Christmas Trees - Real or Artificial?

[RCW]

Self explanatory - and please share!

I'm a forester by education. I spent a lot of time in the woods cutting firewood and spruce pulpwood up until we became parents.

Not a surprise - real tree, always. Canaan fir this year.

Our trees have to be small - kinda tight where it needs to fit.

For several years, I was fortunate enough to serve on a committee for our US Congressman to make Military Academy appointments. We evaluated and interviewed the kids, and made final recommendations to the congressman. Great, great duty I still miss today. Met some wonderful young men and women aspiring for a military academy appointment.

We did the recommendations this time of year. One of the gifts for our time was a White House ornament. Got 7, and they're so neat! All are very different, just took a picture of this one to show my morning coffee buddies.

Trust me, I have no problem with artificial trees - its what works for you!!

Best wishes all, and look forward to your pics!

 

[Daren Todd]

I was always partial to balsam myself. But here in arkansas, your limited to what's bussed in from up north. By the time christmas arrives, they are long past there prime. Wife's allergic to pine and cedar, so we are stuck with a fake one.

I used to have good stand of balsam in vermont on gramps property. All trimmed and looking pretty with a nice shape growing wild. That went well till the neighbor cut a bunch of them and gave them away to friends. Cleaned me out, and I ended up having to buy one that year That ended his wood cutting privileges on gramps property

 

[bmblank]

I like real trees. I think we normally got blue spruce or something like that. But the wife likes artificial trees. So we compromised and use her artificial tree...

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[skeets]

We use to get the potted ones and then plant them in the spring,, most grew however as I get older I feel more and more like this

https://youtu.be/12h_x3Y0ifg?t=7

 

[TheSpoon]

Real tree. Canaan fir also this year (kids... We usually stick with a fir). Going to be planting some so we can start picking from our own property instead of paying through the nose at the cut-your-own farms.

(it just went up yesterday, hence the lack of decorating)

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[Ike]

I live in the area where most trees come from. All the fresh trees you see ads for are usually cut anytime from the end of Sept to first of Nov . I like the blue spruce but my wife wins with an artifical one. I have spruce and balsum going on my land hear and I love the smell of both in the fall

 

[Diydave]

Frasier fir fer me, this year, always go with live tree, and the drilled tree type stand...

Always put fresh cut, on the bottom, before bringing it in the house, and never let it get thirsty.

 

[mdhughes]

We go out in the woods and cut down a little cedar most years. This one is about 18' tall:

 

[William1]

Fir for us. It is just the wife and I and being we really do not want anything (we just get it when we need it) do not celebrate Christmas. My wife's favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.
So for many years, no tree or any decorations. Last year and this year, she decided to get a little tree, about 3' tall. A few dozen tiny lights. Very minimal.

 

[ShaunRH]

Growing up it was always a Natural, Noble Fir. Used to get them and flock them. Since we flocked over the lights, we always had to flock them ourselves with a hose and a vacuum cleaner. I don't know if they even sell the flocking any more!

However, my married life (and with 3 cats) has pushed me into a very nice, quick (almost umbrella like) tree that takes me about 20 minutes to set up. It looks good and it can stand up to the cats. Flocking is totally out of the question.

We tried a real tree once but the cats couldn't stop chomping on it and getting sick. They also climbed all up and down the braches, almost toppling the tree several times. The artificial branches are just thin rods so they can't do the same thing. The artificial tree is just safer for the pets.

 

[Bunker Buster]

We have an abundance of cedar trees all around us, so that's what we get. Yesterday I took my seven year old son out back for a walk to find one he liked. That's one of my fondest childhood memories, walking around a pasture with dad to find a tree.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Real tree when home for christmas, fake one if we go away. I prefer the natural type, smell of balsam is my favorite, hate the sticky sap. Buddy used balsam sap and birchbark to patch his canoe after punching a hole on a rock. Finished his canoe trip.

Used to be this was my faforite holiday, but the pressure to spend more and more every year is getting kinda old.
Would enjoy just the company of friends and family. Good food and lotsa laughs.
This year i want to have a bonfire, supposed to be a full moon.