When does your average garden centre Christmas tree get cut down?

[SlubberMistressOfPain]

Just wondering.

Were they all chopped down weeks ago, or is it happening right now with speedy Gonzalez overnight delivery to local garden centre/b&q whatever?

Not putting the tree up inside for a couple of weeks, but if the poor thing is just going to sit outside all sqished with a naked trunk stump until then would it be better to buy it now, and stick it outside in a bucket of water until we need it?

I think they all get cut at the same time. That's what I tell DH anyway to justify getting my tree earlier in December

Yes I'm going to get and stick in a bucket of water outside, I don't think they get another delivery closer to Christmas

I asked and was told they start chopping them down in October.

Our garden centre had them all delivered end of November and that's that. You won't get a fresher one by waiting, it's how you treat it that matters.

I always put ours up 1st of December and it still looks great when I take it down.

Chop off a couple of inches and water it well, ours is taking over a litre a day. Then turn the radiator down in the room it is in, but tell no-one less they winge.

It's all about priorities.

October
right. tree shopping it is then tomorrow. it can have a lovely time in the garden for a few weeks. this year I will try not to water it with milk.

OK, so I've been meaning to ask someone this. I bought ours yesterday (no root, just a stump) and they said to leave it outside for at least a week before bringing it indoors.
It wasn't until I was halfway home with it that I wondered why, when it's already been outside all its life. What difference is another week going to make. If I'd bought the same tree next Saturday, would they then say it needed a further week outside? Or am I supposed to be taking the netting off and fluffing out the branches or something?

I have always just chopped a bit off and watered it loads, as long as it still takes it. Never heard anything about leaving it outside for a week, most odd.

On a plus note our tree had lots of sheep wool on it where they must have been rubbing up against it. DD thought it was Father Christmas's beard, bless.

"water it with milk"?!?!!

They've all been cut ages ago, there's no point in waiting to get a fresher tree. Keeping it outside as long a should can will help.

*as long as you can

I'm trained on christmas trees get me

yes they all get cut at the same time, when they get cut depends on the suppliers but it can be any time from october to end of november and the staff will not know exactly when

treat them as though they are a cut flower

cut the base off about an inch or so, then stand in water

they are fine to be left in the garden or a cool garage until you want to put them up and it's fine to leave the netting on them

bring them in the day before you want to decorate if possible

it is easier to put them in the stand while still in the netting

once fixed in the stand cut the netting off then try and leave it over night to let the branches drop into their natural position -you can decorate straight away if you want but the tree will look different the next morning!

check the water in the stand every day and keep it topped up

putting it in a bucket of soil is not ideal as it limits the amount of water that it can draw up

keep it away from a direct heat source and it will last weeks if treated right

Thanks sausages.

Yes watering it with half a pint of milk last year was an unintentional error which I blame entirely on other people distracting me at the crucial early morning focused watering time. Christmas trees do not enjoy milk. This is not a useful fact.

LOL - nice smell by 12th night too I imagine!!

Cheesy-pine. Not great.

We used to buy our tree from the land our house is now on (there are still some really tall ones left). You could choose your tree and collect it when you wanted, it meant you rarely had any needle drop

We go and choose a tree and from a nearby Christmas tree farm, and it is cut down there and then.