Christmas displays have been in stores since Halloween, but one of the sure signs the Christmas season is soon approaching is the arrival of “real” or “live” Christmas trees.
By that measure, the season will arrive soon. In fact, it has already arrived at a couple of Columbus retailers.
Lowe’s Home Improvement on Military Road received its first shipment of 76 trees on Thursday. At Kroger on Highway 45, a shipment of 50 trees arrived Sunday. Just north of Kroger on Highway 45, signs at Wal-Mart note trees are “coming soon” and should be available over the Black Friday weekend.
For those for whom selecting and cutting a live tree is part of holiday tradition, Swedenburg’s Christmas Tree farm at 979 S. Lehmberg Road will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, marking its 38th consecutive year in operation.
Over the last few years, the family has reduced the number of trees it plants. The current drought has reduced not only the number of trees available, but it has also impacted their size.
“The main thing is that, with the drought, they aren’t growing as fast as they normally do,” said Carolyn Swedenburg. “We’ll probably have fewer trees to sell, too, so anybody that wants a bigger one had better get out here quick.”
Typically, the farm’s stock is sold out after about two weeks.
Aside from the limited supply, Swedenburg also provided another tip for the tree buyers.
“Get them in the stand and give them lots of water to drink,” she said. “There going to be thirsty, thanks to the drought.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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