Holiday Guide: Finding the Freshest Christmas Tree

Do you know the true test? Look for the green!

According to Elwood Christmas Tree Farm owner Lee Itzler, the best way to test the health of an evergreen is to grab a branch of your Christmas tree-to-be and lightly scratch the stem. "If you see green, the tree will keep its needles longer."

Itzler sells thousands of Christmas trees each year from his 20-acre farm on Jericho Turnpike with rows of White Pine, Norway Spruce, Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir, Scotch Pine, Turkish Fir, Blue Spruce, and Canaan Fir criss-crossing the landscape.

"People like the Fraser Fir because they're stiff needled and beautiful trees and they like the Douglas Fir because they're really fragrant and a little bit softer looking," he said. A tree may run between $50 and $125 depending on its quality and size, with trees between six and eight feet tall the highest in demand. One of the complications with the Christmas tree business, though, is that a tree can take between eight and ten years to grow six feet tall.

"You can't plant enough trees to satisfy everybody," said Itzler, who offsets the slow growing period through his fall pumpkin patch sales. Somehow, Itzler said he always has enough trees to supply locals and city slickers alike, with customers coming from as far as Manhattan and said he's never sold out. From Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, he's out on the farm with his truck to help customers cut down a fresh tree or select a pre-cut tree and transport it safely back home.

After you've selected the perfect tree, the best bet is to put it inside your car for the ride home, he said. "Strapped on the roof, the trees get really beat up, windburned, and dessicated. If you're a local delivery it really doesn't make a difference, but if you're going on the highway, then it should go in the car."

If you must put it on the roof, "put the trunk facing into the wind," he said, with the bottom of the tree pointing toward the front of the car.

Once you get the tree home, it's important to have a good stand with heavy duty water retention, said Itzler. Most trees last long enough on their own though the holiday season, but there are supplements to help the tree keep its vibrancy for an extended time. "If you bought one of those Norway Spruces on Thanksgiving and you wanted it to last until February, there's a preservative that we sell similar to what they use on cut flowers. It's called Prolong, but there are other brands, and it helps it absorb water."

Elwood Christmas Tree Farm is located at 1500 East Jericho Turnpike on the border of Elwood and Huntington. They are open every day through Christmas Eve: Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to nightfall, Fridays from 1 p.m. to nightfall, and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m. You may cut your own tree or pick from among a selection of pre-cut trees. Customers are encouraged to bring their own saw. Call 631-368-8626 if arriving toward nightfall.