Cut Your Own Christmas Tree Near Atlanta

Tis the season for picking out the perfect Christmas tree. How about cutting down your own this year? There are several Christmas tree farms near Atlanta where you can cut down your own tree (or they can help you if chopping down it is not your thing). Plus, your family can take a wagon ride, sip hot cider, roast marshmallows, and more at these farms. Read about our experience chopping down a tree in Gainesville, tips for making the experience fun and safe, and a list of our favorite tree farms near Atlanta.

Chevrolet offered us the opportunity to try out a new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck to cut down our own Christmas tree this year. My 7-year-old son was excited the truck was the perfect Atlanta Falcons/Atlanta United red. I normally drive a mid-sized SUV and don’t drive a pick-up often, but the Silverado handles well and is comfortable with plenty of room for the family. It has perks for families, including built-in wifi (for $20 a month), plenty of USB charging ports, OnStar, and a large LCD screen for navigation, Apple CarPlay, and more. It even has a heated steering wheel for those cold mornings! Plus, the back seat has a ton of room for the kids. It’s super deep and spacious –all three passengers in the back can be comfortable with car seats on both sides and plenty of leg room.

The Silverado cargo bed has several tie-downs and moveable tie points for safely transporting your tree. Our truck came with the triple-fold hard tonneau cover, which easily folds back. Plus, the tailgate has electric lift assist. It’s perfect for tailgating with an 120 volt power outlet in the bed for your tv, wifi, and lighting inside the cargo bed.

Safety wise: the lane change alert with side blind zone alert, front and rear park assist (the beepers), and the backup camera make driving a large vehicle much easier.

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Tree Chopping Tips

Check out these tips from Chevrolet on chopping down your own tree.

1. Be prepared: Always make sure to measure the space in your home so you know exactly what size tree will fit as you pick one out. Don’t forget to leave enough room for the tree topper!

2. Stay warm: Bundle up, wear boots and bring a pair of gloves to make sure you stay warm when chopping down your tree. Whether it’s snowing or wet outside, be sure to bring a piece of cardboard to kneel on while you cut your tree down.

3. Choose Wisely: Most tree farms have a lot of options to choose from, so take your time and inspect the trees before you pick one out. The National Christmas Tree Association recommends testing out the branches to make sure the tree isn’t too dry or unhealthy.

4. Chop Chop: Cut your tree low to the ground and straight across. Have a buddy pull the tree slightly away from the side you’re cutting to prevent the saw from binding and make it easier to cut all the way through.

5. Use netting: All trees should be put into netting or a sleeve for easy transport.

6. Stump first: Put the stump-end of the tree towards the front of your truck to help mitigate movement within the bed of the truck.

7. Tie it down tight: Center your tree in the bed of the truck, loop twine through the integrated tie-down hooks and repeat to cinch with a “figure-8” motion securing the tree. In the 2019 Silverado, there are 12 fixed tie downs stationed throughout the bed of the truck to help you secure the tree from moving around while you drive.

8. Tailgate up: The best way to transport your tree is with the tailgate up. If your tree is bigger than your truck bed, you can transport it with the tailgate down – just make sure to tie a red ribbon on the end of the tree so drivers behind you can see it and follow local laws about items extending beyond your vehicle.

9. Don’t forget to water your tree: Make sure you put your tree into water immediately when you get home and place it away from heat sources like fireplaces or radiators that can dry it out. The tree will drink up a lot of water the first couple of days so make sure to check on the water level throughout the season. That way you can keep it alive and healthy all holiday season long.