Visit
Frequently Asked Questions
Visiting the Farm
What is the advantage of the baling?
Baling makes the tree far easier to transport and get through doorways. Leave the netting on until the tree is in the stand and standing the way you want it, then simply cut the netting off.
Choosing & Caring for Your Tree
Which trees have the most evergreen smell?
Any tree fills the house with that evergreen smell once it’s inside, but the firs (Balsam, Fraser, and Canaan) carry the strongest scent of all.
Which tree will last the longest?
As a rule of thumb, Fraser Fir has the longest needle retention and is the cleanest tree in the house. Longer-needled trees in general hold on the longest; a White Pine, for example, will hardly lose any green needles at all. Both outlast a Balsam, Canaan, or Spruce. Every real tree does best with a little TLC once it’s inside.
When were the trees cut?
We cut a lot of trees in November, but we keep cutting and bringing in fresh trees throughout the season to meet demand. Ours are as fresh as our customers can find.
Where do the trees come from?
We are the growers: we raise many of the trees ourselves in Clear Lake, Minnesota. We also maintain fields in North Carolina, where Fraser Firs are native to.
What should I do with the tree until I'm ready to put it up in my house?
Leave it in an unheated garage or outside in a shaded spot. Leaving it baled will keep it fresh longer.
Why do I see dead needles on the inside of the tree?
That’s the natural shedding of interior needles; all conifers drop their inside needles in the fall. The outside needles, the ones you actually see, won’t fall off.
How do I keep it fresh once it's inside?
Make a fresh cut on the trunk the same day you put the tree up (about an inch is enough), and the fresher the cut, the better.
Give it room-temperature water and watch the level. The first week it will drink heavily, so check it multiple times a day. Never let it run dry: once a cut tree runs out of water, it “re-seals” itself and won’t drink again after that.
Keep it away from any heat source: TV, heat vent, fireplace, appliances. A tree in a high-traffic area will also shed more.
Nothing has been proven to extend tree life beyond this; just keep it well watered.
Our Farms
Where can I cut my own Christmas tree near Minneapolis or St. Cloud?
B&J Evergreen runs two cut-your-own Christmas tree farms in central Minnesota, both an easy drive from the Twin Cities or St. Cloud: the Clear Lake farm (12946 47th Street, Clear Lake, just off US-10 between St. Cloud and the metro) and the Princeton farm (9419 Highway 95, Princeton). Free saws, free shaking and baling, and free family events on select weekends, see the first-timer’s guide for how it works.
Twin Cities Lots
Where can I buy a fresh-cut Christmas tree in the Twin Cities?
B&J Evergreen runs three fresh-cut tree lots in the Minneapolis metro each season: Eden Prairie at Eden Prairie Center, St. Louis Park at Louisiana Oaks Park, and Richfield at Veterans Park, the Richfield lot has been in the same spot for more than 30 years. Most of the lot is grown on our own Minnesota farms and trucked in fresh, alongside hand-made wreaths, garland, and porch pots. Hours for all three are on the hours & events page.
General
Do you take credit cards?
Yes, we accept cash, check, or credit cards at every farm and lot.
What is the benefit of the tree bag?
The bag eliminates any disposal mess. Put it on the tree before bringing it into the house: poke a hole in the bottom, feed the trunk through, then put the tree stand on. Once the tree is standing, drape the bag around the base like a skirt. When the holiday’s over, simply pull the bag up and over the tree and remove.