Daytripper Goes Chopping for Xmas

Cut Your Own Tree For Xmas

How fortunate for you that you live here, Daytripper. New Jersey is the Garden State, after all. And, unless your goal is to find a Colorado Spruce to compete with the one in Rockerfeller Center, you can get virtually anything you want in the way of Holiday trees right here in good ole NJ. In fact, 1997 marked the 90th anniversary for the New Jersey Christmas Tree Grower's Association.
Members of the Association operate Choose & Cut Xmas Tree Farms in almost every area of the state other than the Northeast. Indeed, members are listed in 15 Counties throughout the remainder of the state. You may find farms in the North as well, but these are not part of the "Jersey Fresh!" program run by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. This isn't a plug, just a comment.

What to Look For In a Xmas Tree
"Shape and fullness," says Doug Lantier of Lantier Tree Farm in Monroe Township. Doug is an accountant most of the year and the oldest of five Lantier brothers and sisters (and their spouses) who are partners in the Xmas Tree farm they bought back in 1984. The Lantiers grow more than a half dozen varieties of Xmas trees on their 80 acre farm. And with 80,000 trees, the Lantiers have one of the biggest Xmas Tree operations in the state.
"What makes a tree full is the pruning. The more you prune it, the denser it gets," says Lantier. The greatest demand is for trees in the 7' to 8' range. It will take a tree seven to ten years to get that big, depending on variety and weather conditions. That's a lot of time in the field with shears if you've got 10,000 of them standing out there waiting for you.

How to Handle Your Tree
Many of the growers have balers that will put a mesh netting on your tree once you've cut it. Leave the netting on until you are ready to set your tree out. The most important piece of advice the growers offer is to keep your tree in water. Here's the plan:
When you get the tree home bounce the stump on the ground to get the loose needles to drop off outside, rather than on the heirloom Persian rug indoors. Then cut at least 1/4" off the bottom of the stump to straighten the cut and to create a fresh wound. Most trees lose their needles and dry out because owners fail to do this. Once the tree is cut, sap begins to flow to close the wound. The hardening sap acts like a scab to protect the tree. In this case the wound is the entire cut trunk so that protecting scab actually prevents the tree from drawing water to its leaves - the needles. Eventually, they dry out and fall off. There are other factors, like variety (firs are reputed to keep their needles longest) and degree of drought during the previous summer, that may influence needle dryout. But putting the tree in water immediately after re-cutting the stump (and keeping it in water) is the only one you can control. By the way, this is also the most practical reason for buying your tree from the farmer who grows it: who knows how long ago somebody cut the ones standing like soldiers in the lot down the street?
Finally, the experts suggest you maintain a low temperature in the room in which the tree is displayed. If you can, set your thermostat for 65 degrees Fahrenheit or less in that room. Your tree will keep its color, needles and fragrance better at lower temperatures than higher ones.

Which Variety Makes the Best Xmas Tree?
This is the eternal question. This is the eternal answer: the variety you like best makes the best tree. Obviously this is an acutely personal decision based on what shape you like, what kind of needles you favor, how pungent you like your tree to smell, etc. Currently the most requested variety is the Frazer fir - reputed to hold needles the longest and to cast the "best" fragrance. New Jersey farmers have begun to grow Frazers hoping to keep up with current trends, but you won't know why Frazers are prized from those grown in New Jersey. Apparently the best of this breed are grown on the North Carolina foothills.something to do with the altitude of the North facing slopes I'm told.
Among the other popular varieties grown in New Jersey are Norway and Blue Spruce, Douglas Firs and White Pines. Most New Jersey farmers offer a range of varieties and sizes. Part of the fun of the "pick-your-own" experience is arguing (ahem, discussing) the fine points of personal preference with other members of the family. Lantier tells some pretty harrowing stories about family disputes over individual preferences. One woman marked her choice by hanging her camera from its boughs while she grudgingly went to look at her husband's pick. When they returned, her choice had been cut down and dragged off - apparently with the ornament still attached. Imagine what the rest of their day was like!

When to Choose and Cut Your Own Xmas Tree
Now! Most growers begin offering their trees for sale immediately after Thanksgiving. Many allow you to come in and mark your tree even earlier (although marking won't prevent someone with similar taste from cruelly harvesting YOUR tree.the scoundrel. And a Xmas Tree, to boot! Can you imagine? The busiest time is two weekends before Xmas. But you should try to go earlier rather than later. First, because you are likely to have a better selection of trees to choose from and, second, you are likely to get a lot more attention from the farmers and their staff. If they aren't too busy, many growers offer tours or will help you choose among the varieties they offer. But when the season peaks this is simply not going to happen. On a day during the peak weekends, operators like the Lantiers may sell 700-800 trees a day.

A Word About Prices
Not too long ago you could purchase a Xmas tree at one of these farms for under $25. Prices are a little higher these days, but still extremely reasonable compared to what they might charge at the lot in front of the Texaco. Prices tend to vary with variety of tree: certain trees take longer to grow than others, some require more care (they may be more complicated to prune) or are more susceptible to disease or drought. Many growers also offer trees that are dug out and baled in burlap to be planted in your yard after the holiday is over. Obviously these are somewhat more expensive. Anyway, you are paying for more than just a tree. How can you put a price on a day spent with the family choosing the annual tree?

