5 places to cut your own Christmas tree in SC and how to care for it so it lasts

If you’re thinking of cutting your own Christmas tree this year, there are several farms in the Midlands where you can do so.

Most are registered either with the South Carolina Christmas Tree Association or the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. And most offer way more than trees. Wreaths, rides, hot chocolate.

Here are some of the tree farms operating this year, many of whom have been in business for decades. Be sure to check to see if the type of tree you want is still available. Locally growing trees are a hot commodity.

Aisles of Christmas Tree Farm

This Winnsboro farm offers pick and cut Leyland Cypress and Carolina Sapphire. They also have pre-cut Fraser Firs.

6253 Newberry Road Winnsboro, SC 29180

Bear Creek Tree Farm

Owned by the Wessinger Family, Bear Creek in Chapin has been in business since 1980. They have Blue Ice, Carolina Sapphire, Eastern Red Cedar, Leyland Cypress, Murray Cypress, Virginia Pine, White Pine to choose and cut and pre-Cut Fraser Fir.

They also sell container trees and have a greenhouse with poinsettia.

564 Amicks Ferry Road

Chapin, South Carolina 29036

Hollow Creek Tree Farm

Located in Gilbert, Hollow Creek Tree Farm sells 10 varieties of trees. Here’s how they describe them: “REAL, aromatic, oxygen-producing Christmas trees.”

228 Windmill Rd, Gilbert, SC 29054

Turkey Creek Christmas Tree Farm

Located in Edgefield, Turkey Creek has been growing Christmas trees since 1989. They offer Blue Ice, Carolina Sapphire, Eastern Red Cedar, Leyland Cypress, Murray Cypress, Virginia Pine, White Pine and have precut Frasier firs.

They also have hay rides, train ride for kids, fresh wreaths, hot chocolate, s’mores and a Fire Pit as long as the weather holds up.

211 Wade Morgan Road, McCormick, SC 29835.

Price’s Christmas Tree Farm

Price’s has been in business since 1984. They sell, choose and cut Carolina Sapphire, Eastern Red Cedar, and Leyland Cypress and have pre-cut Fraser Fir.

They have a gift shop/barn and participate in the Trees for Troops program, run by the Christmas Spirit Foundation to give trees to military families.

228 Maple Road, Lexington, SC

Christmas tree care

The National Christmas Tree Association offers these tips to keep fresh-cut trees fresh:

• Your stand should hold 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter.
  
  
• Don’t pare the trunk down to fit the stand. The outer layers of wood take up water most efficiently.
  
  
• Remove about a 1/2-inch of wood from the base before putting the tree in the stand.
  
  
• The tree should be placed in water as soon as you get it home, but it can go 6 to 8 hours and still take up water.
  
  
• Check the water level daily.
  
  
• Use lights that produce low heat to minimize drying.