From Lisa Johnson, Dane County UW-Extension horticulture educator:

Fruits: If you have young fruit trees, protect the trunks with hardware cloth available at hardware stores. It can be wired into place and should be removed promptly in spring so it doesn’t girdle the tree. Hardware cloth with a ¼ inch mesh provides more protection than chicken wire which has larger holes than mice and voles can penetrate. You can flare out the wire at the base and put bricks on it so voles can’t get underneath it or use “landscape staples” to pin the hardware cloth to the ground.

Christmas tree selection: Before you go tree-shopping, be sure you know the dimensions of your space, and remember that the tree stand will add several inches to the height of the tree. It’s a good idea to take a tape measure with you to the lot or tree farm.

Fir and pine generally hold their needles better than spruce trees. This is important to think about if you put your tree up early in the holiday season. Don’t place the tree near hot drafts that can dry it out. Avoid fireplaces, heat registers, wood stoves or large windows that receive hot direct sun. All these factors can impact how long your tree hangs onto its needles.

At tree lots, test trees for freshness by gently tugging on the needles to make sure they stay attached to the twigs. Needles that are flexible, moist and fragrant if broken indicate a fresh tree. If possible, lift the tree off the ground a few inches, then drop it on the butt end. If lots of green needles fall off, pick another tree!

Before you leave the lot or farm or when you home, make a fresh cut at the end of the stump, about an inch up from the previous cut to remove any resin clogs impeding water uptake. Put the tree immediately into a pail of water until you take it inside to decorate it. Keep your tree well watered – check it twice daily if the water reservoir is small. In general, the stand should supply one quart of water per inch of trunk diameter. Depending on the size, species and tree location, it may use between a quart and a gallon or more of water each day. A tree kept cool and well-watered will usually last three to four weeks before dropping needles.

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