>Choosing your tree
>How to order online
>When your tree arrives
>Christmas Tree Safety

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Real or artificial? In the coming weeks, that’ll be the question. If you long for an old-fashioned Christmas tree but are homebound, live in the desert, or simply don’t have the time to tramp through cold, wet fields to pick out your perfect tree, there’s an alternative: Shop online.

- All the types and colors of trees from around the country are available.
- There’s no driving all over town looking for the perfect tree.
- It’s much warmer at your home computer than walking through the cold fields and lots. - You can schedule to have your farm-fresh tree delivered to your home.

“Mail-order trees don’t travel 70 mph on the top of the car,” says Nigel Manley of The Rocks Christmas Tree Farm in Bethlehem, N.H. Instead, he says, they are boxed and shipped safely to your door guaranteeing freshness. “You know you’ll get a perfect tree because growers use the Perfect Tree Standard for mail order,” says Manley.

Unlike wholesale trees that are cut weeks before the holiday season only to sit in trucks and on lots until they’re bought, mail-order trees often are cut and shipped the same day. This quick shipping allows consumers to make their holiday tree choice based on color and branch stiffness instead of picking a tree they hope will stay fresh through the holidays.

Choosing your tree

Cypress, cedar, fir, spruce, and pine are just a few of the different tree types available to online shoppers. Here are a few suggestions when it comes to which one is right for you and your home:

- Short needle firs are great if you hang a lot of ornaments. Most fir trees will easily last five weeks in your home. The Fraser fir and balsam fir both have sturdy, stiff branches and are an excellent choice for a lot of lights and heavy ornaments.

- If you want that traditional New England scent, choose a balsam fir. They’re the most fragrant and available in colors ranging from blue to deep green.

- Pines can last up to eight weeks in your home. White pines have soft branches and long needles, making them best suited to lightweight decorations or just lights. Scotch pines are beautiful, but dense and can be difficult to decorate.

Mail-order farms also sell fresh garlands and wreaths, so it’s easy to mix and match trees of one type with wreaths and garlands of another to create a unique look for the holidays.

And size does matter — in addition to making sure you get the right kind of tree for you, be sure to determine how much of that tree you want. Shipped trees range from 3 feet to 7 feet from tip to trunk. If you would like a taller tree, contact the grower to make special arrangements. Not all farms ship trees larger than 7 feet.

How to order online

The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) is dedicated to all things Christmas trees. The NCTA Web site is the best place to begin your Internet tree hunt. Once there, you can learn more about Christmas tree types, tree safety, and find a tree recycling location near your home.

The “Find Trees” link at the top of the NCTA home page will direct you to both national mail-order and cut-it-yourself farms near your home. The “Mail Order Trees” link lists recommended tree farms specializing in online mail-order sales. Not every farm grows every type of tree, so you might need to visit several Web sites to find your perfect tree.

After you make your mail-order purchase, your tree will be hand selected from the fields, cut, boxed, and shipped to arrive at your specified delivery time.

At many farms you can place a tree order year round. Although some sellers will guarantee shipment as late as a Dec. 15 order date, it’s important to note that tree growers sometimes sell out of the more popular tree types and sizes. It’s best to order your tree as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

When your tree arrives

Your Christmas tree will arrive at your door in a large, waxed box. Fresh-cut trees will easily last five to eight weeks if you follow these simple care tips:

- Give the trunk a fresh cut about one-half inch from the bottom.

- Choose a tree stand large enough to hold a quart of water for every inch of trunk diameter.

- Don’t add anything to the water. It’s a myth that adding sugar, aspirin, or other home concoctions to the water will extend a cut tree’s life.

- Add fresh water every day. If the bottom of the trunk dries, your tree will no longer absorb water. If this happens, you’ll need to make another fresh cut — not an easy task once the tree is decorated!

Christmas Tree Safety

According to the NCTA, tree-related fires are rare. “Trees won’t self-ignite, otherwise we’d all be afraid to walk in the woods,” says Manley. Following the care method described above will help keep your tree fresh throughout the season.

Other ways to reduce moisture loss and evaporation are placing your tree well away from heat registers, space heaters, fire places, wood stoves, televisions, computer monitors, and other heat sources.

When residential holiday fires occur, overloaded electrical outlets and faulty wires are the common causes. Use UL approved lights and wires. Check your lights before putting them on the tree and replace any strands with worn or frayed wires.

When you leave home or go to bed, turn off the tree lights and extinguish and holiday candles.