Holly Edition: Happy tree means happy holidays

When you buy a Christmas tree, you're not just getting something to hang decorations on, you're participating in a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.

The American tradition of decorating evergreen trees goes back to the Revolutionary War when British hired German mercenaries. Hessians came to the colonies and brought their Christmas tree traditions with them.

After the war many Germans remained in the new United States and decorating trees at Christmas took hold.

Selecting the ‘perfect' tree

First determine how tall a tree you want. With high ceilings, many Ahwatukee Foothills homes can easily accommodate a 15-foot-tall tree. What people may forget is that as a tree goes up, it also spreads out, taking up a large amount of floor space.

Consumers have a wide range of cut trees to choose from. Some common varieties include Douglas Firs, which tend to be very thick and bushy; Grand Firs, which have space between the limbs for hanging decorations; and Noble Firs, which are expensive but have heavy limbs and lots of space between them to hang big, heavy decorations.

Most cut tree lots are outside, which can end up misleading buyers because there is no ceiling or walls to accurately compare the size of the tree with the size of the space it will fit into, so check the tag and hold the tree next to someone to gauge size.

Freshness

The key to keeping a cut Christmas tree fresh is water.

The first test in determining freshness is to simply pick it up. A heavy tree means that it is full of water. A tree that appears lighter than it should could mean the tree has already begun to dry out.

Another easy way to tell if a tree is fresh is to bend a needle; if it bends the tree is fresh, but if the needle breaks it is dry.

Keeping a tree fresh after bringing it home requires water, and lots of it.

Christmas tree pros recommend cutting an inch or two off the bottom of the trunk so that water can be easily absorbed.

A fresh tree can absorb as much as a gallon of water or more in the first 24 hours and more than a quart a day after that. Water is important because it prevents the needles from drying and dropping off, and keeps the limbs from drooping. Water also keeps the tree fragrant.

Live trees

Many people prefer to buy a live Christmas tree, which they can then plant after the holidays.

Pines are the most common type of live tree sold in nurseries and on Christmas tree lots. They can do well in the hot Phoenix climate, but check with a professional before buying a live tree. The point is to make sure that the tree will survive after the holidays.

Like a cut tree, watering is critical. Use the finger test; feeling the dirt around the base of the tree and water as soon as it starts to dry out.

Live trees, as tall as 6 feet can be purchased, but they will weigh 250 pounds or more. Most people buy smaller live trees, under 3 feet, which are more affordable and easier to move around.

Because most live trees are smaller, decorating can be tricky. Some people sit a live tree on a table and decorate both the tree and the table around the tree.

After the holidays move the tree outside to get acclimated before planting. And before planting, think about the years ahead and how a fully-grown pine tree will fit into the landscaping.