Art's Nursery is proud to offer a fine selection of beautiful, locally grown and imported live and freshly cut Christmas trees.
Balled and burlapped trees have been dug up, and their root systems cut and wrapped into burlap. They are still living and will regenerate their roots over time.
Potted trees have their entire root systems growing in containers or pots.
In the Fall and Winter, Christmas trees are in a state of dormancy. Once inside, surrounded by warmth and dryness over an extended period of time, the trees may break this dormancy and begin growing. This tender new growth can be damaged by cold temperatures once the tree is replanted outside. In fact, in extreme cases the entire tree may perish from the shock of the outdoor conditions. To avoid this, do not keep a live tree inside for more than 10 days. After Christmas, place the live tree in a cool sheltered position such as a garage or greenhouse to allow it to acclimatize. After this time, it is ready to be planted outside. Back to Top
While more difficult to transport, Art's displays trees unwrapped so you can examine a tree's appearance before purchasing. We do offer a free wrapping service to help you get your new tree home easily.
Freshly cut trees look healthy, green and many will give off a strong scent or aroma when the trunk is cut or the needles crushed or bruised. Fresh trees will also retain their needles well. Cut trees will only remain fresh for a certain number of days or weeks that varies depending on the type and the environmental conditions the tree has been exposed to during transport and storage. Once cut, a tree attempts to protect the wound by sealing it with a layer of sap. This sap rapidly reduces the tree's ability to absorb nutrients and water. Once its reserves of water are exhausted, the needles will dry out and begin to fall off the tree. The longer the time between cutting and purchase, the more likely needle loss becomes. For this reason, it is best to purchase your tree early and get it into water as soon as possible.
Christmas trees are also available in different grades. The premium, 1st grade trees are the best cared for, the best in appearance and command the highest price. 2nd grade trees may have minor defects, broken branches or may not have the perfect shape. At Art's we only carry the premium grades of trees, even though our prices are competitive to those of the large retailers. Many 'big-box' retailers sell 2nd grade trees imported from the US or other parts of Canada that may been cut and stuck in transport for days or weeks to get to our region.
When choosing a tree, always examine its appearance and measure its needle retentiveness by picking it up and dropping it on its base once or twice or by gently grabbing the needles and pulling them towards you. While all trees will lose a few needles, excessive needle drop may indicate a dry tree that may not be the best choice for your home.
If you need to store the tree before setting it up and decorating it, keep the trunk in a bucket of fresh water in a cool, sheltered location away from sun ,heat and wind. If the tree will be in storage for more than a day or so, make another fresh half-inch cut up the trunk before decorating it.
There are three key strategies to follow when caring for your Christmas tree:
The first is to place it in a good location. Ensure the tree is placed in area away from drafts, winds and heat sources like fireplaces, wood stoves, heat vents, radiators and tv's. Warm dry houses are hard on Christmas trees. The longer they are indoors, the faster their needles will dry up, turn brown and fall off.
The second key factor in caring for your Christmas tree is to keep it well watered. In the fall and winter trees are dormant. When they are brought iinto the warm indoors, they will assume that it is Spring, break dormancy and begin to grow. This causes them to dramatically increase their water intake. Daily watering may be required as an average sized Christmas tree can absorb up to a gallon of water a day. Ensure that the water level in the stand is always above the cut line or else dried tree sap will form a new seal blocking the further uptake of water. If this happens, take the tree out of its stand and make a new cut ½ inch up from the previous one.
A final tree care option is to spray the tree with an anti-transpirant product like "Tree Fresh". This substance reduces the amount of water lost by the needles thereby helping the tree stay fresher for a long period of time. Back to Top
Avoiding Potential Hazards The number one hazard in having a Christmas tree at home is the threat of an electrical fire. Always make sure any Christmas lights on or near the tree are in good working order. Use only CSA (Canadian Standards Association) approved lights. Avoid using outdoor lights as they can generate a lot of heat - stick with the smaller, indoor mini-lights for your Christmas tree. Finally, never leave the lights on when sleeping or when you leave the house. Be safe and enjoy a very festive holiday season with your beautiful Christmas tree! Back to Top
The Recycling Hotline at: 604.732.9253 Compost Hotline: 604.736.2250
In addition, the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society in Delta uses whole Christmas trees in their bird habitats. Call 604-946-3171 for information.
You can also visit the GVRD website at www.gvrd.bc.ca for additional information.