Christmas Trees
Berkeley Parents Network >
Reviews >
Places to Go >
Christmas Trees
November 2006
Well, it seems that Christmas trees are some of the most highly sprayed, toxic
plants you can put into your house... sigh. Anyone know of any Organic Christmas
tree farms nearby? I'm sure all the trees have to be sprayed with some kind of
chemical fire retardant. A friend went with a fake tree b/c of this--I'm not ready
to give up on real trees (and the fakes are pricey!) if we don't have to! BUT if
you can recommend a convincing fake tree, I'll take that too. Thanks! Eileen
Though I can't say that they're organic, the UC Forestry Club has
an annual Christmas tree sale at Mulford Hall on the UC campus
(near the West Circle off of Oxford St.). The trees are from
undergrowth on private forestry land in the Sierra, and so do not
have the intensive management seen in Christmas tree farms. It is
unlikley that these trees were ever directly managed.
By purchasing one of these trees, you are not only helping the
students in the Forestry Club, you are helping to reduce fuel on
California's forestlands
Ralph
The only OG trees that are certified that I know of are really small. 2gal to be
precise about 16 inches max. They are at Whole Foods Berkeley in the front of the
store.
Good luck
Janelle
this is the only one i know of in the bay area -
http://www.christmas-tree-farms.com/about-us.html
it is near los gatos. jennifer
i didn,t read the original posted message asking for organic christmastree but i
want to put my two cents in when it comes to christmastrees...
maybe you can consider buying a fake tree that will last you a lifetime that will
safe a lots of trees ....you know it,s so funny i have encountered many
environmentally aware people here in the bay area and still they have real trees
for christmas...i wonder if they ever think about all those trees..i myself am
not a treehugger or so but i grew up having a fake tree for christmas and it does
not spoil any christmasspirit...it was always an event to help papa put up the
tree and then to decorate it..i even convinced my husband to have a fake tree and
there is definetely enough christmas spirit in our house...
then there is a story for children which i strongly remember from my childhood
that i can tell to whoever is interested that gets you thinking about the life
tree....my sister-in-law and her husband got so touched by it...they ended up
buying a life tree in a pot which was more expensive but they planted it after
christmas and it,s still alive
give it a thought
liissa
Christmas trees are farmed, like corn -- not cut from wild forests. They are a
renewable resource, and recyclable to boot! Many are grown on local family farms,
and are not chemically treated. I say this to encourage ''tree-huggers'' to have a real
tree rather than a bunch of plastic made in China under appalling environmental
circumstances.
Farmer's Daughter
November 2005
We're considering buying an artificial Christmas tree this
year. The fire danger of fresh Christmas trees - not to
mention the gross waste of the whole thing - has us thinking
artificial is the way to go.
But I love Christmas trees so I'm a bit wistful about the
decision. I'm worried that an artificial tree will look
cheesy. Can anyone recommend a place that sells really high-
quality artificial trees? I don't mind spending a chunk of
change on it, as I know it will eventually save us money not to
buy fresh trees year after year.
lin
You don't have to spend a lot of money! We got an artificial tree
several years ago for some of the same reasons you mentioned --
it just started to make us sick to throw out a dead tree every
year. (We have relatives who buy a live tree in a pot every year
and plant it in their yard after Xmas -- they have a veritable
forest now -- but that's not really practical for most of us
urbanites.) We got a great tree from Target and have grown to
really love it. Our family tradition now is to set it up and bend
out all its little wire branches -- you can really ''craft'' some
personality in there! Perky little arms reaching up to the sky
or some years a more spikey aggressive tree.
Nobody has ever realized it's fake and when we
tell folks they are *very* surprised. I think fake trees must've
come a long way. We also usually buy a wreath or bit of pine
swag to hang so we get a whiff of the fabulous ''Christmas smell''.
Of course the other way to go would be with an *obviously* fake
tree, like those beautiful vintage ''aluminum'' trees (they make
cheap new ones now).
I think the key is to have fun with it, create a new tradition
around it, and feel good about your choice to not waste an entire
little tree for a decoration. We really do have great affection
for our little fake tree -- it's practically a family member now!
isabel
More expensive isn't always better! We found a tree several years ago at Long's (a
close-out, I think, right before Christmas) that looks quite realistic and is easy to set
up. We like it more than many expensive trees we've seen--so if you see a deal
somewhere, don't assume it's no good.
no fresh-cut smell, though...
