Do not get carried away with tree size! Choose a tree at least one foot less than the ceiling height. Room is needed to place the tree in the stand and place decorations on top of the tree. Make sure the bottom of the tree is long enough to be placed in the stand. About an inch must be cut off off the bottom when setting the tree up in the home. The tree should not be wilted. Also run you hand over the branches. The needles should not come off, break, or be brittle. Check for insects. Shake the tree or used compressed air to blow them out.
Christmas Tree Care
When a cut tree bottom is exposed to air sap starts to form a "seal" in about an hour. This "seal" reduces the intake of water and will cause the tree to dry out quickly. The bottom must be kept in water at all times. When you are ready to set the tree up cut off 1/2 to 1 inch from the bottom of the tree before placing in the stand which should be filled with hot water (not boiling, but around 130-160º F) as soon as the tree is set up. The tree could absorb as much as a gallon of water the first day. The National Christmas Tree Association recommends not using any additives for the water.
Do not get carried away with tree size! Choose a tree at least one foot less than the ceiling height. Room is needed to place the tree in the stand and place decorations on top of the tree.