Gardening 101: Christmas trees
Christmas trees come in different species. The main differences are color (from deep green to a light silver green) and density. You probably won't go wrong if you "go green" and find the darkest green tree possible.
So, I'd say first, get on idea of what variety of Christmas tree you are looking for. Keep in mind that a very dense tree (lots of branches, no chance at all seeing the trunk) won't have as much room for your ornaments.
The first step is the "quick glance." You have someone stand the tree up and give it a few gentle taps of trunk-stump-to-ground. If a few needles fall to the ground, that's fine. If an avalanche of needles falls, find another tree. It has dried out too much already (likely had too long of a transit time). Now take a step back and have the person holding the tree give it a very slow twirl. We you are looking for is symmetry and a reasonably straight trunk (few are perfectly straight). If you are putting your tree in a corner that you only need three-quarters of the tree looking great.
If all this passes muster, then walk up to the tree and grab one of the branches and gently pull it toward you. The needles should stay on the tree. Take an individual needle in your fingers and try to snap it. It should BEND not break. Now check the trunk near the bottom. The trunk should have a slight stickiness to it.
If after all this, the tree is still the one you want, then ask the seller to remove about a half-inch from the bottom of the stump before he or she sells it to you. This fresh-cut will allow your tree to soak up more water once you get it in your tree stand. The stand should hold at least a gallon of water, be ready to fill that up a few times over the first few days. This is a very important step if you want to keep your tree from drying out to early. By the way, it is better to place that tree AWAY from the fireplace or a heating vent.
A freshly cut tree, that is well-watered while in its stand, should last four to six weeks in good condition. That's the whole Christmas season.
Most local municipalities pick up on the trees at curbside right after the holiday. Good programs mulch them (if tinsel free) and put them in compost to be recycled back to the soil.