We decided to go with artificial trees for the same reasons you
cited. We got ours at Walgreens last year for something like $29
-- not the high-quality tree you're yearning for, but it really
isn't bad. I feel like it's just fine and it's easy to explain to
people that we got it because we didn't want to kill a tree every
year. (Not that guests walk in the door asking for an explanation
or anything, but it makes me feel better).
plastic tree lover
January 2005
We have an artificial Christmas tree, due to my husband's
asthma and allergies around real trees. It is quite large,
10', and we've had it for around 8 years. This year, when
putting it up, (a lot of work!) the dust it has collected over
the years was very evident. Both my husband and I ended up with
some allergic reactions to the dust. How does one clean a fake
tree? I've searched the web, and have only found ''wipe with a
damp cloth.'' Any suggestions?
Nancy
Take it outside, and blow it off with a leaf blower or compressed
air.
Hilary
Have you tried taking the tree outside and hosing it off? I do that occasionally with
my larger indoor plants. The weather has been nice lately, so you can take
advantage of the sunshine drying your tree off before you put it away.
Teresa
Well, if it's not made of a material such that you can take it outside and hose it
down, I'd suggest taking it outside, putting on a dust mask, a scarf over your hair,
and start by shaking it. Then use a feather duster all through it and then use canned
air. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times. Wear old clothes that you
can take right off afterward so that toss them di! rectly into the wash and not carry
the dust into the house. Or you could wear a disposal painter's suit.
Good luck!
Cecelia
December 2004
Help! We love Christmas but this year we have a new dog who
chews up toys, shoes and anything else she can get. We always
close doors when we leave so she can't get to the forbidden
items. Where do we put our Christmas tree? I want it in the
living room to enjoy, but fear that the dog will attack it when
we are out of the house. It's not possible to close off the
livnig room or other public rooms in our small Berkeley house
and I'm getting depressed thinking that we won't be able to
have one.
The dog is a rescue, a few years old, with no teeth in front
from previous chewing - in other words, we're not going to be
able to break her of the habit. And, we can't leave her
outside (don't want to either) when we're gone. Is it
hopeless? Are our beautiful Christmases a thing of the past?
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Christmas-tree lover with lovable but annoying dog
We have a 7 year old Rescue dog who still acts like a puppy and chews everything
up. He literally chewed through our couch and curtains (he hung off them til they
fell and then he ripped them to shreds) and pillows. Yes, he gets plenty of exercise.
He is just insecure and likes to chew. If we were to give him up, I'm sure he'd be put
to sleep since most people wouldn't have the patience. So, when we are out of the
house and don't want to leave him outside in the yard, we put a nylon (nikki brand)
muzzle on him. It's actually one size too big so he can drink and probably chew
things still, but he doesn't since it's probably a psychological thing. We've left it
on
for about 4-5 hours long, but that's not usual or often (usually 2-3 hours). It's the
only way to keep him from chewing our house and keeping him indoors. You can
get a nikki muzzle from pet food express or any other pet store. I appreciate that
you are willing to keep your dog - if you gave him up, he'd probably be put to sleep.
we love our dog too but he's a pain in the ass
Maybe try surrounding the tree with baby barriers? They're like
freestanding baby gates.
Anon.
Get a nice big crate and some safe chew toys for him and put
him in it when you leave him unattended. Until he learns not
to eat everything, he's a danger to himself as well as to the
Cmas tree. They do just fine in a crate for several hours as
long as they get plenty of exercise on a regular basis.
dog lover
I highly recommend you get an ex-pen:
http://tinyurl.com/3jykb
You can put it around the tree or put the tree in a corner and block it off with
one. I put lovely bows or garlands on mine... and the peace of mind is
precious. (This is also good for presents that may contain food.)
I started doing it for my dog but continued as my son was young.
Jennie
December 2004
I am looking for a Christmas Tree farm that is not too long of a
drive from the East Bay (maximum 1 hour). I looked through the
archives and only saw a listing for something in Dixon but I
wonder if anyone else has any favorites?
Years ago, a co-worker told me about the tree farm her family
always visited, where they got beautiful, large trees for
ridiculously low prices. I think it was in northern Sonoma
County, but that's all I can recall. In those days, I had more
money than time to spend on the holidays, but this year the
picture is different -- and I'm sure my preschooler would enjoy
making more of an event out of going to get the tree.
So, does anyone know of a place that might be the one? Or any
other place that fits the same description? I don't mind a
drive of 2-3 hours from Berkeley, but closer would be fabulous
too. We're partial to Noble firs but would consider similar
substitutes. Holly
Last year, we went to one of the many farms in western Sonoma
County. It's probably an hour to an hour and a half drive from
Berkeley. Check out http://www.cachristmas.com/sonoma.html for a
list of the farms there. I think we went to Christensen's
Christmas Tree farm, but it might have been the Davis Christmas
Tree Farm. Anyway, it was a really nice experience, and we'll do
it again this year. The staff was all warm and friendly. They had
some farm animals. The man let my 3-year-old daughter ''help'' get
the tree up on the car, and she had a ball.
