It's time to start decorating for Christmas. Leave that plastic garbage in the garage. This is the year you are going to get a real tree.
#ThisIsTucson Christmas tree shopping tips
• Take the whole family to pick the tree. It has to be one that speaks to each of you. Have a size in mind because a 10-foot Noble fir isn't going to fit in your apartment.
• Don't try to load the tree on the car yourself, get some help from employees or vendors. If not fastened correctly, the tree could fly away while you're driving or land on your mom.
• You'll need a Christmas tree stand. The trees don't balance well on their own. You can find a stand at any home goods store so pop into Home Depot, Lowe's or Costco before or after you purchase your tree because you'll need that stand.
• Real Christmas trees can be the devil sometimes. Remember to water it, cut a few of the branches off the bottom and sweep or vacuum the needles that have fallen around it.
Where to buy them
Brian & Kelly's
Hours: Open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in December.
Locations: Four Tucson locations: Broadway at Rosemont Boulevard; Ft. Lowell Road and Campbell Avenue; Cortaro Road and Thornydale Road; and Stone at the Tucson Mall.
Price range: Spend anywhere from $22 to hundreds of dollars on a tree. Prices for a 6-foot tree average about $40, depending on the type. They accept cash, PayPal and check.
Your favorite place to get pumpkins also has Christmas trees. Choose among any of the four firs they have: Douglas, grand, noble and Nordmann. You can get something small enough to stand on a table or a 14-foot tree to take over your house.
Santa Claus will be there to meet with children. Check their Facebook page for updates.
Buckelew Farm Christmas Trees
Hours: Open from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. during the week; Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the weekends.
Clint Buckelew, whose family runs an annual pumpkin festival and hay maze at their farm, sells Christmas trees in several locations in Tucson.
Locations: Check the locations and directions here.
Price range: Pricing starts at $25 for a tabletop tree.
You probably went to Buckelew Farms for hayrides and pumpkin picking but the trees come to you this time. Pick from four types of firs: Douglas, grand, noble and Nordmann.
Home Depot
Hours: Home Depot at El Con is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
Location: There's a Christmas tree lot at every Tucson Home Depot. Find a store near you here.
Price range: $25 to $134 (depends on size and type of tree).
Just outside of Home Depot is a tree lot with different types of Christmas trees from 3 feet to 10 feet. Go in and find the one that best suits your home. Pay for it with card or cash and they'll help you load it on your car.
The tree lot will be there until Christmas or until they run out of trees.
Costco
Hours: Open at the same time as the Costco warehouse. Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Right by the Costco warehouse.
Price range: The average cost of a Christmas tree is $50.
You have to be a member to purchase a Christmas tree from Costco and they accept cash, debit, credit and check. Get your tree before they sell out.
Lowe's
Hours: The lot is open at the same time as Lowe's. Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: Each Lowe's Tucson location has a tree lot outside the garden department.
Price range: Get a 5-foot tree starting at $25 depending on the type or spend $120 for their biggest tree.
Like Home Depot, there's a lot outside of the store to pick up a tree. The lot will be out there until they run out of trees and you can pick between Douglas and Fraser firs. They accept cash, card and check.
Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus
Hours: Open Monday through Thursday from noon to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: 75 N. Wilmot Rd. on the northwest corner of Broadway and Wilmot
Price range: Purchase a table-top tree for $27 or a 12-foot tree for $272. They accept cash, card and check.
The nice thing about buying a tree from them is you can choose to have it delivered. Choose any of the four types of firs they have (Douglas Fir, grand Fir, noble Fir, and Nordman Fir) and schedule a delivery time that would work between the two of you. You tree could be delivered as early as the same day.
Where to recycle them after
Recycle your Christmas tree through the City of Tucson's TreeCycle Program from Monday, Dec. 26, 2016 to Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017 at any of its nine locations around Tucson. That means you have until Jan. 15 to hold onto Christmas spirit.
Bohdan Ponce drops a Christmas tree at the city of Tucson's TreeCycle Program drop-off lot at Rillito Park Race Track, 4502 N. First Ave. Residents can recycle their Christmas trees through the program, which runs through Sunday at nine sites throughout Tucson and Oro Valley.
After you've removed everything from your tree — tinsel and all, take it to any of these locations to be ground into wood chips.
• Oro Valley Lot, 660 W. Naranja Dr.
• Rillito Race Track, 4502 N. 1st Ave., follow the signs to the east parking lot.
• Udall Park, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Rd., follow the signs to the south of ball fields.
• Golf Links Sports Park, 2330 S. Craycroft Rd.
• Tucson Rodeo Grounds, 200 E. Irvington Rd.
• Los Reales Landfill, 5300 E. Los Reales Rd. Special hours: Open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Sundays.
• Silverbell Site, 3101 N. Silverbell Rd.
• Purple Heart Park, 9898 E. Rita Rd.
• Randolph Golf Course, 600 S. Alvernon Way
According to the TreeCycle website, every TreeCycle site except Los Reales Landfill is open during daylight hours, seven days a week.
