Trees spur holiday spirit

BY EDIE GROSS

Winter doesn't arrive until Dec. 21, but already darkness tucks in around us like a chilly blanket, earlier and earlier each evening.

Nothing distracts us like twinkling lights on festive Christmas trees--even if we choose to appreciate them only from afar in shops, storefronts and brightly festooned homes with shades opened, temporarily, to the rest of the world.

If nothing will do but a tree of your own--real in all its fragrant glory--we've assembled a guide that will help you find the perfect one for you.

Whether it's a "Charlie Brown" tree or one you can barely fit in your two-level entry, may it bring you good cheer this holiday season.

WHERE DO I FIND A TREE?

Tree lots tend to pop up at busy intersections, but if you want a broader selection, the Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association lists choose-and-cut farms, retail lots and nurseries by city, county and region on its Web site at virginiachristmas trees.org.

The National Christmas Tree Association's Web site at christmastree.org lists tree farms and retail lots within a 60-mile radius of your ZIP code.

And the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services maintains a Christmas tree guide at vdacs.virginia.gov/trees/index.shtml.

How do I select a tree at a retail lot?

Be sure you've measured the width and height of the space available for the tree ahead of time. Lugging home an 8-foot tree only to find out you have 6-foot ceilings makes for a rough start to the holidays.

As for choosing a fresh tree, all conifers shed old, brown needles from the inside as they grow, but the outer needles should be green and pliable. If the needles, twigs or branches are brittle, the tree is probably too dry, according to Rick Dungey of the National Christmas Tree Association.

What do I do once I've gotten the tree home?

Cut a - to -inch disk off the bottom of the tree. Make sure the cut is straight and not angled so the tree can take up as much water as possible.

Use a tree stand that will hold at least a gallon of water and check it often, particularly during the first few days when the tree will drink plenty. Tap water is best.

What can I do with the tree after Christmas?

Fredericksburg and Stafford residents can take trees to the Regional Landfill at 489 Eskimo Hill Road in Stafford or the Belman Road Recycling Center at 1200 Belman Road in Fredericksburg, to be shredded into mulch. All decorations, including tinsel, must be removed first.

Spotsylvania residents can recycle their trees at three places: the Livingston Landfill, 6241 Massey Road; the Berkeley Convenience Site, 6043 Stanfield Road; or the Chancellor Public Use Area, 5917 Harrison Road.

In King George, trees can be mulched at the Citizen Dropoff Center, 10376 Bullock Drive. There is no recycling option in Caroline.

You can also contact your regular trash hauler for curbside pickup.

Information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Christmas Tree Association, the National Park Service and American Forests, a nonprofit conservation organization.

Edie Gross: 540/374-5428
Email: egross@freelancestar.com

Top Christmas tree producing states in 2002, the last year for which USDA information was available: Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington

Virginia ranked eighth with nearly 508,000 trees harvested. Numbers for the 2007 season will be available next year.

Top-selling Christmas trees: balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine

It can take as many as 15 years to grow a typical 6- to 7-foot tree or as little as four years, but the average growing time is seven years.

U.S. consumers bought 31.3 million real Christmas trees in 2007 at an average price of $41.50.

Last year, 17.4 million artificial trees were sold at an average price of $71.60.

Every acre of Christmas trees gives off enough oxygen for 18 people. There are enough Christmas trees planted in America right now to supply oxygen to 18 million people a day.

The National Christmas Tree, a living Colorado blue spruce from York, Pa., will be lit for the first time this year at 5 p.m. on Thursday. The tree is located on the Ellipse, south of the White House.

The pageantry surrounding the lighting, which includes nightly musical performan-ces and 56 smaller trees--one for each state, five territories and the District of Columbia--continues until Jan. 1.

Read more stories about Fredericksburg
Date published: 12/1/2008

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