Ever since I was a kid, we’ve always gotten a live Christmas tree. It’s now part of our family holiday tradition and there’s just something about smelling those pine needles that transports me back to childhood. So, we’ve continued the tradition with our girls but this year we added a new layer to trimming the tree. We decided to head to Big Tree Plantation in Morrow to cut our own tree. I’ve never been to a big tree farm and wasn’t quite sure what to expect but as we pulled into the long driveway leading up to the main barn area, we knew we were in for some festive family fun. I’ve never seen so many Evergreens in one location. The place was hopping and had a full parking lot and lots of helpers busily trimming tree branches, packaging the trees for transport, and helping to get them secured to your car.
We started our adventure in a barn filled with pre-cut Christmas trees. The girls had a blast zipping through the rows of trees exclaiming that they found the perfect tree for us. Of course, most of these trees were a bit too large for our house so we had to chorale them. We then hopped aboard the free tractor wagon ride to the trees we could cut ourselves. The girls had fun seeing the large assortment of trees especially the baby trees that were still growing.
Big Tree Plantation makes it really easy on you. They provide saws, large sleds to pull your cut tree and they tag each tree that is available with a price tag. Granted, the cost of a fresh cut tree may be more than you would pay at large home & garden store but the experience is well worth it plus you know the tree is fresh and hasn’t been sitting out. Just remember to wear old shoes if you decide to cut your own tree since the fields can be a bit muddy. After, looking at lots of trees, we finally all agreed on a 7 ft. Canaan Fir ($51). They also have a selection of Colorado Blue Spruce, White Pine and Scotch Pine that you can cut yourself. If you’re looking for a Fraser Fir or Douglas Fir you can get these pre-harvested trees in the barn.
After leaving our tree with the friendly workers who would bale it and bring it closer to our car, we headed to the “The Gift Barn”. Here you can get free hot chocolate, enjoy snacks and cookies from the snack bar, and see all the festive holiday decorations on display. The upper level even has a cute “Kids’ Store” with an attendant who offers coloring sheets to the kids. There’s plenty of little holiday trinkets and small toys and gifts they can purchase (many under $5). Shhhh, don’t let on to my girls that I didn’t tell them about it.
Outside, we got to see some of the reindeer. They were actually very entertaining as they kept butting their antlers against a defenseless Evergreen. One thing that we missed out on was the Kids’ Winter Wonderland. Here kids can meet Santa, get their face painted, make a craft and decorate cookies. They offer this for $5/child on the weekends. Since I didn’t do my research beforehand I didn’t realize this was going on. Even though we missed the Kids’ Winter Wonderland, we still got to experience a great new family tradition. On the way home, our girls kept talking about how much fun it was to pick out and then have Daddy cut down our tree. As I type this, I’m enjoying our newly decorated tree in all its sparkling glory.
I found a great article on Cincinnati.com that shares tips on Christmas tree selection and care. You can also find more information on the Ohio Christmas Tree Association website. Below is a listing of tree farms where you can cut your own tree.
- Berninger Christmas Trees & Wreaths – 1220 Stubbs Mill Rd., Lebanon Ohio 45036 – (513) 932-17584
- Big Tree Plantation – 2544 South Waynesville Rd., Morrow, Ohio – (513) 836-0975
- Dirr Nurseries – 6066 Goshen Road, Goshen Ohio – (513) 625 – 2000
- Koch Christmas Trees – 6232 Hamilton Scipio Rd., Oxford, Ohio 45056 – (513) 756-1998
- John T. Nieman Nursery – 3215 Hamilton New London Rd., Hamilton, Ohio 45013 – (513) 738-1012
- Timberwind Tree Farm – 1566 W. Pekin Rd., Lebanon, Ohio 45036 – (937) 746-5027
- Wertz Family Tree Farm – 5682 Union Road, Franklin, Ohio 45005 – (937) 746-7870
We’d love to know about other places where you can cut your own trees, so if you know of any in your area, please leave a comment so we can share with other FFC readers.
You can also find me sharing ideas on fun things to do with the family on my personal website, MasonMetu (from me to you). Hope you’ll stop by and visit.
Merry Christmas – here’s our decorated tree.
