NEED SOME MAJOR HELP HERE! SRRY Caps...need some help here

[Ratnix]

If you're going to a tree farm or to a parking lot where the tree farm sets up trees to sell for christmas you really shouldn't have any problem finding one that looks good.

They will all be about the same height, so that shouldn't be an issue. The worst you will have to look for is possible one that has big gaps in the branches. Usually if they are like this you are able to turn that side to the corner/wall where you place it to make that area not be seen.

Now the only question is if you want to get a live tree that you can plant in your yard after christmas or if you are just getting one that is chopped off and you will throw out on the curb.

We did both of those, along with a few years of an artificial tree, when I was growing up.

The artificial tree is obviously the easiest, but some people think they look tacky.

The real trees that are just cut off are Ok, but seeing as they are killed by cutting them, they will start to drop needles at a fairly regular rate, leaving a mess to clean up and as they dry out they can become a fire hazard.

The live trees that have roots still intact are obviously the most environmentally friendly ones to get but are the hardest to actually take care of during the time between getting them and the time you plant them.
Those need to be kept watered and you really want to go dig the hole for them now before the ground gets any harder.
We already have snow here in NW Ohio, about an hour south of the boarder, so I imagine that it is a bit worse up there.

Best advice really is......Do whatever your wife says. You are just the muscle in this endeavor. If she knows your past Christmas history and the fact that you didn't have trees growing up she should be aware that you have little to know knowledge about what is a good tree. She will have her opinion on it and whatever makes her happy will work out in your favor.

[Missing_Minds]

sHeesh. This is sounding like advice straight from Tim 'The Toolman' Taylor. Been there done that? lol.

*BUZZZ* wrong. Advice from Clark Grizwold

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097958/

[LightBear]

Hia m8,

You'll want to look for a full body tree with branches evenly distributed around and up the the tree.

A good tree is wide at the bottom and narrows, again evenly, toward the top.

If you don't want needles falling off to fast then you might wanna spray it in with some hair spray (ultra strong fixating).

Oh, and your not done with just a tree. You'll need some decoration for the tree as well like Christmas balls.

Before you go out to buy one go and stand in the center of your living room together with the misses and choose where the best place is to set the Christmas tree up.

Usually this is a corner next to the couch or next to the door into living room.
You want to be able to see the tree when you sit on your couch.
The place not to put your tree is next to the fire place due to the fire hazard.

[Missing_Minds]

Don't skimp on tree stands. Get a heavy-duty one.

He isn't kidding here. And DO keep the tree watered.

[samthedagger]

Go to Wal-Mart's Garden Center (or wherever they are putting christmas decorations these days) and get yourself a nice plastic trees with glorified pipe cleaners for branches. As a bonus you can probably get one with built-in lights.

Pros
Looks the same from a distance (unless you get a white one)
Doesn't shed needles all over the place
Re-usable from year to year as long as you have a garage/attic to store it
Won't catch on fire
Don't have to throw it out
Lighter

Cons
No piney scent
um...

To me this is really a no-brainer.

[TitoJ]

Yeah, we got snow...it'd be a little hard to plant that sucker after Christmas up here.

I always thought tradition was the dad picked out the tree though...so maybe I better just stop thinking lol.

[Missing_Minds]

Yeah, we got snow...it'd be a little hard to plant that sucker after Christmas up here.

No roots so you'd be planting something that is just going to rot and die.

[gabriul]

That was always the tradition in my house.

Step 1: Dad picks out Christmas tree.

Step 2: Dad cusses tree until it is up and ready to be decorated.

Step 3: Mom decorates tree causing it to fall over.

Step 4: Goto Step 2.

[Ratnix]

Yeah, we got snow...it'd be a little hard to plant that sucker after Christmas up here.

I always thought tradition was the dad picked out the tree though...so maybe I better just stop thinking lol.

Yea, "picked up" literally. Somebody has to pick up the tree and put it on top of the car, drag it into the bed of the truck, whatever. Then they have to drag it into the house.

There was a time where the dad would walk out into the woods and cut down a tree, and if you live in an area where that is possible, and not illegal, it can be done.
But in this day and age, it is usually a family affair.

