Tree farm owner offers tips for buying a live Christmas tree [Video]

ELMORE COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) – Frank Wadsworth has been running his Christmas tree farm near Wetumpka since 1976, and he’s once again preparing for one of the busiest days of the year.

“We call it ‘Green Friday.’ It’s not Black Friday,” he said.

His decades of experience in the business means he knows the common mistakes of first-time live tree buyers.

“Number one, you need to know your ceiling height, and believe it or not, a lot of people don’t know that, “ said Wadsworth. ”A lot of times the trees look a lot smaller out here in the field because you’ve got the sky as a ceiling.”

Once you pick a tree at Wadsworth’s farm, you’re able to cut it down yourself with a handsaw before it’s bailed and processed. When you get it home, the job is not finished.

“When you get the tree home, you need to make a nice, fresh cut. Cut about quarter …