Christmas tree buying tips

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - Picking out the perfect Christmas tree might be a debate your family has every year. 22News is working for you with some helpful holiday hints.

For families across western Massachusetts, buying a Christmas tree is not like any other purchase; instead it's a yearly experience.

"The tradition of it, it's just a family outing for us, we all come tag it together and pick it up together too and then put it up together, it's a whole day for us," said Amy Robb of Chicopee.

At Paul Bunyans Christmas farm and nursery in Chicopee, they only grow and sell the fir variety of Christmas trees because their needles stay on the longest.

Christmas trees differ in more than just size. The color, the shape, the smell and of course the type of tree are all important considerations.

The source of your Christmas tree can also make a big difference in the lifetime of the tree.

Not all Christmas trees are alike, many trees come from as far away as Canada and might not bring the freshness that locally grown trees can provide.

"We've been told that they do cut trees very early and leave them out in the sun, out in the fields and that's not a good thing for a fresh cut Christmas tree," said Susan Lopes, Tree Grower at Paul Bunyans Farm and Nursery.
     
There are alternatives to buying cut trees.

"It's easier just to set up an artificial tree and then take it down; it's just easier for us at this point. When you get older you look for the easier way out," said John Paquette of Agawam.

If you do purchase a freshly cut Christmas tree, you should water it frequently, never let the water run out and avoid keeping the tree near a heat source.

To find a Christmas tree farm near you, click here.