Your 2015 guide to Christmas tree farms and lots

The Thanksgiving leftovers may still be in the fridge, but the season for Christmas trees is underway.

Most of the nonprofit tree lots in the Wichita area open Friday.

Despite the prevalence of artificial trees, many people still buy a real tree every year, even though needles get scattered across the carpet. It’s a matter of tradition, the nonprofit groups say.

“There’s people that come every year. They come the first Saturday. They come the first Friday after Thanksgiving. They come the week of Christmas with their kids. They have their own tradition,” said Brandon Martin, business manager at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. “It’s more of a community event than a local parish event.”

“We’ve got people who have bought trees from us for over 30 years,” said Bill Buggeln, treasurer of the Augusta Lions Club, which sells trees east of Wichita off U.S. 54. “They come back in every year and say, ‘My mom and dad bought trees from you.’ So we have tremendous community support.”

Sometimes, charities pick up customers who don’t have a tree lot closer to them. “Last year, we had a number of people come down from El Dorado, because there was not a live tree stand in the city,” Buggeln said.

Garden centers, home improvement stores, grocery stores and other chains also sell Christmas trees. It’s unclear how many cut trees are bought each year in the area; Sedgwick County, which offers drop-off places for trees to be recycled after the holidays, says it recycles about 5,000 trees a year.

Here’s your 2015 guide to cut Christmas trees, along with a list of lots run by charities. We’ve thrown in area tree farms for good measure.

Where do the trees come from?

Charities that operate tree lots order trees from farms in northern states like Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. See the following listings for specific locations.

When were they cut?

Most trees are cut in early to mid-November and then trucked into Kansas. Some trees are cut and kept in containers to keep them cool and moist.

“A lot of times they come in with snow still on them,” said Bob Wellemeyer of Boy Scout Troop 692 in Derby.

Picking a tree

There are several warning signs that a tree is not fresh and healthy, said Matt McKernan, the county’s extension horticulture agent.

If the tree’s needles are dull or a grayish-green or are stiff or brittle, the tree is probably too far gone. He also said the tree probably is not healthy if needles fail to ooze sap when broken apart or if the needles are easily pulled off the tree.

Caring for a cut tree

Normally, you should re-cut the trunk at its base about 1 inch above the original cut, McKernan said.

“That’s going to open up the water-conducting tissue of the tree and help that tree more easily absorb water,” he said.

Place the tree in warm water immediately and keep it in a cool location in the house to prevent it from drying out.

As for preservatives, McKernan says studies show adding them to the water doesn’t have much of an effect.

Christmas tree lots

All are open on Black Friday, except for the Boy Scout lot at All Saints Catholic Church, which opens Saturday.

▪ East YMCA Men’s Club, southeast corner of 21st and Woodlawn, near Wendy’s. Varieties: Douglas and Fraser fir. Trees were cut Nov. 18 and come from a family farm in Rice, Minn. Hours: 4-8 p.m. weekdays and noon-8 p.m. weekends (including Black Friday). Closes when trees are gone, typically around Dec. 20. Proceeds go to the YMCA Strong Community Campaign.

▪ Blessed Sacrament Men’s Club, 124 N. Roosevelt. Free delivery if needed. Varieties: Scotch and white pines; noble, Nordmann, Fraser, grand, Douglas and balsam firs. Trees were cut Nov. 20 and came in on trucks from Michigan and the Pacific Northwest. Hours: 5-9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays. Usually closes Dec. 20. Proceeds go to the Blessed Sacrament Men’s Club.

▪ Boy Scout Troop 579 at All Saints Catholic Church, 3205 E. Grand. Varieties: Douglas and Fraser firs; Scotch and white pines. Trees came from farms in Manton, Mich., and Merrillan, Wis. Hours: 5:30-8:30 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays. Opens Saturday; usually closes around Dec. 22. Proceeds help fund Boy Scout summer camps and supplies.

▪ Boy Scout Troop 692 with the Saint Mary’s Knights of Columbus, corner of Madison and Rock Road in Derby. Varieties: Fraser and balsam firs; white and Scotch pines. Trees were cut several weeks ago and come from Merrilan, Wis. Hours: 5-8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays. Closes Dec. 23. Proceeds go to funding Boy Scout troop operations.

▪ Augusta Lions Club, 316 W. Seventh (U.S. 54) at the Augusta Ace Hardware. Varieties: Scotch and white pines; balsam, Fraser and Douglas firs. Trees come from Manton, Mich. Hours: 4-7 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Closes Dec. 23. Proceeds go to projects in Augusta.

▪ Church of the Magdalen, 12626 E. 21st St. Varieties: Scotch and white pines; noble, Nordmann, Fraser and balsam firs. Trees come from Wisconsin and Oregon. Hours: 5-9 p.m. weekdays, noon-9 p.m. Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays. Closes Dec. 22. Proceeds are split between the church and the Knights of Columbus.

Christmas tree farms

▪ 4 C Christmas Tree Farm, 11229 E. Creed. Hours at www.kctga.com, 316-684-0464. Season ends Dec. 20.

▪ Pine Creek Farm, 994 N. Meridian Road, Newton. Hours at www.pinecreektreefarm.com, 620-367-2606. Season ends Dec. 24.

▪ Pine Lake Christmas Tree Farm, 6802 S. Oliver, Derby. Hours at www.pinelakechristmastrees.com, 316-258-0088. Season ends Dec. 22.

▪ Prairie Pines Christmas Tree Farm, 4055 N. Tyler Road, Maize. Hours at www.prairiepines.com, 316-722-1145. Season ends Dec. 20.

▪ Windy Knoll Tree Farm, 15630 E. 47th St. South, Derby. Hours at www.windyknolltrees.com, 316-733-0918. Season ends Dec. 20.

This story was originally published November 26, 2015 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Your 2015 guide to Christmas tree farms and lots."