When picking out the family Christmas tree, there’s a lot to consider.
How tall can it be? How many sides will be viewable? How much do you want to spend?
As you’ve probably learned over the years, not all Christmas trees are made (or grow) the same. And that’s part of the fun of it.
Now we don’t know about you, but we are the kind of people who like to visit a Christmas tree farm. We have nothing against the ones you’ll find being sold in parking lots all over the city, but there’s just nothing like searching through rows of trees still in the ground and cutting it yourself.
And at Rossview Farm, they actually let you cut it yourself – sending you out into the field with an actual bow saw.
“We think most of the fun is letting them cut it themselves,” said Don Ross, owner of Rossview Farm.
On Saturday, Rossview opens for the Christmas tree season after being unable to do so the last two years, and will have lots of trees available to choose from.
“We have put a massive amount of work this year into getting them to be good looking trees,” Ross said. “We certainly have something for everyone.”
Ross used to open the Friday after Thanksgiving, but is pushing it back to enjoy the extra day off. Because once the farm opens to sell trees, there’s not a lot of rest before Christmas.
Rossview will be selling trees Wednesday through Friday, 2 to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If you’re itching to pick out your tree, but aren’t quite ready to put it in your house, you can tag a tree on the first weekend only, for an additional $5 fee.
Rossview will have both balsam fir and fraser fir, and like we said before, there will be plenty to choose from.
“There are people who only want balsam fir and there are people who only want fraser,” Ross said.
Trees from four feet to 14 feet will be ready for chopping, costing $10 and up. Each tree will have an individual price tag on it. And what if you find one that you really want to have but there’s no tag on it?
“Trees that don’t have a price tag on them aren’t for sale. They’re next year’s crop,” Ross said.
After you cut down your tree, the staff will bring it back to the netting station and get it all set for you to take home. Meanwhile, you can enjoy the Christmas music and wood stove in the shop while you pay – as well as grab a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie.
“It’s an experience,” Ross said.
The only thing they don’t do is attach it to your roof, so just be prepared to do that yourself.
The trees you’ll be cutting down are likely around 13 or 14 years old, and there’s just no substitute for picking the perfect one and cutting it down yourself. Plus, you never know how long precut ones have been without water.
The key to a long lasting tree is to immediately get it into water when you get home, even if it’s in a five-gallon bucket in the back yard. The first few days, don’t be surprised if it takes in a couple gallons of water a day. All you really have to do is make sure the stand doesn’t run out.
“As soon as people bring a tree inside, they get thirsty very fast,” Ross said.
Just a reminder: Rossview only accepts cash and checks, so leave the plastic at home – unless you need to stop at the ATM on your way.
For more info, visit rossviewfarm.com/x-mas-trees.html or call 228-4872.