You won't get a ''deal'' on a tree, but I didn't mind paying a bit
extra (it's actually not any more than tree lot but more than
Costco or Home Depot--I think the 6 ft. noble we bought was about
$56) to support a local farm and have a good time. They do have
Noble Firs cut, although they don't grow them there. The web page
will list what trees are grown at a place and which are cut. No
one seems to grow nobles in this area. Maybe it's too warm.
Mimi
Try www.cachristmas.com - California Christmas Tree
Association. We've used 4 C's Christmas Trees in Half Moon Bay
(650) 726-4383 for the past 4 years. We left our house in
Oakland at 1:30 and were home by 4:00pm on Sunday with our
beautiful Noble Fir Christmas Tree!
Have Fun!
We just bought our tree at the Alhambra Valley Tree Farm. Technically it is in Martinez, but it is probably closer to
downtown Pleasant Hill. The drive was less than 30 minutes from
Berkeley (we took 80 and then 4). Cut-your-own-trees were 45.00
(they also have pre-cut tress). We had fun and I definitely
recommend the place. For location:
http://www.cachristmas.com/contracosta.html
Liz
We've been to a farm in Castro Valley a few times. It wasn't fancy, but it sure was
convenient. http://www.cachristmas.com/alameda.html
Jennifer
There are a lot of christmas tree farms up here in Petaluma. We
just moved up here from Berkeley and this is our first Christmas
in a house that is big enough for a big tree so we've been
scouting out the farms and getting long time residents opinions
on who's got the best of everything.
Here's what we've learned:
Larsen's Tree Farm has 2 locations, beautiful vistas, great trees
and quite possibly the steepest prices going.
Wolf's tree farm has got great trees and reasonable prices
Pronzini's is NOT a choose and cut farm operation although they
are local farmers...they just have the standard retail cut tree
location at the Petaluma Fairgrounds...probably much fresher than
most places in Berkeley (since the actual farm is just a few
miles away) but the experience of the farm is just not in the
parking lot at the Petlauma Fairgounds!
Little Hills has great trees and excellent prices. We just saw a
humungous beautifully shaped tree in a local restaurant here and
the owner said that Little Hills has the best trees(she grew up
here in Petaluma) and that she paid only 75 bucks for her 12 ft
Montery Pine.
So here's the info for all of the above:
LARSEN CHRISMAS TREE FARM
Features: 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16 (see key below)
(707) 762- 6317 or (707) 778- 1716
Bob Larsen, Kriss Mungle
391 Marshall Ave. (Res.), Petaluma, 2043 Magnolia
Directions: From Hwy. 101 take Petaluma Blvd. south to Magnolia
or Petaluma Blvd North to Skillman and follow signs
Open: Day after Thanksgiving, 10-5 weekdays, 9-5 weekends
Monterey Pine, Sierra Redwood, Leyland Cypress
Fresh cut: Noble Fir and Douglas Fir All kept in water.
WOLF'S CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
Features: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16
241 Liberty Road, Petaluma, CA 94952
Phone:(707) 792-2150
e-mail: mungle@attbi.com
Open: Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning the day after
Thanksgiving
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Choose and Cut: Douglas Fir, Monterey Pine, and Sierra Redwood
Fresh-cut: Noble Fir, Douglas Fir
All fresh cut trees are kept in water
LITTLE HILLS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
Features:1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
(707) 763-4678
FAX and Office: (707) 778-1716
Kriss & Carol Mungle
e-mail mungle@comcast.net
Web site: www.littlehillsfarm.com
961 Chapman Lane., Petaluma
Directions: Take Petaluma Blvd. south or north from Hwy. 101 to
Western Ave. in downtown Petaluma. Follow Western Ave. 1.4 miles
to Chapman Ln.
Open: Day after Thanksgiving,
Mon., Wed - Fri. 10:00 am to 6:00 pm; Weekends 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Closed Tuesdays
Monterey Pine, Sierra Redwood, Leyland Cypress
Fresh-cut: Noble Fir, and Douglas Fir All kept in water
Code Key
1 - Trees over 10 ft. available
2 - Wreaths/garlands for sale
3 - Flocking available
4 - Picnic area
5 - Hay/wagon/tractor rides
6 - Santa Claus on weekends
7 - Free candy canes
8 - Reserving trees
9 - Free coffee
10 - Maps/brochures
available to callers
11 - Free garlands/boughs
12 - Freshly cut trees of other
species available
13 - Christmas gift shop
14 - School tours available
by reservation
15- Apple cider/refresments
16 - Flame retarding available
Please doublecheck directions on mapquest or the like
Little Hills is the easiest to find.
