| Balsam fir is used to make Christmas wreaths and | | | | wreath if you don't have top quality balsam tips to |
| Christmas centerpieces in Maine because it is plentiful | | | | start with. The tips should have needles on all sides of |
| and makes beautifully fragrant wreaths. The tips of the | | | | the tip's stems appearing rounded. They should be a |
| branches are used which is the end portion. The tips | | | | dark green color. They also should be free of any sign |
| are cut in lengths from 12 to 20 inches. One tip is | | | | of insect damage. |
| normally broken into two or three pieces, bunched | | | | The best quality tips come from the middle of the tree. |
| together and then wired onto the wreath ring. | | | | The branches on the top of the trees oftentimes have |
| Gathering the balsam tips is called tipping. Tipping can't | | | | long stems and the bottom branches usually only have |
| start until late fall after the needles are set which is | | | | needles on one side. Naturally, wreath producers |
| normally after the first few frosts. After the needles | | | | purchasing tips are looking for the deep green, rounded |
| are set the balsam fir tree will stop growing, staying | | | | tips that come from the middle of the trees. |
| dormant, until spring. The pores in the needles are | | | | After cutting the tips are stacked on a stick in |
| sealed by a waxy coating that covers the needle's | | | | alternate directions until the stick weighs between 50 |
| surface. If tips are gathered before setting the needles | | | | and 75 lbs. with twine attached to the ends for |
| fall off in a short time and can't be used. In Maine, | | | | carrying. They are then taken to be sold to the local |
| balsam brush shouldn't be collected until after | | | | wreath producers. The tips are sold according to their |
| November 1 with a minimum of three consecutive 20 | | | | weight. |
| degree or colder nights. | | | | Global warming may have an adverse effect on the |
| To gather tips on privately owned forests the tippers | | | | Christmas wreathindustry in Maine if it continues as |
| have to get permission. Large corporations issue | | | | predicted. As the fall gets warmer and warmer it's |
| permits with fees for their property. Most wreath | | | | possible that we won't have the needed frost to set |
| producers are very particular about the quality of the | | | | the needles on the balsam fir trees until it's too late for |
| tips they purchase. It's hard to produce a top quality | | | | the Christmas season. |