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Tis the Season for Christmas Trees

NEW ULM – Few symbols evoke memories of the holiday season like a fully decorated Christmas tree.

The tradition of decorating a tree for the Yule season dates back hundreds of years. These days artificial trees are widely available, but the hunt for a real tree is a tradition for many families.

“It’s a good family activity,” said Tony Guggisberg, owner of the Guggisberg Tree Farm outside of New Ulm.

Since 2006, Guggisberg has allowed families to come to his tree farm, select their own tree and cut it down by hand. “We will cut it for them if they want, but most cut their own.”

The majority of the customers at Guggisberg Tree Farm are families. It is not unusual to see parents pulling children by toboggan through rows of trees. The selection of the family Christmas tree is part of the holiday festivities.

Following a fresh snowfall, a trip to a local tree farm is a great opportunity to get into the Christmas spirit.

Because Guggisberg’s business is one of the few tree farms that allows families to cut their own tree, people often come from considerable distances for the chance to cut down their own tree. The Guggisberg Farm has received customers from as far away as the Twin Cities and Iowa.

Guggisberg estimated that between 300 and 400 families visited the farm over Thanksgiving weekend, which is typically the busiest time of the year. The first weekend of December is usually the next busiest, but Christmas tree shoppers will often purchase trees up to the day before Christmas.

Guggisberg said that many people do not hold their large Christmas party until after Dec. 25 so waiting until the day before is a good way to assure the tree will remain fresh and keep its needles.

How to keep a tree fresh after it’s been cut is a question every tree grower is asked, but there are few sure solutions.

Guggisberg said that it is generally a good idea to keep the tree watered and away from a heat source.

At A to Zinnia Floral Gifts employee Sara Dittbenner has heard dozens of theories on how to keep trees fresh, including using warm water, adding sugar, even adding aspirin. Misting the tree with water or even hair spray has been tried to preserve a tree as long as possible.

“Whether any of it works, I don’t know,” said Dittbenner. She emphasized the importance of cutting an inch off the bottom before placing the tree in water. This prevents the end from sapping up and helps it absorb water.

Another option is flocking the tree. Flocking seals the moisture in and keeps the tree fresh longer.

Flocking chemicals give the tree a white coat that resembles a fresh snow fall. If properly stored, the tree could be kept for up to three years. The downside is many places will not allow flocked trees to be recycled due to the extra chemicals.

One of the simplest ways to keep a tree from dropping its needles is to choose a healthy tree. In recent years Christmas tree shoppers have been selecting tree species based on their natural qualities.

Local tree sellers all agree the Fraser Fir is typically the top seller.

“It holds its needles the longest and has sturdier branches,” said Dittbenner. In addition, the needles of the Fraser Fir are soft, making ornament-hanging process less of a prickly ordeal.

The Balsam Fir is also popular for its soft needles, but it is a top selection at Guggisberg’s Farm due to its strong smell. The Canaan Fir is a natural hybrid of both the Fraser and Balsam and is often selected because it offers the best of both species. The Blue Spruce is prized for stiff branches and its unique blue hue.

Certain species come and go in popularity.

Guggisberg said the Scotch Pine was popular when he first began growing Christmas trees, but as people started seeking trees with shorter needles the tree fell out popularity.

“I have to look into the future 10 years as to what they will like,” said Guggisberg.

Each year to meet demands he plants 1,000 trees that take between 10 and 12 years to grow into full Christmas trees. Predicting trends a decade in advance is even more difficult because every family has its own idea of the perfect tree.

“Every tree has character,” Guggisberg said, “and every family has their own unique method of selecting one.”

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