Happy Holidays
moniz
Check out: http://www.farmtrails.org/index.html. you can get
a list of tree farms located in Sonoma County at this site. there are plenty that have additional activities in addition to
cutting your own tree to make the hour drive more worthwhile.
We go to the Xmas tree farm off of Redwood Road in Castro
Valley. They have Douglas firs in all sizes. They provide the
saws and will help you tie in on your car too.
Merry Merry
Try Alhambra Valley Tree Farms
Peter Jones
Phone: (925) 372-6176
FAX: (925) 229-3447
Trees are located in Martinez, CA, Corner of Alhambra Valley Rd
and Reliez Valley Rd.
Directions: Alhambra Valley 4 miles south of Hwy 4 in Martinez.
South 1/4 mile on Alhambra Ave. from Hwy 4 to Alhambra Valley Rd.
Alhambra Vly Rd. to intersection with Reliez Vly Rd.
Open: Saturday after Thanksgiving Day
Hours: Mon - 8 am to 5 pm, Tues - Sat - 8 am to 8 pm, Sun 8 am to
5 pm.
Tree Varieties: Choose and Cut: Monterey Pine, Scotch Pine and Cedar
Pre-cut trees: Noble Fir, and Douglas Fir
Check out this site:
http://www.cachristmas.com/RetailLotMenu.html for other CA locations
Christmas Tree lover
There are a bunch of tree farms in the Santa Cruz mountains. The ones we've been to are up Bear Creek Road off of highway 17
at the Lexington Reservoir.
Also, there used to be some tree farms out in/near Livermore. And there are some up in Sonoma County, for example off of
Highway 116 near Sebastopol.
Alhambra Valley Tree Farm. We have been getting our tree from
this local farm for many years. It's located in Martinez. You
can cut your own tree or choose a pre-cut tree. Here is a
website with their location and hours of operation.
http://www.cachristmas.com/contracosta.html
Donna
We just went to Santa's tree farm (out Highway 92 towards half
moon bay) and it was great! They even had a free train ride with
Santa Claus for the kids. They have a 2$off coupon on their
website. The pine trees were $27 and the fir trees were $37.
They also ''netted'' the tree for an extra $2. You should try to
get there early - by the time we left at 11:30 it was getting
pretty crowded.
Have Fun!
If you drive down Skyline Boulevard on the Peninsula, you will
drive past several Christmas tree farms. Start just south of
San Mateo and head on south. It's a beautiful drive and a lot of
fun to cut down your own -- they give you the tools. We make a
day of it, get a tree, head out to the coast and have lunch, and
then home to decorate. Some folks bring picnic lunches,
champagne, or cocoa and have tailgate parties on the farms. There are several sterile looking places -- all the trees lined
up in neat rows -- but if you keep driving, the road gets
narrower and a little curvier and then you'll see tree farms
that look just like the woods, with dirt roads that meander
around. It's one price for any sized tree and you can take
loads of extra branches and fronds to decorate with at no
charge. And this is very PC, if that's an issue for you. New growth
comes up where you cut the tree and becomes next year's trees.
Merry Christmas!
Susan
December 2004
Every year my partner and I have this dilemma over what kind of
tree to get. He is opposed to the waste and environmental toll
of growing ''disposable trees'' for the holidays. I too, don't
like it, but my desire to have a Christmas tree like I remember
is greater than my ethics at this time of year. We have bought
living trees, but as renters, never had a place to plant them
once they got too big. Finally I bought a cheap artifical tree
as a compromise. Now that we have a daughter and she
understands what trees are, I feel weird putting a ''fake tree''
in the house. Any suggestions on how to deal with this
dilemma? Does anyone know of any local tree farms that treat
the land well, rotate their crops, etc? Does anyone have soem
land they'd like a Monterey Pine on once the holidays are over?
Stuck on a Tree in Alameda
We have always bought our trees from Delancy Street Trees in El
Cerrito. Although we respect the enviroment and feel uneasy
about the whole disposable tree thing, like you, I am way into
the wonderful smell of pine in our home that brings so many
great memories and traditions. So we pay a lot more, get a
great tree and help out the Delancy Street Foundation, which
serves underpriviliged/homelss adults and families to get job
training and skills to function on a better level. At least we
feel we are doing good service to humanity.
the following was pasted from www.littlehillsfarm.com/recycle.html
LITTLE HILLS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
Recycling - Help Cool the Globe
Cut a tree, help stop global warming. How's that again? Isn't
it supposed to be plant a tree, cool the globe? Not when the tree
is a real Christmas tree.
