Christmas trees - where to get um?

[808shooter]

Every year for the past few years, I've gone to Home Depot for Christmas trees. They have a good selection and are resonably priced.

Where do you folks go to get your tree?

Any special tricks to keep them fresh? Someone told me yesterday to put aspirin in the water to keep the tree fresh? Any other tips?

[Palolo Joe]

My family prefers the "traditional" look of a tree flown in by container, but if anyone wants to buy local, there's Helemano Farms. (http://www.helemanofarms.com/index.html)

You pick it, they cut it down... prices start at $30.

[blueyecicle]

I don't count in Oregon but I go down the road and chop it down!:p You guys have the same prices as my town!! Crazy!

[manoasurfer123]

I just had my Holiday laugh for the evening!

Someone likes to hate on people so much from the mainland... yet they prefer the "Traditional" Christmas tree shipped in from the mainland!:eek:

Damnit... I've got to clean up the beer I just spit out of my mouth from laughing so hard!

I hear you Rudolph on picking up the trees down the road... we used to be able to do that in Washington....

I just about dropped dead when I found out people pay up to $100.00 + for some trees!!!!

I guess that's why my mom called Hawaii the capital of Plastic Trees!:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Palolo Joe]

I just had my Holiday laugh for the evening!

Someone likes to hate on people so much from the mainland... yet they prefer the "Traditional" Christmas tree shipped in from the mainland!:eek:

Damnit... I've got to clean up the beer I just spit out of my mouth from laughing so hard!
I just had my laugh for the evening!

When some jackass makes yet more stupid comments that only serve to derail a thread... it has me laughing so hard to see how terrible this donkey is at reading comprehension!

Is it that hard to see the difference between a Norfolk Pine (http://www.helemanofarms.com/norfolk.html) and a Douglas Fir? (http://www.washington.edu/home/treetour/dfir.html) The latter is what's been shipped via container to Hawaii for decades, and which is why I used the word "traditional" in my post.

But now you're taking shots at my family Manoa? That's so funny, because you've gotten your panties in a bunch on HT when people talked about yours...

It's like you're trolling... yet again. Bring it.

[manoasurfer123]

Traditions... If you want to be more specific about christmas trees... your talking to a guy who used to cut them down in the winter to be sold here in Hawaii for a job at one point in my life!

A Christmas tree is one of the most popular traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas. It is normally an evergreen coniferous tree that is brought into a home or used in the open, and is decorated with Christmas lights and colourful ornaments during the days around Christmas.

Both natural and artificial trees are used as Christmas trees.
The best species for use are species of fir (Abies), which have the major benefit of not shedding the needles when they dry out, as well as good foliage colour and scent; but species in other genera are also used....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree#Types_of_trees_used

Well if want to be technical...I have never cut down a Norfolk Pine though!

The Norfolk Pine is primarily used here in Hawaii.
Norfolk Island pine is sometimes used, particularly in the Oceania region, and in Australia some species of the genera Casuarina and Allocasuarina are also occasionally used as Christmas trees.
Here is a wikipedia list of trees used in North America:

* Balsam Fir Abies balsamea
* Fraser Fir Abies fraseri
* Grand Fir Abies grandis
* Noble Fir Abies procera
* Red Fir Abies magnifica
* Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii
* Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris
* Stone Pine Pinus pinea (as small table-top trees)

I don't troll! I sleep on HT!

[Palolo Joe]

Once again, reading comprehension is truly not your forte.

Yet another thread you're trying to make all about YOU, YOU, YOU.

[manoasurfer123]

Under my Christmas tree this year.... I hope to find reading comprehension:rolleyes:

Anyone else have anything else they would like to find under the tree this year?

[Palolo Joe]

Under my Christmas tree this year.... I hope to find reading comprehension.

Anyone else have anything else they would like to find under the tree this year?
Maybe you should go start another thread to discuss what kind of personal help you need.

This one is about where to buy Christmas trees, not what you put under them... or what you wish you could find under them.

[manoasurfer123]

Where to find em where to get um and what christmas trees are all about seems to be pretty relevant.

If I could open a thread on it... it wouldn't be that interesting.

I'm fascinated by the whole infatuation of people in Hawaii paying a good penny for a piece of the Northwest.... and that's where Hawaii seems to get them from.

[lavagal]

My tree is in a box in my northwest closet with a big M on it for Martha. I've got a really nice and fragrant wreath hanging that I got from Costco. Given that trees tend to dry out by mid December, I decided to invest in a low-tech 6-foot artificial Douglas fir, and it's just fine for us. No bald spots, no needle drops, no hardened stump, no mosquito larvae in the water well. I'm so jealous as my kid sister got Mom's aluminum tree. Now that's an antique! We'll probably put up Martha Douglas this weekend. I'll let the kids decorate it. The real Martha would cringe at the end result, but heck! It's about the kids! It's about peace and joy! It's about knowing when to be quiet and just take in the wonder of it all.

