Christmas Tree Tricks for Freshest Picks and Best Display

Hundreds of Christmas trees catch fire each year. That's why safety advocates like the Consumer Product Safety Commission advise consumers who decorate with live Christmas trees to choose fresh ones and keep them moist. But finding a fresh Christmas tree is trickier than you may think. Here's what you need to know:

Christmas Tree Lot Checklist

How the tree was handled before you buy it will determine its freshness. That's why it's important to choose a seller with well-cared-for stock:

* Sellers whose deliveries come in sequentially rather than all at once will likely have fresher trees for sale.

* Check to make sure there's a watering system on site. If trees aren't being watered daily, bypass the lot. Wet ground around the trees is probably a good sign.

* Trees in storage and trees on display should be watered.

* Optimally, trees for sale should be placed in full shade, with partial shade preferable to full sun.

* Vertical storage is preferable to horizontal for preserving moisture content.

* Look for barriers protecting the trees from drying winds.

Choosing a Tree

If the lot checks out, take time to choose a healthy tree. All of the quick checklists say trees should be moist, but how moist depends on the tree variety. A Fraser tree, for example, needs more than 100 percent moisture content to be fully fresh, while at less than 80 percent, it poses a potential safety hazard and its display quality is likely inferior. The moisture needs of other tree varieties differ. You needn't become an overnight expert, but your tree seller should be. What you can look for are signs that the trees are adequately moist.

Branches: The branches should be limber.

Needles: The needles should feel soft. Try snapping a needle to test its freshness. It should snap "like a fresh green bean." If it instead bends or breaks, it's not as fresh. Few if any needles should fall if you shake the tree. The color of the needles should be a rich green; if the needle color looks sun-bleached, the tree is probably dry.

Trunk: The trunk should not contain cracks which might indicate exposure to rapid drying conditions. Look for sap at the stump. A sticky stump is a sign of freshness.

Displaying a Christmas Tree

Before leaving the lot, take advantage of the offer to have the tree base cut. Ask for a cut of at least one-half inch. Such cuts are made not only to accommodate your display room's height requirements but to ensure maximum water uptake when placed in a stand.

If you're not setting up the tree immediately when you get home, keep it standing in shade and water it daily until it goes into service.

The tree should readily take up water once set up. Some trees may not take up water for the first day or two. If the tree fails to take up water after than time, make a fresh cut in the trunk or drill holes below the water line to encourage water uptake.

Keep filling the tree stand with water throughout the display period.

Display your tree away from drying heat sources.

While a moist Christmas tree is normally safe, don't take unnecessary chances. Set the tree up away from room exits.