That's because Christmas tree growers nationwide have planted
over one million acres of trees. Most of these trees are planted
on marginal soil not suited for other forestry or agricultural
purposes. Christmas trees are grown on farms and plantations for
the specific purpose of being harvested as Christmas trees.
During their growth cycle they add beauty to the landscape,
shelter for wildlife, and clean the air by absorbing carbon
dioxide laden air and sending out fresh oxygenated air.
Environmental experts point out tree farms fight the greenhouse
effect directly by providing cooling and air conditioning
greenbelts in our hot cities and towns. These tree plantations
would not exist without the demand for real Christmas trees.
CHRISTMAS TREES ARE A RENEWABLE RESOURCE
Christmas trees are a renewable resource. When a Christmas tree
is harvested another tree is planted in its place, continuing the
growing cycle.
Christmas trees are also 100% recyclable with the most common
recycled product being garden mulch. Your tree can be recycled by
participating in the county wide Christmas tree recycling program.
Bring a real tree home this Christmas, and feel good about
contributing to a healthy environment.
moniz
As for buying a living tree, I'd be interested to know how many
of those living trees really survive. I have heard that the
living trees don't survive below 4000 ft. and most of them die
once they are planted. It seems to me folks are spending a lot
more money for a trees that really are being killed. So, get
yourself a real tree and enjoy. It will be fresh and won't drop
needles for a month!
Merry Christmas!
Susan
If you go to a ''cut your own'' Christmas Tree Farm (we did this on the
Penninsula, but not since we've been in Berkeley) you will find signs
saying ''Please do not kill the trees'' -- with instructions on how many
branches must be left for a new tree to grow on the same root. Since the
tree continues to grow, the root system remains and erosion is not a
problem. Presumably the trees receive some supplementary nutrition
and training to keeping them producing. The tree you cut is really just
''harvested'' or pruned off the trunk.
Would this satisfy your dilemma?
Heather
I have been facing the same dilemna re: getting a Christmas
tree for the last few years as well. Our solution to this is to
get the ''disposable'' tree but to only buy them from Delancy
Street xmas tree lots. Delancy STreet is an amazing
organization that helps people get back on their feet
(substance abusers, ex-felons, and others in need) and get
their lives together. The Christmas tree lots are a big source
of income for them. So, it doesn't necessarily address the
environmental component specifically but it is a way to help
build a better community. I found this link if you want more
info about them - and no, I don't work for them!
http://www.eisenhowerfoundation.org/grassroots/delancey/
patrice
We have had a similar dilemma over the years, and have not had a
traditional tree for several years now. I don't like the
artificial trees, so we have an artsy metal tree that we hang
the ornaments on. At times the kids seem wishful of a regular
tree, but they understand that we have strong feelings about the
wastefulness of all the Christmas trees. I do get a wreath,
which gives us the good smell.
jewel
November 2001
Does anyone know of a good place to go and cut your own Christmas tree? I
am sick of paying the Boy Scouts $80+ for dried-out trees that hardly last
a week ... and I don't mind if it's a bit of a drive as long as there are
nice trees at the end of it.
Sara
Regarding the Christmas tree search, UC Berkeley's Forestry Club has
trees for sale this week (Dec. 3-7) between 10 and 5 outside of Mulford
Hall on campus - near the West gate at the end of University Ave. They
are relatively cheap, $5 per foot, primarily fir but some incense-cedar.
The trees were cut (by the students) on Sat. Dec. 1, so they are quite
fresh, and you would be supporting a student group that uses the money
from the sales to send students to a national conference in the fall.
Kristen
I love the Silveyville Tree Farm in Dixon. It is a bit of a drive from
Berkeley (about 45-55 minutes) but it is well worth it!
http://www.cachristmas.com/SilveyVilleHmPage.html. It is a nice family-run
farm with cider and sleigh rides!
Jaime
Home |
Reviews |
Advice |
Members |
Post a Message
Join BPN |
Help |
What's New |
Search |
Contact Us
Last updated: Feb 24, 2007
Copyright © 1996-2008 Berkeley Parents Network
The opinions and statements expressed on this website
are those of parents who subscribe to the
Berkeley Parents Network. Please see
Disclaimer & Usage for
information about using content on this website.