Depends on how long it has been cut, honestly, which is hard to know. That being said, many of these trees have been cut for awhile by the time they go up in someone’s house unless you live near a tree farm.
Is there something special about a Costco tree or is it just a good deal?
Of course it’s special, it’s Costco!!! 
Just a good deal - we can often get a nice tall 8ft at their nifty price of $34.99 (which is actually up $10 from last year!)
For those who get live trees, I have always heard (and actually did this when I had live trees) that cutting an inch or two off the trunk before bringing in the house would help the tree absorb more water and keep the tree fresher. Anyone here do that? If so, do you think it helps?
@2VU0609 In my area, the tree lots do that for you. It’s kind of like re-cutting the bottom of fresh flowers when you get them home from the store/florist shop.
Yes, H always does that - cuts off a little from the bottom of the truck. I think it helps - sort of reveals the pores of the trunk so that it can absorb water more easily.
@abasket You can tell if a tree is still fresh by its suppleness. If the needles feel stiff or the branches don’t bend like a normal tree, it is not going to last very long. We won’t buy trees that don’t feel fresh. With fresh trees, being outside in the cold will help them last longer than inside in the heat. If you got a fresh tree next weekend and put it in water outside, it should stay fresh until Christmas as long as it isn’t placed directly over a heating vent or near another major heat source when you bring it in.
Definitely know to look for the fresh supple branches - we have always had a cut tree - all the years of my life! But generally we buy and put up the same or nearly the same day - so thought I’d ask!
I laughed at the warm spell comment, doschicos. So true. I’m thinking I may be able to spray wash some windows this week. It’ll be in the mid 40’s.
There is no hard and fast rule about when to decorate and take down. This is a country full of different traditions. My maternal older relatives celebrated on the Orthodox calendar, too. Loved some of the extra traditions, including celebrating Christmas twice.
Amongst many Latinos/Hispanics, El Dia de los Reyes (3 Kings Day) is as big a deal if not a bigger deal than Christmas. It’s on January 6th and decorations won’t come down before then.
Our cut tree is up, as our out of state DD and SIL have traditionally wanted to participate when here for Thanksgiving. Slight snag this year is that DH and I were just scheduled to be away for 4 days between now and Christmas. This tree is a big drinker (which I think is a good thing, as some have trunk freshly cut and still don’t drink much, drying out sooner) and 8 feet tall. Oops. If anyone has any clever ideas for watering that don’t involve a neighbor, please let me know. The stand is wonderful, but requires daily refills.
We usually buy our fresh tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. For several years, we bought our tree from Costco but last year they sold out before we got there so we were stuck with an overpriced dud from Home Depot. This year, our local supermarket chain had a digital coupon offering 40 percent off through yesterday so we bought our tree last night. It is a 7 to 8 ft Fraser fir that was $45 total. The tree is in the house but will likely not be decorated until next weekend.
We also keep our tree up through epiphany so it is important to keep it watered.
My HD doesn’t seem to have spruce and I love the longer needles. My artificial has some of those branches.
Truth be told, I’d love an artificial spruce, prelit, from Balsam Hill. But last time I looked, pricier than I’d want when we already have one. Maybe I’ll remember to check their sales, later.
I’m getting an asthma attack just hearing about all of these live trees.
I live near some Christmas tree farms. The trees have been cut and bagged for a couple of weeks. I don’t know why it would be any different if the tree was on the lot at Costco or in your garage.
@travelnut . I saw this online the other day. Kind of complicated but it might work for you.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Hidden-Christmas-Tree-Watering-System/
Our Costco has been cleaned out of TVs and trees!
We drove by a pick and cut tree farm past weekend. It was a zoo out there. Mr. wanted to stop and inquire if they would allow anyone to dig out their tree. Thank goodness we got our tree(s) or he would have headed out there with a shovel today just in case they would let him dig one out!
Thanks, @patsmom. Great to see a possibility.
Just read about trees and care. Most trees will last one month. The important thing is that before you put it in the bucket of water you cut 1/2 inch minimum off the trunk. I would do this a second time before taking it into the house.
D and I will pick out our tree the day she gets home from college which has been our tradition now four years running. Exams end the 20th but we won’t know her last day until the schedule comes out. All their lives we picked out the tree on the Sunday closest to the 15th and always had good choices. Now its become a joke…last year every place was sold out except one and they had 3 trees left. Half price. Charlie Brown. So, sometime around the 20th. And I always take down and discard the tree on January 1st, days after I’m really sick of it, but again, tradition.
@travelnut maybe fill the stand with ice cubes as you are walking out the door? It will take time for them to melt.