Hahn Nursery Has Charlie Brown Trees and Trees Cut Close to Home

Ron Steck has been selling Christmas trees for 37 years, and he said he has the stand for your tree needs—it swivels so that the tree can be viewed from every angle.

"They have saved a lot of marriages," he said. 

Steck, the owner of Santa's Trees, has set up a 30,000-square-foot lot in the parking lot of the former Borders bookstore along McKnight Road. (He was on Rochester Road last year.) 

Offerings include Fraser Firs, Douglas Firs, Scotch Pines and White Pines, ranging from $19.95 to $39.95, depending on size. The trees were brought in from North Carolina, he said. 

Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; and 10.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. 

A variety of tree options are also available now at on Babcock Boulevard. 

The nursery offers cut Fraser Firs, ranging in price from $29.99 to $199.99, depending on height. (A 4-foot to 5-foot tree runs $29.99. A 6-foot tree runs $49.99.) The trees arrived Sunday from the Carolinas. 

"They hold their needles longer and have the best smell," said employee Diana Knapp.

Blue Spruces, Douglas Firs and Scotch Pines are also available. Those varieties were grown in Pennsylvania either by the nursery or suppliers north of Pittsburgh.

Holiday hours for Hahn's are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. 

For Something Different

Small potted Blue Spruce trees are also available at Hahn's, as are live, bulbed Douglas Firs and Norway Spruces. 

If you're looking for a Charlie Brown tree or something unusual, the nursery also has options such as Cedars of Lebanon, Japanese White Pine, or a Weeping Nootka Cypress. (Pictured above.)

If a real tree isn't your thing, check out  in Perrysville for unusual artificial decorations: a white, coned tree of lights, for example, or lighted branches. (Also pictured above.) 

If You Want to Cut Your Own

To find a cut-your-own farm, check out the map on the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Assocation website. Listings include address, hours and details of activities at the farm (such as tractor rides and gift shops). We advise calling first to verify information before making the trip.

Types of Trees 

What are the differences between the trees being offered in the North Hills?

* Fraser Firs have soft, emerald-green needles with silvery undersides and have become one of the most popular choices for Christmas trees in recent years, according to the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association, which produced a 2011 Buying Guide with a grant from the state Department of Agriculture.

Fraser Firs are native to the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. 

* Scotch Pines have blue-green needles and a conical shape. They are "known as the cosmopolitan tree of Europe," according to the guide, and "was one of the first plantation-grown Christmas trees in the United States." 

* Douglas Fir, native to the central Rockies, is often the tree of choice in the Northeast. Its needles are blue-green and about one-inch in length. 

* Norway Spruce, originally from northern Europe, is shiny and dark green with one-half inch needles. 

* White Pine, native to the northeast, has "soft, lacy, blue-green foliage with needles about 3 to 4 inches in length," according to the guide.

Buying and Caring for the Tree

Both Speck and Knapp said any tree purchased now should last until Christmas, if not far longer—as long as it is watered often.

Before setting up the tree, make sure the stump has a fresh cut and then "get it in water right away," Knapp advised. "A good, fresh tree will drink a lot of water." 

If purchasing a bulb tree to replant later—which will need to be placed in a tub of water for the holidays—Knapp also advises digging the hole now to save more work later as the ground hardens. 

The National Christmas Tree Assocation offers this buying advice: 

* Measure the height of the room and the width of the space where you want to place the tree before heading out to buy one. 

* To check for freshness, grip a branch and run your hand over it. The needles should remain intact. Outer branches, when gripped, should bend easily. 

For more tips, visit the association's website. 

Penn State's Department of Horticulture also emphasizes that keeping the tree well watered is the "single most important factor in reducing needle loss and keeping the tree fresh." 

It suggests 1 quart of water per inch of stem in diameter. (Or, for most trees, about a gallon.) 

It also advises against using additives such as floral perservatives, molasses, sugar, bleach, aspirin, honey, and such.

"Clean water is all that is needed to maintain freshness," according to the department. 

If cared for properly, the tree should stay fresh for three to four weeks, the department's research found. 

Did we miss a local lot? Let us know and we'll visit and report back. In the meantime, tell us how you judge the tree you select to bring into your home? What makes one perfect? Tell us in the comments.