Tell me about real trees

[Wenchelda]

We've never had a real tree before - thinking about it for this year but we want to decorate for Xmas next week so if we get a real tree, will all the needles have dropped off before Christmas actually arrives? We
Could have a growing/potted one but then it would have to be tiny as they seem so expensive! We've got room for quite a big one but then that wouldn't be growing so I'm worried it would be bare by Christmas!

We get ours about half way through December. We spend the extra for a Nordmann (non-drop) and whilst you’re clearing up needles every day it looks fine all the way to early January. You need to remember to water it.

We get ours about Dec 14. Nordman is best for not dropping needles and is soft, not spiky. Also very important you water it regularly. Normally spend about £50.

We always get ours the first weekend in december. It’s in a stand with water topped up as needed and it’s not near a radiator. It always lasts until new year when we take it down.
I’m not sure what the type is but is doesn’t drop any needles, maybe only when you brush against it.
We get it from the forestry commission so it’s freshly cut and looked after. We also cut a small bit off the trunk so it will absorb water easier.

I don't think leaving it later is any guarantee it will be fresher - they are probably all cut at similar times anyway. Get a non-drop variety and you should be fine.

I’m partial to a Noble Fir. They are bluer than other firs and smell lovely.

Just avoid spruce trees at all costs. They drop and look tatty in no time.

We get a real tree with proper roots - be careful you don't get one that's just been chopped off and then stood into a pot of soil.
We carefully transfer it to a large plastic self-watering pot which has no drainage holes to leak in the house. Ours was cheap from Ikea.
Have it outside as long as you can, then bring it in via a couple of days in a shed or garage or cold greenhouse so the heat isn't a shock.
Water the soil.
Reintroduce it to the great outdoors promptly after xmas and keep the pot somewhere a bit shady. Feed and water.
Being pot-bound will stunt the tree to an extent and help keep it short and bushy without a great long top shoot.
We usually keep a tree for at least three years doing this, so we divide the cost of a living tree by three

We usually get ours weekend closest to 1st. At least 10ft Nordman. Cut a couple of inches off the bottom and put straight into water (else it will seal again) and water daily. It will drink lots of water. Nordmans don't drop their needles, but they do droop if you don't water them.

I like a spruce tree despite some needle drop because they smell nice and they have nice thin branches for hanging baubles on.
The trick with them is to get it ( whenever,as someone said they are all cut a month before), saw off a good chunk and let it sit outside in a big pot of water for a week.
I just put mine in a big flowerpot with no drainage holes and prop it with bricks at the bottom. Then you just pour water in. Keep it topped up and it'll hardly shed at all.

Ok.... so if It's just cut off at the base, it needs to sit in water? I've seen those metal stand/frame things (in fact we've got one to support our fake tree after the stand broke) where you tighten the screws to hold the trunk in place but obviously there's no way to water it then. So I assume they are actually not at all suitable for a real tree that needs daily watering?

You need to buy a base with the screws to hold it and a water reservoir. Make sure you get one with a big reservoir - your tree last much longer if it has plenty of water. We'll put ours up next weekend and it should last into the new year.

We get a Nordmann every year on the first and they always last until new year.

We have a base like this
www.homeandgardenextras.com/products/7-plastic-christmas-tree-stand?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=32504418890&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoo7gBRDuARIsANeJKUaBbK2dw--wupd6P6lkf0sDJyGCMa2ptctHrfgyCwrzsBdgszwpLAsaAhe1EALw_wcB
It holds water and we top it up daily. It’s very thirsty for the first bit then it seems to slow down.
We did have a metal stand we just made sure it was quite a wide one so we could still get water in and we toooer it uo daily anyway never had a problem.

Thanks all

We put our real tree up yesterday. We always do it the first Sunday in December and they have always lasted until past Christmas. We could never go back to artificial trees now - we prefer the shape and size of the Nordmann trees but Fraser for is popular as well

Always put the tree up on the first and unless, like last year, I’ve bought from a shit supplier then it lasts until New Years. I usually buy a Norway spruce so needle drop is quite bad but this year went with a Nordman fir. It’s in a stand filled with water which I top up every few days. Have a tree skirt as well to catch most of the needles.