Cut Your Own Christmas Tree This Year

For many folks, Christmas with all the trimmings includes a fresh-cut tree. The scent of the evergreen filling the house is an important piece of the holidays.

And for some, part of that includes picking out a tree that’s still attached to its roots and cutting it yourself.

New Jersey has dozens of tree farms to choose from, according to the New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association website. The site has a county-by-county breakdown of farms, with details of the trees and services they offer.

The website Pick Your Own Christmas Trees offers tips on how to choose a tree as well as caring for freshly cut trees, as well as extensive information on a number of farms. Just be sure to call to confirm hours of operation and tree supplies, because, the site’s owner notes, information can change, even in the midst of the holiday season.

Here are some farms near Manchester, from the NJ Christmas Tree Growers website:

• Lone Silo Farm, 139 Brynmore Road, New Egypt. 848-932-8933. Varieties: Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Douglas Fir, Concolor Fir, Canaan Fir, Serbian Spruce. Open 9-4 Saturdays and Sundays, through Dec. 21
• Picea Acres, 50 South New Prospect Road, Jackson. 732-370-8733. Varieties: Norway Spruce, White Spruce, White Pine, Douglas Fir. Open 12-5 Monday-Friday, 9-5 Saturday and Sunday, through Dec. 22
• Yuletide Tree Farm, 138 Evergreen Road, New Egypt. 732-349-2705. Varieties: Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, White Pine, Douglas Fir, Canaan Fir. Open 9-4 daily, through Dec. 23
• English Tree Farm, 251 Oak Glen Road, Howell. 732-938-6348. Varieties: Norway Spruce, White Pine, Douglas Fir. Open Noon-4:30 Monday through Friday, 9-4:30 Saturdays and Sundays, through Dec. 24
• Meadowview Farm, 60 Birdsall Road, Farmingdale. 732-938-7181. Varieties: Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, White Spruce, White Pine, Fraser Fir. Open 8-4 Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 21
• Bullock Farms, 83 Emleys Hill Road, Cream Ridge. 609-758-8726. Varieties: Norway Spruce, Douglas Fir, Canaan Fir. Open 9-5 Wednesdays through Sundays, through Dec. 23