Valley residents seek out the perfect Christmas tree

Monday, Dec. 9, 2002 | 10:24 a.m.

The University of Nevada, Reno, Cooperative Extension Service offers safety tips on how to keep a Christmas tree:

The Las Vegas weather outside was sunny and bright Sunday afternoon as the O'Brien family entered a lot in front of Sunset Station Casino in Henderson in search of the perfect Christmas tree.

The refreshing smell of fresh fir drew Susan and Gregory O'Brien with their son Sean, 3, into row upon row of Douglas, Nobles and Fraziers at Stu Miller's Price Is Right lot. It wasn't their first and wouldn't be their last stop.

"This is our second lot," Susan O'Brien said. "We are going to several lots."

The O'Briens were among with dozens of Southern Nevada families out shopping for the right tree over the weekend, just 2 1/2 weeks before Christmas.

For those who want live trees, a visit to the local tree lots is the only local choice. Cutting Christmas trees in the desert, after all, is not a Currier & Ives scene.

The one place where they grow wild in Clark County -- the Spring Mountains west of Las Vegas -- the U.S. Forest Service has outlawed cutting trees. Officials say the trees don't grow fast enough for the forest to survive cuttings. The nearest available wild firs are in Lincoln County, about a three-hour drive north of Las Vegas.

Amy Nunez and her family would prefer to cut their own, but they were happy to shop at the Henderson lot.

"We live near here and drive by this lot almost every day," Nunez said.

"We wish you still could go into the forest and cut down a tree," Nunez said as she waited while tree attendants sliced an inch or two off the bottom so the tree would drink plenty of water from a stand at home.

Jess and Nicole Coleman could hardly wait to get their Douglas fir home.

"We come here every year," Jess Coleman said.

The couple, married for seven months, were preparing to celebrate their first Christmas as a married couple.

As a tree lot worker shoved a fresh pine tree into the back of the Colemans' pickup truck, their golden retriever "Jake" sniffed the tree from top to bottom.

"We're going to decorate it right away," Nicole Coleman said, excitement in her voice and a sparkle in her eyes.

Employees in the lot instructed buyers on how to care for a Christmas tree.

Keeping a Christmas tree fresh and green through Christmas takes some care, lot worker Tom Nielsen said.

That's why the bottom of the trunk is trimmed by an inch or two before it goes home, he said. Then workers carve an "X" in the bottom of the fresh cut to allow the tree to draw more water into its trunk.

While on the lot, the trees are watered constantly.

Tree customers also can purchase preservative to add to water at home.

A steady stream of people wandered among the trees, picked one and then had to figure out how to get it home. For many it required two trips.

Workers at the Miller lot will not tie a tree to the top of a car if small children are with their parents, Nielsen said. Since the nylon rope could strangle a toddler if the driver made a sudden stop or there was an accident, workers encouraged adults to return without the kids.

"It's just common sense," Nielsen said.

While few people are thinking about what to do with the tree when the holidays are over, several community partners are teaming up to recycle rather than toss them in the trash bin.

The Desert Demonstration Gardens at the Las Vegas Spring Preserve will accept trees from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.

The gardens is at 3701 W. Alta Drive, east of Valley View Boulevard. For more information or directions to a more convenient location, call 258-3205.