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Original poster

Real Christmas trees

56 replies

StillWantingADog · 01/12/2023 07:56

Last year we lost our Christmas tree and all decs in a fire. Long sad story. So we started from scratch. Bought a real tree for the first time from a local farm. A bit clueless but listening to instructions from the farm we chopped an inch off the bottom as suggested, put it up first weekend of December, watered it lots (it was very thirsty!) and it was just lovely, stayed up until the 6th jan and it was still in good shape, barely lost any needles.

So after last year’s success we popped along to the farm last weekend and got another - it’s been sitting in the conservatory ever since (did this last year as well), the kids want to put it up this weekend.

But RL friends and people on Msnet are telling me that it’s FAR too early to put up a real Christmas tree, it’ll lose all its needles and look really twiggy by Christmas etc. DH says “ah, it’s because they’re not looking after it properly” (I.e.
not watering it) and reckons ours will be fine again this year.

So people who are experienced at real trees, is my dh right or we we just exceptionally lucky last year? The farm did give us their usual marketing speed about “only sourcing the very best trees” etc. we paid £50 for a six foot tree, no idea what the going rate is.

OP posts:
Theyvegotatrex · 01/12/2023 07:59

Our real one is up. We have a non drop, popped
it away from heat source and will give it plenty of water so not at all concerned about it not lasting until the New Year.

3luckystars · 01/12/2023 08:02

If you already have it then put it up!!!

Knackeredhamster · 01/12/2023 08:02

£25 Tesco pot grown.

Not massive no but mines on its 4th Xmas.

Just look after it and keep in garden.

If I were going for a cut one which I have in the past I've gone and cut one down about mid December.

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ranoutofquinoaandprosecco · 01/12/2023 08:13

Can I ask when you get the potted trees and you manage to keep them alive do you just leave them in the pot outside for next year or repot them to give them more room to grow?

Original poster
StillWantingADog · 01/12/2023 08:17

We did have a real potter once and it was lovely but got too big and died after 5/6 years.
yes you have to repot them every year and they quickly get too heavy!

OP posts:
ZenNudist · 01/12/2023 08:24

I will put mine up mid Dec. We do water it but it can really droop. Before now loads of decorations fell off due to drooping!

Sounds like you were lucky last year and hopefully will be again. We pay about £40

Muchtoomuchtodo · 01/12/2023 08:26

Ours are usually around the £50/60 mark and if I remember I water it weekly. We usually get it mid-December

we always lose a few needles but not many at all at they always look good when we take them down around 12 th night.

Fulshaw · 01/12/2023 08:28

I find it does dry out after maybe three weeks but the needles only fall off if you touch it so it looks mostly fine.

Gnomegnomegnome · 01/12/2023 08:31

If you already have it put it up (it won’t make a difference if it’s already cut).

We usually wait until mid December and pay £50-£60. I think it’s Norwegian blue or something. Smells divine and doesn’t drop.

Original poster
StillWantingADog · 01/12/2023 08:34

Gnomegnomegnome · 01/12/2023 08:31

If you already have it put it up (it won’t make a difference if it’s already cut).

We usually wait until mid December and pay £50-£60. I think it’s Norwegian blue or something. Smells divine and doesn’t drop.

Will do. Last year it was fine for a fortnight in the conservatory (cold there) then about five weeks in the lounge, sounds like we might have been a bit lucky but fingers crossed on this one

OP posts:
ArtichokeAardvark · 01/12/2023 08:34

Makes a difference which variety of tree you buy. We get one on the first weekend of December every year but always choose a Nordmann Fir, which has the best needle retention. We have underfloor heating so make sure to water every day, and it always lasts until Jan without drooping.

Quiregirl · 01/12/2023 08:37

We normally get ours in the week before Christmas. I live in Scandinavia and you can actually go to the Christmas tree farm and select and cut your own tree. Trees have been up for sale at the usual points round here since mid November. Not sure how they are stopping the needles from falling off if they have it up all that time.

Original poster
StillWantingADog · 01/12/2023 08:38

ArtichokeAardvark · 01/12/2023 08:34

Makes a difference which variety of tree you buy. We get one on the first weekend of December every year but always choose a Nordmann Fir, which has the best needle retention. We have underfloor heating so make sure to water every day, and it always lasts until Jan without drooping.

Ooh I think ours may be one of these which is reassuring

OP posts:
LadyOfTheCanyon · 01/12/2023 08:40

Try and get yours from a local retailer and ask questions about when it was cut. Supermarkets ones will have been cut weeks if not over a month ago and been sitting in a warehouse somewhere which is why when you cut the bottom off your tree it often won't take up water because the cells are dead and incapable of drinking.

When you saw off the bottom of your tree, cut upwards a few inches into the trunk as well as you'll reach the active cells that can drink

Use one of the big bucket type stands with a decent reservoir and give warm to hot water rather than cold. Keep away from a heat source.