As far as planting a live one. Like I said, you want to go dig your hole now before the ground gets any harder, if that is the type of tree you plan on getting. But chances are you aren't or you would have already talked about it. You need a tub to place the tree in to keep it watered and all that stuff, and obviously you aren't prepared for something like that, so you probably aren't doing it.

[TitoJ]

No roots so you'd be planting something that is just going to rot and die.

That comment was to someone talking about buying a tree with roots.

[Missing_Minds]

That was always the tradition in my house.

Step 1: Dad picks out Christmas tree.

Step 2: Dad cusses tree until it is up and ready to be decorated.

Step 3: Mom decorates tree causing it to fall over.

Step 4: Goto Step 2.

No cats?

Step 5: Pet knocks over tree or "uses" tree.

Step 6: Goto Step 2.

[Ratnix]

No roots so you'd be planting something that is just going to rot and die.

Depends on the type of tree you pick up.

A couple of years we got a live tree with roots and all from a tree farm for the express purpose of planting the tree after christmas.

[Missing_Minds]

Depends on the type of tree you pick up.

A couple of years we got a live tree with roots and all from a tree farm for the express purpose of planting the tree after christmas.

What sort of tree did you pick up? Or did they just remove the tap root?

[Kindoki]

Depends on the type of tree you pick up.

A couple of years we got a live tree with roots and all from a tree farm for the express purpose of planting the tree after christmas.

This is the route I would go if I didn't use an artificial tree (I'm highly allergic to conifers - and no, the irony is not lost on me...). But, for TitoJ, I'd recommend that he plan that for next year, as there is some forethought to it. This year, just cut and go.

[Ratnix]

What sort of tree did you pick up? Or did they just remove the tap root?

I can honestly say I don't have a clue. It was some type of pine. This was like 24 years ago. I just remember that the roots were in a burlap rap. It was a fairly decent sized root bundle, but it wasn't overly huge. We had a wash tub that we put it in and kept water and some type of nutrients in to keep the tree alive until we planted it.

[Kindoki]

I can honestly say I don't have a clue. It was some type of pine. This was like 24 years ago. I just remember that the roots were in a burlap rap. It was a fairly decent sized root bundle, but it wasn't overly huge. We had a wash tub that we put it in and kept water and some type of nutrients in to keep the tree alive until we planted it.

probably a spruce, as they tend to have more of a root ball anyways, vs. long tap roots.

[Missing_Minds]

probably a spruce, as they tend to have more of a root ball anyways, vs. long tap roots.

That makes more sense. The tap root issue is why I got confused.

[Nuralanya]

Go to Wal-Mart's Garden Center (or wherever they are putting christmas decorations these days) and get yourself a nice plastic trees with glorified pipe cleaners for branches. As a bonus you can probably get one with built-in lights.

Pros
Looks the same from a distance (unless you get a white one)
Doesn't shed needles all over the place
Re-usable from year to year as long as you have a garage/attic to store it
Won't catch on fire
Don't have to throw it out
Lighter

Cons
No piney scent
um...

To me this is really a no-brainer.

You can get some really nice-looking artificial trees these days, and as you said sometimes with lights already attached. Some are quite pricey (I've seen bigger ones for upwards of $300), but others are quite reasonable for something that will last for years. I prefer an artificial tree but I hate having to put the lights on it, so my ideal is to one day get one of those with built in lights that shapes itself nicely as you pull it out of the box... *dreamy sigh*

Oh, sorry, where was I...?

But since this is going to be the family's first tree, I can understand that 'Mrs Tito' would probably love to go out with the kids and find a real tree. Let her pick out something she likes, and then after having to clear up the mess and spend the next eight months picking needles out of everything, she might like to choose a nice artificial one next year...

[der_kluge]

I'll second the others on an artificial tree. You'll pay a lot for it right before Christmas, so your better option might be to get a cheap real tree now - deal with the MASSIVE headache that comes with that, and then right after Christmas, find an artificial one on sale. You can use it again and again.

[slothinator]

Dad?

Merry Christmas Lorz!!!