EVERGREEN ADVICE

Be St Practices For Choosing And Caring For Your Tree

n L ook for a tree that’s not only the right height but also the right width for your space. Know that pre-baled trees will likely open up to 80 percent of their height.

n B e sure to measure the maximum diameter that your tree stand can hold, since cutting away bark from a too-fat trunk will shorten a tree’s life dramatically.

n On pre-cut trees, the needles tell the tale. If you grasp a branch between thumb and forefinger and pull, very few should come off. Bounce the tree on its stump— if it rains needles, move on.

n Discolored foliage, wrinkled bark, or a musty odor may also signal that a tree is past its prime.

n W hen a Christmas tree is cut, more than half its weight is water. Use a stand with at least a one-gallon reservoir, and make sure to keep it topped off.

n S ap forms a seal over a stump in just four to six hours, so get your tree into water as soon as possible after it’s cut.

n To keep your tree from drying out, position it out of the sun and away from heat, and use the coolest lighting—like mini lights and/or LEDs—you can find.

n T he tallest tree ever to grace New York’s Rockefeller Center during the holidays was a 100-foot spruce cut in Killingworth, CT, in 1999.

n In terms of towering trees, you can’t beat the evergreens that perch atop the masts of some of New England’s most iconic tall ships each December, including the Charles W. Morgan in Mystic, CT, and the Friendship in Salem, MA.

n In 2012, New England Christmas tree farms reaped more than $17 million in sales, according to the most recent USDA census. The state with the most farms: Connecticut (490). The state with the fewest: Rhode Island (48).

n To see the shapeliest, most Christmas-y trees in New England, head to the Big E fair in Massachusetts, where growers from all six states compete. As of press time, the reigning grand champion (2015, 2016) was FinestKind Tree Farm of Maine.