms–much like any other crop–specifically for the purpose of being harvested for Christmas trees. These trees wouldn’t exist in the first place, if it wasn’t for the public demand for Christmas trees.

Next week I’ll talk about getting your tree home, what to do then and how to care for it to last through the season.