# It's that time of the year again



## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

This is the time of the year I usually enter my yearly depression with hunting season over and nothing to look forward to but the holidays. But the one thing I do enjoy about the holidays is our annual Christmas tree hunt. We went out Yesterday and had a great time with the kids and grandkids.


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## hunter57 (Nov 6, 2012)

looks like youn all had fun. we love taking the grandkids out to cut x-mas trees. makes the house smell so good.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

That picture of the three girls is precious!


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Very nice. I always loved hunting for Christmas trees. How dry were the trees you cut? I hope they don't dry up on you before Christmas.


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

Most of the tree in the tree lots around Christmas time have already been cut for transport. We have been cutting our own trees for many years and they stay greener and healthier than trees in the tree lots even though we like to cut them early because there is usually better access than later in the year. There are a few things to remember in caring for them, however. The most important thing to remember is that once a tree is cut the capillaries at the base seal off when they become dry. A tree will continue to lift water to the needles and branches so long as the capillaries do not seal off. After we cut and transport trees, on arrival home we cut at least another 1/2 inch form the base of the tree and immediately place it in a bucket of water until it is time to bring it into the house. When a tree is brought into the warm house and immediately placed in water so the capillaries do not have a chance to seal off, the warmth will cause it to loose a lot of water from the needles and the tree will "drink" prodigious amounts of water for a few days until it is completely hydrated then the "drinking" will slow some. It is very important to keep the water in the tree stand from going dry as this will seal off the capillaries and the tree cannot "drink" water. Especially for the first few days you have to check the water level several times a day and keep adding water. Trees can "drink" several quarts a day. If care is taken to keep the tree from going dry it will stay very green and healthy through the holiday season. We have actually had trees grow several inches and set little pine cones during the holidays. The same practices are helpful for tree lot trees but fresh trees still keep better and it is a lot of fun and a great family outing to cut them. And I might add that it is done in the outdoors.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

campfire said:


> Most of the tree in the tree lots around Christmas time have already been cut for transport. We have been cutting our own trees for many years and they stay greener and healthier than trees in the tree lots even though we like to cut them early because there is usually better access than later in the year. There are a few things to remember in caring for them, however. The most important thing to remember is that once a tree is cut the capillaries at the base seal off when they become dry. A tree will continue to lift water to the needles and branches so long as the capillaries do not seal off. After we cut and transport trees, on arrival home we cut at least another 1/2 inch form the base of the tree and immediately place it in a bucket of water until it is time to bring it into the house. When a tree is brought into the warm house and immediately placed in water so the capillaries do not have a chance to seal off, the warmth will cause it to loose a lot of water from the needles and the tree will "drink" prodigious amounts of water for a few days until it is completely hydrated then the "drinking" will slow some. It is very important to keep the water in the tree stand from going dry as this will seal off the capillaries and the tree cannot "drink" water. Especially for the first few days you have to check the water level several times a day and keep adding water. Trees can "drink" several quarts a day. If care is taken to keep the tree from going dry it will stay very green and healthy through the holiday season. We have actually had trees grow several inches and set little pine cones during the holidays. The same practices are helpful for tree lot trees but fresh trees still keep better and it is a lot of fun and a great family outing to cut them. And I might add that it is done in the outdoors.


Interesting and great pics. Thanks for posting


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

Here is an update. Our tree that was cut the first week in November is as soft and green as when we cut it. And it is setting little pine cones all over the tree that were not there when we brought it in the house. Here is a picture taken on Christmas night.


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## BradN (Sep 25, 2007)

We love cutting our own Christmas trees, too. We cut our Christmas trees where we hunt elk in the fall (Any Bull unit), and cutting trees seems (almost) an extension of the hunting season. We look for trees while we hunt.

I'll second the notion that these trees are so much better than trees purchased from the Christmas tree lots. They smell better, and I prefer the look of these trees (more open spaces between branches -- not the super dense trees that have flooded the market in the past 10-20 years).


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