How to care for real and live Christmas trees (there's a difference)

December has arrived. This is always a spirited time of the year as we look forward to the holidays ahead. It is a fun time of the year with many traditions to celebrate. One tradition for many families is choosing the family Christmas tree. This is a very important tradition, as trees are the center of many holiday activities. Under the tree is where Santa puts the many gifts.

When it comes to trees, you have the option of artificial, real, or live trees. What’s the difference? Artificial is easy to understand, but "real" and "live" can be confusing.

'Real' Christmas trees vs. 'live' Christmas trees

A "live" tree is an evergreen tree that is still growing with its roots still attached. The tree will be growing in a pot or have a root ball held together with burlap. These trees are bought and used so they can be planted after the holidays. This is great to do from an economic perspective as well as an environmental one. Live trees do not go to the compost pile. They are replanted, adding another much-needed tree to the environment.

With every great idea, there is always a catch. In the case of "live" trees, there are a few to consider. First, the trees are dormant. If they are in the warmth of the house for too long they will wake up and may not survive the cold weather outside. They shouldn’t be inside for more than a week. Secondly, with the roots attached, they are heavy and hard to handle. You will not be able to have a tree larger than 3-4 feet if you want to get it in and out of the house easily.

What we call a "real" tree is a naturally grown tree that has been cut from its root to be used specifically as a Christmas tree. The attraction of these trees for most people is the tradition of having a "real" Christmas tree. These trees bring a fresh evergreen fragrance into the home and for many people, myself included, the fragrance is essential to our spirit of Christmas.

People who do not like real trees claim they are messy. Will they drop needles? Sure they will, but that’s what vacuum cleaners are for. The key to minimizing the needle drop is to keep the tree fresh. Cut trees are like cut flowers. The key to keeping them fresh is to keep them in water. Never let the water reservoir of your tree stand go dry.

Before a cut tree will take in water, it needs to have a fresh cut put into the base of the trunk. Within the first day after they are originally cut in the fields, the sap from the tree will seal off the tissues needed to take in water. A fresh cut will open them back up. This should be done for you when you buy the tree. Then you will need to get it into water when you get home. If they do not offer this service where you buy your tree, you will need to cut it yourself.

Both are good for the environment!

With an increased concern for the environment, more attention is given to using live Christmas trees because returning a living tree to the outdoors aids the environment. Using a real tree is also good for the environment because the trees are grown on farms throughout the country. There are thousands of acres, with millions of trees growing to be used for the Christmas holidays. Without the holiday uses, those millions of trees would not be growing. Also, the trees are constantly being replanted. As these trees are growing, they are providing all of the environmental benefits that trees bring.

At the end of the season, you should dispose of your tree in a way that it can be composted. Most of our local communities have a program for this. You do not want it going to the landfill. That’s where the artificial trees wind up.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How to care for real and live Christmas trees (there's a difference)