[CranBeree]

we have an artificial tree...cant stand to see paying $$ for a tree, then just to have it laying down on the sidewalk or chopped up to pieces after the christmas season is over..

i did want a real tree the first year my daughter made one,but the hubby said it was more of a fire hazard..to which i still don't understand since artificial trees can catch on fire also..*sigh*

someone enlighten me...

[brianca]

I've seen several lots here in hawaii kai as well as one in the ala moana parking structure on the piikoi side. I haven't checked the trees or the prices though.

[lavagal]

we have an artificial tree...cant stand to see paying $$ for a tree, then just to have it laying down on the sidewalk or chopped up to pieces after the christmas season is over..

i did want a real tree the first year my daughter made one,but the hubby said it was more of a fire hazard..to which i still don't understand since artificial trees can catch on fire also..*sigh*

someone enlighten me...

I believe artificial trees are flame retardant, I think it's actually a law that they be. I like having an artificial tree because I also don't like the idea of something losing its life like that. No, I'm no vegan, but I prefer a potted plant that will give me flowers for years to a bouquet of flowers that will die in a matter of days.

Case in point, last year for my birthday I got a Bird of Paradise plant. This week it yielded its first bloom. I am so pleased! OK. Back to the tree talk.

[CranBeree]

k mart, daiei , star market, swap meet are all selling trees..if you get midweek then there's like a bunch of ads for them...i think the lowest one i've seen was $19.99 for 3-6 ft...and then i think on base, or the navy exchange parking lot...

[WindwardOahuRN]

k mart, daiei , star market, swap meet are all selling trees..if you get midweek then there's like a bunch of ads for them...i think the lowest one i've seen was $19.99 for 3-6 ft...and then i think on base, or the navy exchange parking lot...

Remember about four or five years ago when there was a shortage and any available trees seemed to cost the equivalent of a car payment?

And then the following year, when they were practically giving them away a few days before Christmas because there was such a glut?

[brianca]

We were at the swap meet on sunday and didn't see any trees. Certainly doesn't mean they weren't there. there was a lot we didn't see. ;)

[CranBeree]

omg...i am OLD!! LOL..i remember that..people were getting trees for like $10.00 or something and i think some even gave it away free!! gosh has it been that long already??!! :eek:

[CranBeree]

We were at the swap meet on sunday and didn't see any trees. Certainly doesn't mean they weren't there. there was a lot we didn't see. ;)

its not in the swap meet...its umm like at the entrance thingie in front of kam drive inn...you can see it from the street...ah on the kaonohi st side...right across the side of macy's ...Hmm does that make sense??

[Linkmeister]

We've been buying Noble Firs from Habilitat for years. Costs more, but money goes to a good place.

We used to put up one artificial tree downstairs as well as the real one upstairs, but not anymore.

[808shooter]

Well thanks for the ideas. Nothing compelling enough to deter me from the plan. Home Depot.

Since no one chimed in for the aspirin advice, I did some quick googling.

Seems like it doesn't help too much. This guy (http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/feb2001/982385977.Bt.r.html) sounds kind of scientific, and since I did read it on the internets, it must be true...

Aspirin contains salicylic acid which is known to prevent the growth of
microorganisms found in water. Salicylic acid is produced by some plants in
response to attacks by pathogens and so it may have some protective
function. This chemical also acidifies water and acid solutions move up the
stem more readily. However in the typical cut flower and in your case
Christmas tree, aspirin does not seem to have a huge effect. Work done on
Fraser Fir indicates that using aspirin may in fact cause much more needle
drop than plain water. A number of different chemicals and chemical mixes
were tested. It turned out that there were two outcomes. One, as was the
case with aspirin, resulted in increased needle loss. The other result was
that no treatment was better than water. The take home message is
that the only thing necessary to keep the needles on the tree is water. So while
adding aspirin to water used in cut flowers may only slightly enhance
longevity (in reality there doesn't seem to be much significant difference
between using aspirin or water alone) at least in Fraser fir there seems to
be very significant needle drop. Don't use aspirin on your cut Christmas
tree!


so no aspirin or sprite for me. seems as though there are a lot of sites that say plain water is the best.

[Hellbent]

i usually go to daiei or that lot by mercedes but we got our tree from home depot this year. prices were ok, i got a 6-7' for $35, but i really wanted a small tree this year, which they were out of.