Picking the Perfect Christmas Tree

The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the season at Tammen Treeberry Farm in Wilmington. And, it does not matter if Thanksgiving comes early.

"November 23 is the earliest it gets," Tammen said. "The day after Thanksgiving is our busiest day of the season."

The farm offers any size tree for $50, including tax. Purchasers get to choose and cut down their selection.

"We don’t have any precut trees," Tammen said. "We used to sell that way, but it got to be where people did not want to buy them."

Because he used to sell both, though, Tammen is uniquely qualified to offer tips on what to look for when buying a real tree.

Cut-your-own:

• The field does not have walls or furniture, so people think trees are smaller than they actually are.
• It gets dark in the country. If you are coming in the late afternoon it may be more difficult to see than in mid-day
• Make sure your saw is sharp. Or borrow one that belongs to the tree farm.
• If the wind is blowing, you want to cut in the same direction as the wind is blowing, otherwise it is much more difficult to cut the tree.

Pre-cut trees:

• Make sure the tree is as fresh as possible
• Trees that drop needles that are brown are to be expected, but if a tree is dropping green needles it is not a good sign. Often it means the tree is dry.
• Trees will last, even those cut as early as October, as long as they are cared for properly.
• The most important thing to make a tree last is water. Plain water, without any additives.

"That’s all, just water," Tammen said. "No material has been found yet that is better than plain water."