Don’t sweat it—we’ve all been there. You wake up early on December 1st, bright eyed and eager to cut down the perfect Christmas tree and fill your home with classic country Christmas cheer.
Except that by mid December, your once-lush evergreen isn’t so green, and you’re suddenly pulling brown pine needles out of the soles of your cozy wool socks and weighing the benefits of going plastic.
If you just can’t wait to set up your tree—or if you’re one of those Christmas kooks who doesn’t discard it until St. Paddy’s Day, here are seven tips to put the “ever” back in evergreen, courtesy of Mike Merry of Merry Farms in Lynden, Ontario.