How to Cut a Xmas Tree
Remember the search for the perfect Xmas tree Chevy Chase and his family took in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? After trekking for miles and miles and for hours and hours through the snow covered primeval forest Chevy finds the perfect tree only to discover that he's left the saw in the back of the station wagon. You may not have to bring a saw (some farmers offer you the soup to nuts experience), but it wouldn't hurt.just in case. Typically, this is handsaw territory, buddy, so chainsaws and axes are generally not permitted. In any event, the tree will usually be pruned to make it easy for you to get under it. Try to cut it as close to the ground as you can; that will make it easier to make the optimum second cut to fit the tree into the room you've chosen for it. And, oh yes, a bit of daylight beneath the tree will make it easier for Santa to pile high the presents underneath.
There may be a bunch of kids at the farm willing to carry your tree to the check out for a tip. (They'll also cut it for you, but you don't really want them to do THAT do you?) Many operations have balers that will put a netting around the tree. Some may offer rope or string to tie the tree to the roof of your Volvo, Dave, but you should bring some, just in case. Again, the kid will help you heave it up there, but you'll need to drag it down at home yourself. So don't get too carried away.

One Last Thought
Just in case you think everyone involved in Xmas is only in it for the money, I offer this last story. Down at Lantier's Farm a couple years ago, a father lost his keys either while he was checking out some trees or while cutting down the one his family had settled on. They searched all over but the keys were nowhere to be found. This might have been the beginning of a day about as awful as the tale of the lost camera, but it wasn't: Doug Lantier lent the man his car to bring the tree home and return with another set of keys for the family van. A "Jersey Fresh" farmer/accountant with the soul of a secret Santa.

Where to Choose and Cut Your Xmas Tree
You can call the NJ Department of Agriculture (Market Development & Promotions division) in Trenton and have them send you the Jersey Fresh Choose & Cut Christmas Tree Guide. Their number is 609-292-8853. You call the NJ Christmas Tree Growers' Association at 800-407-0487 for the same guide and possibly more direct information about farmers in your area. The guide is valuable because it not only lists who and where the farmers are, but also provides directions to the farms as well as indications of some other things a particular farm has to offer.
Alternatively, you can check the local weekly papers. Most farmers with a sizeable operation place display ads in local weeklies. Of course, you could simply go for a ride in the country and try to find a farmer with a sign out. Hunterdon, Sussex and Burlington Counties have by far the most Xmas tree farms in the state - and beautiful countryside to drive through as well. Here's three I like - but you may not, so caveat emptor daytrippus.

Lantier Tree Farm, Monroe Twp. 908-446-9799 147 Dey Grove Rd. About 30,000 trees available: Frazer Fir, Blue Spruce, Douglas Fir, White Pine, Norway Pine, etc. Prices ($30 to $50) determined by variety, not height: all trees the same variety are the same price regardless of height.

Al's Tree Farm, 991 Route 579, Croton Road, Pittstown (Hunterdon County) 908-782-4283 About 2,000 trees: Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, White Spruce, Scotch Pine, Mexican Border Pine, White Pine, Douglas-fir. Open 8-5 weekends, 2-5 weekdays.

Jugtown Mountain Christmas Tree Farm, 10 Case Lane, Pattenberg Rd., Route 614, Asbury (Hunterdon County) 908-735-5593 About 1,000 trees: Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Scotch Pine, Douglas-fir. Open 9-dusk.

Wolgast Tree Farm, 176 Bennett's Lane, Somerset (Somerset County) 908-873-3206 About 2,000 trees: Norway Spruce, Scotch Pine, White Pine, Douglas-fir, Frazer Fir. Open 9-5 weekends.

Chesterfield Christmas Trees, 193 Chesterfield-Crosswicks Road, Bordentown (Burlington County) 609-298-3234 About 3,000 trees: Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, White Spruce, Scotch Pine, White Pine, Douglas-fir. Open 9-5:30 weekends, 12-5:30 weekdays.

Wandering around Hunterdon County? Try to find this one: it has no name and it is not listed in the guide, but it does have a beautiful view of the Delaware Valley and the Pennsylvania bluffs. On Southbound Route 513, 1½ miles north of Frenchtown in Alexandria Township, Hunterdon County. There's a big sign across the road that says: "2000 Xmas Trees." Good luck.

By the way, if you do find Uncle Drew's farm, try not to stray onto my field in search of the good one. His trees are nicely pruned and are the perfect size for your living room. Mine are the shaggy 15- and 20-foot monsters that have been growing wild for the past fifteen years. I'll be the guy with the greying beard in a bright yellow vest wearing a bewildered expression. Max will be the only 9 year old kid for miles who is not carrying a saw. He might be wearing a red ski hat and a green Marvin the Martian jacket, though. Say Hello, Max. "Hello, Daytripper."

Have a happy holiday and remember -- there aren't that many chopping days left!
-- Warren

You can reach me at warren@celebritydeli.com

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Daytripper Goes Chopping for Xmas

Cut Your Own Tree For Xmas

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