Guest column: Trees make the season

It’s that time of year, when Christmas trees with all of the beautiful lights and decorations show up in our homes. The traditional use of evergreen trees during the Christmas season brings to many Americans the fragrance and freshness of the forest.

Christmas trees probably do more to bring joy to families at this time and to dramatize the message of “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men” than any other thing. Indoors or outdoors, Christmas trees, whether natural or artificial, have become almost an essential holiday decoration in homes, churches, offices, parks and on the streets.

Apparently the festive use of trees as a part of Christmas started in Germany. The first use of such trees in the United States may have been by Hessian mercenary soldiers during the American Revolution. An early account tells of a Christmas tree set up by American soldiers at Fort Dearborn in Illinois, on the Chicago River, in 1804. History also records that German settlers in Pennsylvania decorated Christmas trees in their homes in the early 1800s.

The favorite tree in our area is probably balsam fir, one of our native species, because of the good needle-holding ability and the nice color. It often has a pleasant odor when freshly cut.

Fraser fir, similar to balsam fir, is becoming another favorite. It is a native of the southeast United States and was introduced to Minnesota in 1971 with planting trials in four areas. The results indicated the species had a very good potential for use here. It has a shorter rotation period than balsam fir and, because of its late bud break, can escape the spring frost that causes a problem with balsam fir. Frasers are very susceptible to winter burn but are now widely planted in Minnesota tree farms and hold an important place in the market.

Canaan fir has also been introduced to the Minnesota marketplace. It is native to a small area in West Virginia and has desirable features of both balsam and Fraser firs.

Scotch (Scots) pine was a favorite species in Minnesota but tends to have a very crooked stem.

Red (Norway pine) was another favorite tree for many years but has a long rotation and a big trunk size which makes it difficult to fit into a stand.

You can find white pine on some lots, but it can be difficult to decorate because of lack of branch strength.

White spruce is the best spruce species for Christmas tree use, but it can take 10 to 15 years to produce a marketable tree. It also has poor needle-holding ability which may result in early needle shed. If grown on sandy soil it tends to have a yellowish color.

Eastern red cedar is a popular tree in the eastern part of the U.S., and Douglas fir will be found in markets in the Pacific Northwest.

A lot of work and expense is involved in getting a tree to market. The most expensive and time-consuming practice is shaping to produce a desirable form. Shaping is a combination of shearing and pruning. Protruding branches or multiple terminal leaders are eliminated with a hand pruner. The shearing is done with very sharp, long-handled knives or hedge shears. This starts when the tree is about 4 years old, depending on species and is continued each year until it is cut and placed on the market.

Trees are usually cut in October or early November with sales beginning about Thanksgiving. Growers may have cut trees for sale at the plantation or offer a “cut your own” opportunity. This is part of the age-old tradition of going into the woods to get your tree.

Many growers also sell to retailers.

If you don’t decorate the tree soon after it is harvested you should store it in a cool place such as an unheated garage. Before you place the tree in a stand it is a good practice to cut about an inch off of the base of the tree to remove the “seal” that may have formed by its sap. This will ensure that it will take up water.

Once the tree is placed in the house it should be frequently watered to prevent it from drying, which will result in early needle shed.

The number of Christmas tree farms in Minnesota has dwindled since the advent of artificial trees, which have come a long way from the original plastic and aluminum trees. These days, you often have to walk up and feel the needles to determine if it is natural or artificial. Some are even sprayed with a scent to provide the natural odor associated with a real tree.

I have heard most of the pros and cons of natural trees versus artificial trees. It would take more space than I have here to cover all of them.

Sometimes you will hear that cutting a natural tree will deplete our forests. Nothing could be further from the truth as plantation grown trees are a crop on a tree farm and not taken from the forest. Growers are continually planting new trees to ensure they have trees available for the future.

But it matters little whether you have a natural tree or an artificial one. The most important thing is to remember why the Christmas season is so important to Christians and those who celebrate the birth of Christ. Enjoy the festive season and all of the joyous things that are a part of it.

The author is a retired University of Minnesota forestry professor. He has published several extension bulletins on growing Christmas trees and was once a manager of a large tree farm.