Now that Thanksgiving has passed, it is officially officially time to start planning the holidays! Stew Leonard’s receives daily shipments of fresh, hand-sheared Christmas trees from family owned tree plantations found just 25 miles north of the U.S. border in the province of Quebec, Canada – the best environment to grow hearty Christmas trees. Every customer buying their tree at Stew’s receives a complimentary fresh cut and will have their tree tied to their car. Plus, they’ll feel great knowing that our family-owned tree farmers will plant two trees for every one that is cut down.
Being in the biz for so long, Stew Leonard Jr. has become an expert on picking the perfect Christmas tree. Here are some of his top tips:
- Stew Leonard’s tree experts recommend buying a tree that is one foot shorter than your ceiling to allow enough room to top the tree with a star or angel.
- To check freshness, remove a needle and bend it in half. If the needle gives but doesn’t snap, the tree is fresh!
- Before taking your tree home, get a fresh cut of at least ½-inch to 1-inch to eliminate the heaviest build-up of sap and make it easier for the tree to take up water in the stand. Also make sure to get the bottom branches trimmed to allow for at least six-inches of the trunk to stand comfortably in the tree stand.
- Customers should never shave the bark off their tree; the tree actually “drinks” through the bark, not the stump. Stew’s tree experts also recommend adding Stew’s Miracle Tree to the tree stand, which is a special formula developed with their growers that replenishes the tree’s nutrients immediately. Simply fill the tree stand with one part Stew’s Miracle Tree and two parts warm water.
- When you get home, place your tree away from a heat source and direct sunlight and keep your tree hydrated with Miracle Tree and plenty of water.
Stew Leonard’s offers the top two types of Christmas Trees: Fraser Fir and Balsam. Here are some facts that can help match the perfect tree with your family!
Fraser Fir: Stew’s BEST SELLER!Strudy branches for heavier ornaments
Dark green needles
Good fragrance
Great need retention
Height: 5’ to 8’+
Price: $44.99 – $64.99
Balsam: Most fragrant tree
Dense
Strong branches and a dark green color
Height: 4’ – 8’
Price: $19.99 – $59.99
Stew Leonard team are also experts on stringing holiday lights (which are sold in store) and offers wreaths and roping (both decorated and undecorated options).
About Stew Leonard’s
Stew Leonard’s, a family-owned and operated fresh food store founded in 1969, has five stores in Norwalk, Danbury, and Newington, Conn. and in East Meadow, Farmingdale and Yonkers, N.Y. Stew’s earned its nickname, the “Disneyland of Dairy Stores” because of its country-fair atmosphere, with costumed characters and animated entertainment throughout the store that keep children entertained while parents shop. Stew Leonard’s legion of loyal shoppers is largely due to the stores’ passionate approach to customer service: “Rule #1 — The Customer is Always Right”; Rule #2 – If the Customer is Ever Wrong, Re-Read Rule #1.” This principle is so essential to the foundation of the company that it is etched in a three-ton granite rock at each store’s entrance. The company’s culture is built around an acronym for S.T.E.W.: Satisfy the customer; Teamwork gets it done; Excellence makes it better; WOW makes it fun. For more information, visit Stew Leonard’s website at www.stewleonards.com.