Cutting Your Own Christmas Tree
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do we get our Christmas tree at Patchen.
A. It's really easy. You just walk
around in the fresh mountain air until you see the perfect one for your living
room and cut it down. If you need help finding it, cutting it, carrying it,
putting it in or on top of your car. We can do all of that for you. Your job is
to have fun.
Q. What kind of trees do you
have?
A. We grow mostly Monterey Pine,
Douglas Fir and Sierra Redwoods. The pines are the long needle ones that smell
really good. The short needle Douglas Fir are the traditional trees that
everyone remembers from childhood. The Redwoods are the slightly bluefish
colored ones that look so perfectly shaped.
Q. Do you have Nobles ?
A. Noble and the other "true firs"
like Silver Tips and others are native to much colder climates and don't grow
very well in these mountains. They are shipped in from Oregon. We have a large
selection of Nobles and others.
Q. What are the trees that have the
sparse branches that stick straight out ?
A. Those are the California Red Fir,
known as the "Silver Tip". Like the White Fir, Noble Fir, Fraser Fir and the
many other "true firs", they don't thrive in this climate but we do have precut
ones from Oregon.
Q. Do you have Scotch pine
?
A. Scotch Pine grow mostly in the
eastern part of the country but we have Monterey Pine, which looks very similar
and smells great.
Q. We are on a tight budget; what
are the best price trees ?
A. Some of the farms offer discount
coupons and we accept any of those coupons for full face value. We also pay the
sales tax for you if you pay cash. We offer discount trees of certain types and
sizes toward the end of the season. Please come by to inquire. If you are
willing to drive further into the mountains and compromise on the quality we
will be happy to direct you to places with lower prices.
Q. How long does it take for a tree
to grow ?
A. An eight foot tree is probably 5
to 8 years old. Some species grow faster and the time depends greatly on how
well the trees are cared for.
Q. Why do you leave all of those
branches on the stump when the tree is cut ?
A. We ask customers to leave at least
5 or 6 branches, each bigger than a finger. That is enough to keep the stump
alive so that it can grow a new tree in a few years. Some of these stumps have
produced 4 or 5 trees and are still prospering.
Q. Do we need to bring a saw or can
we bring our chainsaw?
A. We have saws for you. Our
insurance will not permit us to allow customers to use their chainsaws.
However, we will be happy to cut the tree of your choice and carry it down the
hill for you.
Q. Do we need to call before
coming?
A. No, come anytime. We are open from
7 am till 7 pm, 7 days a week from Thanksgiving Day through the last weekend
before Christmas. Someone will be here to help you select that perfect
tree.
Q. What if we get home and realize
that we have lost a glove, camera, keys, etc. at Patchen?
A. You just give us a call and we
will send someone out to look for it. You can also send us an email at
jim@patchen.ca.
There is a Lost & Found page on this website where
found items get posted.