Christmas Tree Shopping

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The do's and don'ts of getting your Christmas tree from the Iron Mountain Daily News. For the greenies out there, shouldn't we ban cutting down any tree's, even for Christmas?

"IRON MOUNTAIN - The turkey leftovers are gone, and it's time to start looking for a Christmas tree.

There are several different Christmas tree retailers in the area.

Santa's Christmas Tree Farm off U.S. 141 in Niagara, Todd's Christmas Trees of U.S. 8 in Niagara, Juneau's Christmas Trees & Reindeer Farm in Foster City, Christmas Trees by Wallace on U.S. 141 in Amberg, Wis., and North Countree Christmas at N10965 Schlies Road in Wausaukee, Wis., are all close by, or shoppers can find trees at many local businesses including Midtown Mall, Storheim's, Lori's Greenhouse, and Econo Foods in Iron Mountain, Off the Wall Video in Niagara, and at Birchwood Mall in Kingsford.

According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture

when shopping for a tree, customers should look for a well-shaped tree with few bare spots, and the tree should be fragrant not musty.

The needles should be green and have good retention; shake the tree to allow brown interior needles to fall out, green needles should not fall off a healthy tree; store the tree in a cool, sheltered area to protect it from the elements until it is brought inside and decorated, Michigan Department of Agriculture officials say.

There are many family secrets people use to keep trees fresh such as adding aspirin or sugar to the water, but Pete Swanson of Santa's Christmas Tree Farm in Niagara says those tricks are not necessary.

"Cut one-half inch off the trunk before putting it into the stand and keep it full of water," he said. "That is all you need to do to keep it fresh."

Michigan Department of Agriculture experts have the same advice and offers these fire safe tips.

"To help keep trees fresh throughout the holiday season and prevent Christmas tree-related fires make a straight cut across the trunk base and place the tree in a stand filled with at least one gallon of fresh water," officials said.

"Expect a freshly-cut Christmas tree to absorb up to one gallon of water the first day. Keep trees watered with at least one quart of water daily to maintain fragrance and beauty," they said.

"A watered tree not only looks better but also is more fire resistant. If the water level in the tree stand drops below the end of the tree stump, a layer of sap can form over the cut stump in just a few hours, making it impossible for the tree to absorb water," officials said.

"Place trees away from heat sources such as fireplaces, televisions and radiators. Check tree lights to ensure they are consumer-inspected (UL-listed or Factory Mutual-approved). Inspect lights and cords before hanging them to ensure they are in good working order and fault-free. Remember to unplug tree lights before going to bed or leaving the house," officials said.

After the holidays, most communities, including Kingsford, recycle their trees.

"We chip and stock pile the trees," said Tony Edlebeck, director of the Kingsford Public Works Department.

The pick up usually begins the week after the new year begins.

"We ask that anything non-compostable such as bases or ornaments be removed from the tree," said Edlebeck.

"The wood chips are then stored and used for future projects, and are also available free to residents for landscaping," he said.

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, there are approximately 30-35 million real Christmas trees sold in the U.S. every year.

The top selling Christmas trees are balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine.

Theresa Peterson's e-mail address is tpeterson@ironmountaindailynews.com."
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