We live in an area with many Christmas tree farms. Many city people do not realize the work that has to go into growing Christmas trees. The trees need to be planted, trimmed and harvested. Christmas tree farms often plant a variety of trees because of the different rates of growth for each species of tree. We live close to several of the tree farms so we go out and cut down our own Christmas tree each year.
When I was growing up on a farm my parents had Norway pines on one end of the property. We cut down one of these trees each Christmas and dad would try to shape it before bringing it into the house. The long needles made it quite difficult to hang ornaments. Since I have been married we have tried several varieties of Christmas trees.
Our favorite is the balsam Christmas tree. We also like the looks of a blue spruce, but it's needles are so prickly that you have to wear gloves while putting on the lights. The balsam Christmas tree has a wonderful fresh fragrance and is soft to the touch. It has short needles and the branches are sturdy, so it is easy to hang many Christmas tree ornaments on it. The balsam Christmas tree also holds its foliage very well so there is not much problem from shedding compared to many of the other short needle tree varieties. A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree
Last year when we went to cut down our tree we were told by the farmer that a new field had been opened up for cutting. This field featured the balsam Christmas tree that we were after, but also had several Frasier firs. The Frasier fir is supposed to be the most aromatic of all evergreens and does not shed its needles, and often commands a price premium. We tried one a few years ago and liked the looks of the tree and the fragrance. Frasier Fir Reed Diffuser, by Thymes However, we found the branches are very soft. These soft branches cannot hold all the heavier Christmas ornaments that we have collected through the years. This meant that many of the ornaments that had the most meaning to us had to be placed on the stronger inner branches. Because of this we decided that we would not spend the extra money for a Frasier fir again.
Most of our local Christmas tree farms offer a shaker service as well as a bagging service for the trees that are cut. The tree is placed in a stand on a mechanical shaker that helps to get rid of any dead needles and other debris that may be in the freshly cut tree. The tree is then shoved base first through a barrel that has netting on the other end. The netting surrounds the tree and is cut the length of the tree and tied at both ends. This allows for easier transportation as well as ease in getting a large tree into the house. The Christmas tree growers are always looking for ways to make getting your Christmas tree easier and more enjoyable. We are looking forward to going out to one of the Christmas tree farms to cut down our balsam Christmas tree again this year.
