The holiday tradition of picking a real tree to decorate for Christmas appears to be making a comeback, especially among younger families.
Javid Gibson and his wife Ellie, owners of Walker’s Farm Fresh Trees in Rutherglen just east of North Bay are noticing the growing trend in their “cut your own” business.
“The younger generation is going back to the real tree. The real tree is kind of having a resurgence and is in demand. So much so, we’re considering replanting more acreage than we had originally planned,” said Gibson who took over the 60-year-old farm with his wife two years ago.
“We provide what we would consider a real true northern wilderness experience on the farm, in the sense of being able to adventure through the farm and look for your tree,” said Gibson.
“It is a tradition for a lot of people. Many of our customers have been coming here for decades. And we’re getting a lot of new young families from Corbeil, Callander, North Bay, and Mattawa.”
Forty acres of the property have been set aside for tree cutting.
“It is a very rustic farm setting. Very beautiful. We have a great selection of trees, everything from blue spruce to white spruce, white pine, Fraser fir, and eastern balsam.”
Gibson says real trees do better when an inch is cut off the bottom.
“Cut it as flush as you can so it sits upright, straight in the tree stand. And obviously the biggest thing is to keep the water level up in the tree stand. I always suggest having warm sugar water. I feel it is better. It gives a little bit of nutrients to the tree as well. And of course, keep it away from a heat source,” said Gibson.
“Something like the Fraser Firs, the Blue Spruce, the Eastern Balsam will last well into January. It is the white spruce’s, the white pines that you really have to keep up with the water.”
See: Why you should consider getting a real tree for Christmas this year
When picking a pre-cut tree, check the needles for freshness.
“When you get a tree, bang it. If a pile of needles falls to the ground then you likely have a dryness issue,” said Bob Hudson of Burrow’s Country Store and Garden Centre.
“We’ve noticed this year the trees are a lot heavier and aren’t losing their needles because we had a wetter summer and fall. So, they took a lot of moisture in this year. The year before they were drier because the summer was so hot and dry, and it makes a difference growing the trees.”
Hudson says balsam and Fraser Fir hold their needles the longest.
“It is all personal preference when selecting the tree, you want for your home. Some people grew up with scotch pines and love that pine smell. Some people grew up with spruce. The Balsam and Fraser have been the big rage the past couple of years now. They seem to hold their needles longer. Some people come in and know exactly what they want, and other people say, ‘Show me a tree.’”
When out on the great Christmas tree hunt, be sure to keep the size of the room and the height of the tree topper in mind to ensure the tree is proportional to your space.
