The University of Minnesota Extension’s horticulture experts offer a few tips for picking the perfect Christmas tree this year.
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- Run a branch through your lightly closed hand. If the branch loses a lot of needles, it’s not healthy.
- Choose a variety that meets your needs—Scots pine for needle retention, Balsam firs for that piney smell, or Fraser firs for sturdy branches.
- Trim the trunk before putting it in the stand, and keep it well watered throughout the season. (Per day, that’s one quart of water per inch of trunk diameter.)