What You Didn't Know About Brown Needles Will Shock You!
DO BROWN NEEDLES MEAN A DRY TREE?
Trees are often cut weeks before they appear at your local supplier (as early as the first week of November), but NOT AT COPEMAN TREE FARMS! Our trees are cut fresh daily in December. The key to a long lasting tree begins with freshness and we guaranteed it here at Copeman's.
Contrary to non-tree-grower bloggers, you should never pull or tug on the individual needles. They aren't super-glued to the tree, so whether the tree is cut or still growing in the field, if you pick at them they will fall off. To check the freshness of any tree, you should only have to flap your fingers gently under the branches, in an upward motion. If any green needles bounce off, then the tree is not fresh (keep in mind, this can only be done when the bracnhes are not frozen). If everyone checks the freshness of the same trees by picking off needles and pushing down on the branches, the tree will quickly look 'bald' and the branches will look 'droopy'. Additionally, a fresh tree should always smell fragrant. Even though different species are more fragrant than others, you shouldn't have to get so close that you need to touch your nose to the branches to be able to smell the tree.
Check for brown needles on the outside* of the tree. Brown needles inside* the tree are fine - it's true! Brown needles that come from the centre, near the trunk, do not mean the tree is dry. These are the tree's needles that were shed naturally throughout it's lifetime. If you pick a really thick and bushy Christmas tree, you will find more brown needles inside and here's why: new growth only forms on the outside* branches, while shedding the old growth near the trunk. When Christmas trees are pruned, it becomes thick and bushy, which makes it hard for the old growth to fall to the ground. Scotch Pine tend to have the most needles caught inside because their rough bark catches these needles and prevents them from falling. This is why we 'shake' the pine--they even make a 'tree shaking machine' for this reason. Additionally, the sun just can't reach inside of a bushy Christmas tree.
The only green needles you will see on the inside of a Christmas tree would be one where there is enough space between the rings of branches for the sun to shine all the way through (in otherwords, a 'Charlie Brown tree'). Ironically, it's actually the GREEN needles you need to be cautious of--if they are on the ground! Green needles should not fall off your tree. If they do, keep shopping. Or, skip the shopping altogether and come to Copeman Tree Farms, where our trees are guaranteed fresh and WILL last you at least* until Christmas!
*Yellow tips can be caused from a windy winter without much snow. This does not mean the tree isn't fresh, though sometimes it does. Always ask when the tree was cut -- or just come to Independent where all our trees are guaranteed fresh & each one WILL last you til Christmas.
