Local tree farm gives tips to find the best holiday tree

Chopping down a Christmas tree is music to a family's ears every holiday season because that means they found the perfect tree.

"It's definitely something we look forward to every year." 

But this holiday activity isn't as easy as it seems, especially at Nichols Tree Farm in Hebron where there's over 18 types of trees to choose from. 

"We have furs over there and some spruce over here and we've sold quite a few of those. We sell maybe 100 of these a year but people like them and they have a different odor and a different feel," says Bruce Nichols, owner of Nichols Tree Farm.

With so many trees to choose from, it can be hard to find that perfect one especially when there's so many factors to consider.

Nichols says, "The best thing you can do to pick out the best tree is to look at who's selling it and look at their care. If you go and they've got them stored on a blacktop and they're just laying in a heap and the suns bearing down on them and you don't see they have a watering device or hose around or anything and they're drying out you've got to stay away." 

But finding that perfect tree isn't the only tough part, keeping it alive and healthy is another challenge.

"The main thing is water and misting the tree if you're going to cut it down before you put it in the house you've got to care for it to make sure it doesn't dry out." 

A reminder for those who haven't gotten their Christmas trees yet, make sure you bring cash because many of the local tree farms don't take credit cards. 

Plus, staying on the topic of Christmas trees, the Salisbury Fire Department is reminding families to be careful lighting their holiday decorations. 

They say if you're buying a real tree to make sure to give it plenty of water at all times. Keeping it away from any heat source is also important whether it's a heater, fireplace, or stove. 

That's because those can dry out the tree and make it more prone to catching on fire. 

"You want to make sure to unplug it at night no lights on all night long while you're asleep and of course make sure you're smoke detector is working," says Deputy Chief Darrin Scott of the Salisbury Fire Dept. 

The fire dept. also adds that LED lights are actually safer to use than the standard ones. LED lights don't go up in temperature like others do, so they're less likely to catch on fire.