One of the many highlights of the holiday season is choosing a family Christmas tree. My family and I never went about selecting a Christmas tree in a particular way. Some years we would buy a pre cut tree from the local hardware store, and other years we would venture out and cut our own.

No matter how you go about looking for a tree, remember that selection and care is extremely important. It's the difference between having a green or brown tree on Christmas morning.

When selecting a tree, look for one that is green. The needles of pines and spruces should bend, not break and it should be hard to pull off the branches. On fir species, a needle pulled from a fresh tree will snap when bent, much like a fresh carrot. Also, look for a trunk sticky with sap.

Make a fresh cut at least one inch from the bottom of the trunk if your tree has been cut for more than an hour, and place it immediately into plain water. If you are not going to take the tree inside until later, store the tree out of the wind and sun in an unheated sheltered area such as a garage or porch. Do not expose the tree to freezing temperatures at any time.

Once inside put the tree in a sturdy stand. As a general rule, stands should provide one quart of water per inch of stem diameter. A fresh tree may use more than a gallon of water a day.

Keep displayed trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.

If you are interested in cutting your own Christmas tree, please consider visiting a local Christmas tree farm like: Snyder Tree Farm in Red Creek, Norris Family Christmas Trees in Red Creek, Tri-Star Tree Farm in Sterling, Emerson Trees and Wreaths in Conquest, Cranebrook Tree Farm in Throop, Coleman's Trees in Auburn or Wild Acres Farm in Venice.

After Christmas, take your tree to Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District for recycling.

In return, you will be helping your community by supplying mulch (recycled Christmas tree) for county projects, and you will receive a voucher for a live tree, which will be available in the spring.

If you would like more information on Christmas tree selection or locations of where you can cut your own tree, call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County at 255-1183.

Renee Jensen is a community educator of Environmental Issues at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County.