From left are Brayden, April, Josh and Mackenzie Nelson of Warsaw. They are taking the Christmas tree they just cut at Slater’s Pine Knoll Christmas Tree Farm to have it shaken by a machine to get rid of the loose pine needles. This is the third year in a row the Nelsons have come to the tree farm.

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Not that there is any sort of a big debate, but some prefer the naturally grown variety when it comes to one of the most enduring symbols of the holiday season — the Christmas tree.

For more than one reason, a real Christmas tree is preferred.

Barbara Slater, owner of Slater’s Pine Knoll Christmas Tree Farm in Jackson Township in Kosciusko County, said tradition can be a reason to choose a real Christmas tree. “Some families like to bring their children to a tree farm for the experience,” she noted. “Families come out and enjoy the experience. It’s a good family activity.”

What can make the experience enjoyable is being able to choose, and then personally cut, a tree, which happens at Slater’s. It makes it more personal when compared to searching online for an artificial tree or visiting a store and grabbing a boxed tree off the shelf.

In a time when people seem to be leaning more toward the natural, choosing a real Christmas tree makes sense. When one natural tree is cut down, another is planted in its place to continue the cycle of growth.

“It’s something natural and grown from the earth,” Slater said. “They (natural trees) have a certain smell unlike an artificial tree,” adding artificial trees need to be stored every year.

She noted the National Christmas Tree Association has been working recently to promote real trees.

Types of real Christmas trees can vary depending on the farm they are grown on. As an example, Scotch pine, white pine and fir trees are common ones grown at Slater’s.

Though real trees are grown and then sold on her family’s farm, Slater acknowledged there is really no “perfect” tree. “There is always something wrong with one,” she said.

Keeping the tree watered and not letting it run out of water is important, she noted. There will likely be a few loose pine needles, but most of those can be removed at the time of purchase by having the tree put in a machine that shakes the loose needles out.

Finding a live Christmas tree is becoming more of a challenge. An online search found Slater’s as the only Christmas tree farm in Kosciusko County, one in Elkhart County and one in Marshall County. One in Wabash County is being phased out.

Precautions To Take

Precautions need to be taken if a live tree is chosen. Joe Fretz, fire marshal for the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, shared recommendations concerning real trees.

He noted keeping an eye on the tree is important and to keep it watered. “When the branches and pine needles start drying out and get brittle, it’s time to remove it from the house,” he said.

There are multiple variables determining how soon a tree can dry out, he added. Fretz said it is good to cut 1 or 2 inches off the bottom of a newly purchased tree to give the tree a fresh place to start absorbing water.

Real trees should be kept at least 3 feet away from a heat source to keep from drying the tree out and also kept away from open flames. When putting lights on a real tree, make sure the strands are not bad, bulbs are properly in place and wires are not frayed. And don’t use extension cords to plug the lights in.

Older style light bulbs can get excessively hot and should not be used on a real tree, he said. “I would switch to the LED bulbs,” he said. Unplug lights before going to bed or while away during the day.