CTN - 026
Eric Hinesley, Horticulture Department
Introduction
Quality Christmas trees can be made available to consumers only if proper handling procedures are followed during harvest, shipping, storage and display. The retail lot is a critical point in this process, where trees are often maintained in less than optimal conditions. However, by observing a few simple guidelines, the retailer can provide customers with fresher, more desirable trees.
Care and Handling Procedures
Heat, wind and sunlight are the greatest enemies to maintaining freshness of cut Christmas trees. At temperatures above 70o F, unbaled trees on retail lots can lose up to half their moisture in as little as 24 hours. Any technique which increases the humidity of the air surrounding the trees will slow the rate of moisture loss, thereby maintaining freshness. Trees are best stored by keeping them upright in a cool shady place, out of high-traffic areas.
Shading can also prevent "stringburn", in which needles adjacent to the baling string turn brown. A baled tree in direct sunlight can develop stringburn in less than 30 minutes. If permanent shade is not available, a tarp or shade cloth can be used to protect trees from sunlight and wind. However, any shade should be suspended above the trees and down the sides with at least a 2-foot air space above and outside the trees to avoid over-heating.
Misting trees at night to provide moisture can be beneficial. Retailers in warm climates sometimes store baled trees with their trunks in a pool of water, formed by lining wooden or dirt troughs with plastic or tarp. Trunks can also be placed in moist sawdust as a method to maintain moisture content of the trees. Piles of baled trees should not be soaked with water as mold and defoliation can occur, particularly in warm temperatures. For trees to adequately take up water, a fresh cut on the tree's base may be necessary prior to storage or display.
Trees should be handled carefully while being unloaded from trucks, placed in and out of storage, and delivered to customers. Walking on baled trees breaks limbs and crushes foliage. In freezing conditions, extra caution is needed as trees can become quite brittle.
Displayed trees should be sold on a 'first in, first out' basis. Coding on tree tags is one easy way to keep track of how long each tree has been on display.
Information for Consumers
Several points should be emphasized by retailers to their customers: 1) a fresh cut of 1/2 inch should be made on the trunk prior to placing in water for display, 2) the trunk should not be allowed to get dirty or muddy, thereby interfering with water uptake, and 3) the tree should be displayed in a stand with sufficient water-holding capacity and the stand should be re-filled each day. A general rule is that trees often require one quart of water per day for each inch of trunk diameter.
Retailers should also remind customers that fresh Christmas trees, kept well-watered, are almost impossible to set afire, but to display trees away from heat and possible sources of ignition (stoves, fireplaces etc).
A common question relates to the possible advantages of water additives for prolonging freshness. These additives include such compounds as aspirin, sugar, cola, and various commercial products. Research has shown that additives provide no real benefit, and may even aggravate the shedding of needles. The only essential ingredient for maintaining tree freshness is plenty of clean water in the tree stand.
Summary
Both growers and sellers of Christmas trees benefit if fresh, high-quality trees reach the consumers. If proper procedures are followed in handling, storage and display, trees sold on the retail lot will more likely meet those requirements.
Note: This publication summarizes information contained in North Carolina State University publications "Grower Postharvest Handling of Christmas Trees", CTN-015 and "Retail Merchandising of North Carolina Fraser Fir", CTN-017. Those publications should be consulted for additional information.