How to pick a Christmas tree
When choosing a Christmas tree, select one with firm needles that don't drop off when the tree is raised up a few inches and dropped to the ground. A small needle drop is normal.
The bottom of the stump should be moist with some sap present. Trees that were cut many weeks or even months ago will drop their needles shortly after being brought indoors.
Trees that retain their needles the longest are balsam and white firs; red, white, and Scots pines; and Douglas firs. Once the tree is at home, cut another 2 inches or so off the stump and immediately place the tree into a stand with water.
Make sure the stand is full of water each day. A freshly cut tree can take up as much as 1 gallon of water in a day and you may need to refill the basin more than once daily for the first few days after installing the tree inside.
If left in a stand without water, the tree will form a seal across the stump, which prevents it from taking up any more water. Dry trees can become serious fire hazards.
Keep live Christmas trees away from heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators and furnace vents and check daily for water to maintain the tree in the best possible condition.
• Be selective if you are buying greens to decorate containers. I have found an occasional bundle of greens for sale that were dry and would not last long on display. These greens likely dried out because of the warm weather that we had in early November. Live cut greens will not last nearly as long when the weather is warm. I like to push branches into the growing medium left in the containers so that they are supported. Monitor the weather to install these greens so you get them in before cold weather freezes the pots.
• Mow your lawn one last time if it had a spurt of growth in late November. I like to make the last cut of the season shorter (at 2 inches) to reduce the chance of snow mold developing over winter. I use a mulching mower to shred the leaves on the lawn and save time on raking up the leaves.
• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.