Buyer's guides

Short, sourced answers to the questions people actually have at the farm. Every claim links to a university extension service, the National Christmas Tree Association, USDA, or NFPA: not to our imagination.

Choosing

• Tree finder: answer four questions, get the species that fit your home
• Christmas tree species compared: one table: needle retention, fragrance, sharpness, ornament strength for 16 species
• Size and water calculator: max height for your ceiling, base width, stand volume
• How to tell a tree is fresh: needle-pull test, branch test, color signs

Getting the tree

• Cut-your-own farm visits: when to go, what to bring, tagging, baling, getting it home on the roof
• Cutting in a national forest: $5-$20 USFS permits, the rules, and why this is the way in the Mountain West
• Living (potted) trees: the 7-10 day indoor rule and how to plant one that survives

At home

• Care after cutting: the fresh cut, water rules, placement, when to take it down
• Fire safety: NFPA numbers and the three-foot rule
• Recycling after the holidays: curbside, mulch, fish habitat, wildlife

Background

• How Christmas trees are grown: the 7-year farm cycle, pests, and the economics
• Real vs artificial: what the life-cycle studies actually say
• FAQ: stands, flocking, allergies, pets, timing
• History: the documented record, myths labeled as myths
• Glossary: shearing, baling, tagging, stump culture and the rest