I've heard before that most of the trees are cut down at the same time. So whether you buy it now or 3 weeks from now doesn't really matter. If you buy it, either have the place make a fresh cut or you make that fresh cut. Then take it home and soak it in a big bucket overnight. And after that, NEVER let the water dry up. If you follow all of this, the tree will not dry up early.

An alternative is to go to a cut-your-own place and that way you are assured that it is fresh.

Anonymous wrote:City of alexandRia has curb side pick up on designated days.. Chk w your city website

Yup- and they make it into mulch that you can pick up for gardening.

Anonymous wrote:We put it out on our tree collection day and it gets recycled.

Ours too.

City of alexandRia has curb side pick up on designated days.. Chk w your city website

We put it out on our tree collection day and it gets recycled.

Anonymous wrote:Throw it out.

Wow! Really???

That's sad!

Throw it out.

Sorry to hijack but what do you do with the tree once the holiday season is over?

If good selection is an issue: as a kid, we would often go to the tree farm in Nov and tag a tree, then come back in mid Dec to cut it and take it up. We always left it up until Epiphany (Jan 6).

Always get the tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We add some stuff from the hardware store called Prolong to the tree water and it keeps great until after new year's.

Bought and decorated ours yesterday too. I'm due with our second around Christmas and wanted to make sure it was done early.

We bought our tree this weekend (already up and decorated!) like we do every year. We typically keep it up until New Year's and they've always lasted just fine if you keep it watered.

We will be traveling for Christmas so bought our tree now. It really depends on how long you intend to keep it up. Do you want it to last to the New Year or will you throw it out before?

I've been wondering the same thing, OP. Found this source online: http://www.christmastree.org/blog051126.cfm It says that trees typically stay fresh for 4 weeks and that buying before the 1st weekend after Thanksgiving - when most people buy - can sometimes get you a better tree because the selection is better. That said, it's been my experience that 3 weeks, not 4, is more the norm for freshness.

I want to buy a tree today. DH thinks it's too early and will dry out. I think the tree will just be sitting around the lot all next week vs. sitting in our house in a stand with water, so there's not really a difference. Who's right?