Assuming you've bought a Nordmann fir you'll have minimal drop.

I've been in the industry for over 30 years and can eyeball a decent tree from 20 meters. Grin

AlltheFs · 01/12/2023 08:43

It is part luck and part how hot your house is.

Ours never lasts more than 4 weeks in this house because the only place for it is too warm. At our previous house it lasted forever as it was in a much cooler place.

Stephisaur · 01/12/2023 08:54

We always get a potted one so that we can water it.

We also buy a tree with thicker needles, as we find those don't shed as much.

We'll be buying our real tree on Sunday and it'll be up until January 6th as always.

Original poster
StillWantingADog · 01/12/2023 10:49

Stephisaur · 01/12/2023 08:54

We always get a potted one so that we can water it.

We also buy a tree with thicker needles, as we find those don't shed as much.

We'll be buying our real tree on Sunday and it'll be up until January 6th as always.

a potted one won’t die surely? At least not in a few weeks. Do you get rid or look after it in the garden after Christmas?

OP posts:
anxiouus · 01/12/2023 10:55

We went and picked ours last week and put it up. We always get a real one the last week of November and never had a problem with it lasting. I do get rid of Christmas decs on 1st January though:

Stephisaur · 01/12/2023 10:55

@StillWantingADog (love the username by the way!)

So our Xmas tree farm sells potted ones, but they're not really meant to be long lasting - they've just put them in a pot for stability. They definitely will die off because the rootball isn't big enough.

They do also sell rootball trees though, so if we were so inclined then we could do that and get our own pot but I'm not confident it would survive my gardening skills 😂

Original poster
StillWantingADog · 01/12/2023 10:56

@Stephisaur
ah I see, possibly an option to consider next year

OP posts:
bellac11 · 01/12/2023 11:06

Ive always had a real tree since moving to my own home years ago.

Ive never had a major problem with needles, yes you need to hoover them up (sweeping is better, dont want to clog the hoover bag), but I find this is more when you take it down, as you pull things off it and try to get it out the door the needles go everywhere
We water ours in the little resevoir and also its quite near the wood burner, so not the best place for it but at least it knows where its going to end up in a couple of years once the wood is seasoned!!

avocadotofu · 01/12/2023 11:10

StillWantingADog · 01/12/2023 07:56

Last year we lost our Christmas tree and all decs in a fire. Long sad story. So we started from scratch. Bought a real tree for the first time from a local farm. A bit clueless but listening to instructions from the farm we chopped an inch off the bottom as suggested, put it up first weekend of December, watered it lots (it was very thirsty!) and it was just lovely, stayed up until the 6th jan and it was still in good shape, barely lost any needles.

So after last year’s success we popped along to the farm last weekend and got another - it’s been sitting in the conservatory ever since (did this last year as well), the kids want to put it up this weekend.

But RL friends and people on Msnet are telling me that it’s FAR too early to put up a real Christmas tree, it’ll lose all its needles and look really twiggy by Christmas etc. DH says “ah, it’s because they’re not looking after it properly” (I.e.
not watering it) and reckons ours will be fine again this year.

So people who are experienced at real trees, is my dh right or we we just exceptionally lucky last year? The farm did give us their usual marketing speed about “only sourcing the very best trees” etc. we paid £50 for a six foot tree, no idea what the going rate is.

I grew up with real trees and have always had one as adult. We've always put it up the first weekend of December and kept until 6th January and our tree have always been absolutely fine. I agree with your DH, it's about looking after it properly.

avocadotofu · 01/12/2023 11:12

ArtichokeAardvark · 01/12/2023 08:34

Makes a difference which variety of tree you buy. We get one on the first weekend of December every year but always choose a Nordmann Fir, which has the best needle retention. We have underfloor heating so make sure to water every day, and it always lasts until Jan without drooping.

This what we get too.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 01/12/2023 11:29

In the past we’ve put our real tree up on around the 10th, since guests coming to stay, and it never comes down until 6th Jan, has always lasted well. But we ((or rather dh) always saw an inch or two off the bottom and it goes in a heavy bucket full of wet gravel, which is topped up almost daily - it’s amazing how much it drinks!

That’s the Nordmann Fir type, not the Norway Spruce, which IME drop like mad no matter what you do.

Of course picking a nice fresh one in the first place helps! I always test the lower branches to see how much - if anything - drops off.

I cover the bucket with red or other Christmassy paper - easier to do this before adding the tree!

reluctantbrit · 01/12/2023 12:05

We buy ours mid-December but won't put it up until the 22nd and leave it until the 6th.

It is important to water it properly and ideally, keep the room not too hot (18-19 degrees is what we have the living room) and have the tree away from the radiator.
Ours is befor the bay window and it's always fairly cool there.

If you buy it from a farm who will cut it down for you, that is the best as most trees are already cut for a while when you buy them.

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