Real Christmas Trees

[Bleurghhh]

We are thinking of getting a real one this year for the first time.

If I get one this weekend, will it look half dead by Christmas?

Which kind of tree smells the best? I want one to Remind me of childhood Christamases!!!

The ones that smell the best are the ones that drop their needles...

I always advise to go to a farm where they chop it down in front of you. If you buy from a store etc then they could have been cut for months, you won't know how long they'll last. I know someone is selling them down the road, he got his delivery two weeks ago but they were cut back in September

We're going to a farm where they're still growing. Pick your tree and they cut it down so hoping it will last.

Ours arrives today. It goes in the bay window, long way from a radiator, and is watered well with cold water. Usually lasts just fine.

I've got a Nordman. I'll let you know if I have to Hoover it up everyday!

Yes the ones that smell most Christmassy are Norway spruce, the pretty bushy dark ones that are bald by boxing day.

Do potted trees survive long in pots? Or do they outgrow them quickly? Would it live to next year?

WE have one every year. Buy first weekend of December (aka today), and they always last until January. We are also usually away Over Xmas so no water for 7-10 days. House is always 21-23 degrees and radiator right next to tree. Never died

We always buy from a plant nursery

My next question - how much to do pay to have one delivered? It seems to be at least £45 for this around here, is that normal??

I've given in and bought one early. It will stay in the garden till next weekend though.
Check nothing is brown when you buy it and then do all the cutting off the bottom and letting it soak up water for a good few days first. I always buy a spruce as they smell better and I quite like needle drop...makes the Hoover smell lovely.

I wouldn't be jealous of the farms. Usually very busy, quite competitive as people want the " best" trees and not cheap either. We have a couple of local " niace" ones and they make teeth itch now.

If I get a Norway Spruce, will I regret it? I normally get a Fraser Fir, but they are so expensive that I can't justify the cost of a tall tree. So I could get a 5-6 ft Fraser Fir or a 6-7 ft Norway Spruce. If I were to get the spruce, it would go in a particularly draughty alcove of the dining room where the single-glazed, badly fitting French windows are, so it's not as though it would be in a really warm room. And the floor would be wood, so easy to sweep up the dropped needles. But the last time I got one, DS was a toddler and ended up with spiky needles in his nappy.

I would put it up around the 18th, and want to keep it up until Twelfth Night.

Fraser firs are generally a good one to get, because they smell nicer than Nordmans but don't shed lots like spiky spruces. And if you have a small house they are good because they are narrower than Nordmans.

We bought a 6ft tree today for £49

We got a 6 footer delivered for £25. From our local grocers. They always have decent ones.

A six foot non-shed?

Our local grocer's shut down but I might have a wander round some other areas to see if they have any.

They say they're non shed but they lose a bit. They get them locally so costs for transport etc are low. He drives to the forest, gets trees, sells, repeats.

To be fair re price, the owners are related to my daughter's friend and I don't think they charged me for delivery. Still a very good price though.

I like the old fashioned look of the Norway spruce broomstick , it's more olde worlds Victorian. I'm sure if its in a cool place and not going up til the 18 th it will be fine.
Bleurgh I think the best thing to do with the potted trees is plant them out after Christmas. You won't be able to dig them up again really, but you woykd have the satisfaction of having planted a tree. Less wasteful, more sustainable.
If you are very green fingered though you might be able to keep it going in its pot til next year, move it up in pot size every so often. Most of the little potted trees have had their roots severed quite closely and may not thrive even if planted out. You csn get nice pot grown ones which are designed to be planted if you go to specialist tree nurseries or very good garden centre.

I sent dh out with dd to get a 7ft tree, our first ever real one.

He came back with one moaning like hell it cost £50 and that we're not having a real one again.

Then someone else on fb posted a pic of a tree they got from the same place, same size for £20. I told dh he'd been ripped off at which points he admits he and dd decided they didn't want a bog standard one and wanted one with big needles rather than small needles. So I think they've got a Norway fir or something.

I think I prefer my artificial one to be honest!

I've got a mini real tree - if I put it outside at night do you think that will help it keep its needles? Or will it make it worse?

We've had mini Ikea trees twice, bought at beginning of December and kept indoors till 12th night then put straight outside. Re-potted during the summer, both survived quite happily for 2-3 years until ant infestation killed them.