To day if you put a real tree up now it will be dead by Christmas?

[NeonIcedcoffee]

We always have a real tree. I really don't like artificial ones, but each to their own. I've seen loads of people putting decorations up early this year which I totally get! I'm going to put a few lights up soon. Mainly people are using artificial trees but I've seen some real trees. I'm thinking the can possibly last?

We normally put our tree up around 10 day maybe 2 weeks before Christmas and although we have a water bath but in the holder it's ver dry by the time it comes down! So am I doing it wrong? I've gad real trees all my life and I'm 35. Or are the people I'm seeing with real trees up actually novices who don't know what they're doing?

YABU = it will be fine from now till Christmas
YANBU = it will die/shed before Christmas

Oh I forgot to add the important . Our real tree was always dry and gone by the 6of
January. We had Spruce freshly cut for nearby forest.

YANBU

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

6 weeks!! I've had a real tree every year for over 20 years, had different types over the years and use a water reservoir holder. They always look past their best by Christmas day, I put it up 2 weeks before.

What do you do to get them to last 6 weeks? Or are they all dried out after 2/3 but you keep it up anyway?

We put ours up the first weekend of December normally, but did it yesterday.

I chop a little bit off the end of it, put it in a stand with plenty of water and it's in a fairly cool place (we switch off the radiator next to where it goes, which is next to the patio doors).

It stays looking fine until we get rid of it with minimal needle drop.

We got a real tree growing in a pot from asda last year and not only did it last through Christmas, we stuck it out in the garden and it lasted all year and got loads of new growth. We'll be bringing it back in this Christmas. But even if you don't want to keep it, I think having one in a pot is a good idea.

We always have a Nordmann Fir and yes, similarly, I've seen a few people get their real trees early this year and been wondering if they'll last! We generally wait until the weekend after the 10th December and ours will last from then until 6th Jan (but will be droopy and definitely ready to come down by then!) I'd love to decorate for 1st December, but I'd be worried about getting it any earlier than that as even with keeping it away from a heat source, making sure it was always in water, and their supposed ability to hold their needles, I was hoovering needles up and rehanging baubles several times a day by New Year.

We also have a reservoir holder and saw off the bottom couple of inches, before putting it up/make sure it's never allowed to go dry, but our trees never seem to drink that much from the holder either.

I stand mine in a bucket of water in the garden for 24 hours before I bring it in and dress it. It usually lasts happily from Dec 10th-ish to New years day, when I throw it out.

We always get ours 1 Dec and it always still looks good by the beginning of January. 🤷‍♀️I expect a lot of the trees are cut down in November whenever you buy them and they do better watered in my living room than stuck in a warehouse somewhere.

Most real trees have already been cut for sale. So no problem with buying them now and if you buy early you get a better choice.

I would leave it outside in the garden for a little while longer though if it were me. Real cut trees take a lot of water. In a heated house at least 3-4 litres a day. If you are prepared to keep watering at that level every day then go for it. Obviously don't put it near the radiator or any heat sources.

We turn off the nearest radiator to it and put it in a big bucket rather than a tree stand as the water reservoirs are never big enough. Then water it loads (check level every day). But we put it up about the second week of December, not any earlier. Also get a minimal-drop tree.

This is why I want a naice fake tree. Maybe something still made of natural materials, like a dried twig tree thingy. But it goes against DH's religion. That and gas bbqs, he has views on!

We cut one fresh. It's up about three weeks and it last that time without dropping needles. They do need the water topping up every day but probably only a pint, if that.

Id love a real tree, but I have no car and live in an upstairs flat without a lift so I just can't get my head around it.
Its nice enough but not the same. However one advantage is the fact it will definitely last all season!!
I think I will save up for a really nice artificial one though. As I'm moving stuff about next year and will have space in a bay window for a lovely tree (a real one would look so lovely...sigh)

Got ours first week of December last year and even though it always had plenty of water it was a bit past it’s best by Christmas we got one that doesn’t drop though so it didn’t look awful. We started putting Xmas decs up a bit earlier than normal this year I never normally go before December but tree We will wait a bit longer for.

Hard one. I bought ours this weekend but it is a 4 foot job, so it is drinking way less than what mentioned upthread and it is one supposed to hold its pines, so hopefully it will still look okay (no electrics in it so no danger of fire).

Yes as others have said, cut off the bottom of the trunk and check water every day. I always get mine on 01 December and it always lasts till January.

We always put ours up the first weekend in December and it’s still the same when it goes out to be recycled. Choose the right tree - a Norway Spruce is more likely to drop needles before Christmas and a Nordmann Fir is more long lasting. Either get it freshly cut or ask them to take a disc off the bottom when you purchase it, same as you would with cut flowers. Make sure you top up its water regularly and it’ll be fine!

They're all cut and waiting now anyway, unless you go out and cut it yourself.

We always put our tree up on the first Sunday of advent and it’s fine on Christmas Day. We do water it though

We have already chosen ours at the tree farm. Getting it cut next weekend. Ir will be fine until 6th jan.

Mind you our house is unheated bar a wood burner that is only on some evenings and we dont have carpet on ground floor so dropping needles aren't a problem.

We get our tree for a nearby farm where you choose it and they cut it in front of you. It looks perfect for at least 6 weeks.
I suppose most supermarket trees have already been cut.

@Daydreamsinglorioustechnicolor in my studio flat I bought a 5 foot one by walking to B&Q and bringing it home in a IKEA trolley thing. In our current flat we've had them delivered.

We've never had a real tree before, as our dog always assumed we were bringing him a toilet indoors. This is our first Xmas without him so we are getting one but have been having this exact argument conversation of not knowing if it will be dead by Xmas if we buy it now!

We put ours up yesterday and wanted a real one but settled on fake as I read they can smell if not watered enough and I accidentally kill all my house plants so that will prob be no different.

Yes it'll be less lush by Christmas even with water, but in such a ghastly time it may be worth it to have the pleasure all through December - and it's not as if you'll be having crowds of people to admire it on the day!!

Get one in a pot! Then you can plant it outside if you have a garden and bring it in the next year. We had one that did six years before it no longer really had a Christmas tree shape It's still living happily in the garden.

I feel sorry for trees that have had their roots cut, seems such a waste