Real Christmas trees

[IceFrost]

Looking for a little bit of advice please

Never had a real Xmas tree before but I have promised my daughter that this year we can have a real tree!

Normally I would put the tree up on the 1st December but do real trees last that long?! I know a friend of mine once said hers died before Xmas

Is there anything I need to do to keep it fresh? What does it sit in?

Sorry, total novice!

1st is a little too early I think. We usually get it about a week into December (some people will say even that's too early but that's as long as I can wait!)

Supposedly they should stand in water that you top up every few days, ask the place you get it from to drill a hole in the bottom. Saying that I always do this but the tree never seems to take much in!

@howmanyroads

1st is a little too early I think. We usually get it about a week into December (some people will say even that's too early but that's as long as I can wait!)

Supposedly they should stand in water that you top up every few days, ask the place you get it from to drill a hole in the bottom. Saying that I always do this but the tree never seems to take much in!

Thanks! Looks like I’m going to need something to stand it in never even thought of this!

There’s several places by me that sales the trees and they offer different ‘types’.

A Nordmann fir always lasts well and keeps its needles. We get ours around a week into December, keep in the garden in water for a few days and shake well to get rid of any bugs.
Water everyday.

We get ours on 1st Dec and don’t take it down till twelfth night, and it lasts just fine (even when i usually forget to water it at all). A bit of needle drop, and of course its dried out by the end, but it looks pretty similar throughout. I do always get a Nordman fir because they seem to last the best.

We get ours the second sat in December.

We ask the seller to cut a few inches off the trunk which allows it to access water (a few hours after being cut the trunk seals out of water).

We take it home and use a reservoir stand. It usually takes about 2pints of water a day.

We take ours down on the 28th so usually up for about 16 days and it generally still looks OK by this point.

We get ours first weekend in December, which can be Dec 1 or 2, and I've never had a problem keeping it up until January 6. Go for low needle drop (nordman fir for example) and test it is fresh by running it through your hands to see if the needles come off (or maybe go to a cut your own tree farm).
There are many tree stands that have a well in the bottom for water, but make sure you buy one big enough for the height of the tree you want to get.
Try not to put the tree in front of a radiator, and top it up regularly.

When we had a real tree we would usually put it up around the 10th. Get a non-drop variety.

I don’t think they will get more than delivery over so it doesn’t matter much where you get your tree as long as you don’t bring it in too early. We’ve pre-ordered on from a local garden centre which comes really early so are going to chop the bottom off and leave it in a bucket in the garden until we are ready for it. I was worried that we wouldn’t be able to get one of lock downs continued.

If you buy a basic spruce it will probably lose most of its needles by Christmas. It will smell amazing though!
If you want a tree for most of the month you'll need to pay for a low needle drop one: nordmann fir are quite wide but gorgeous. We usually get a Frazier fir as its narrower( it has lovely dark blueish green foliage). We get a drilled one as our stand is basically a big metal bowl with a spike in it. My tip would be to put it in the shed standing in a bucket of water for a couple of days before you bring it in. Keep it topped up with water once it is inside: ours drinks over a pint a day but we have a warm house.

I don't think it matters when you get it really, a tree bought on the 1st and one bought on the 10th have likely been cut down about the same time, just that one's spent 10 days longer kicking round the garden centre (unless you're going to a 'cut your own' farm obviously).

The tips about getting a little cut off or drilling holes are good ones though. The garden centre should also sell reservoir stands and will point you towards the right size one for your tree.

Alternatively of course you can buy a potted one with it's root ball still attached and water it like any other house plant. You can then plant outside after Christmas if you have the space.

We have had a real tree every year for the last 6 years and it has never died before Christmas. We get it first weekend of December and have it up until new year. Keep it topped up with water and away from a radiator. Yes it sheds needles a bit but not really a problem. We get ours from our local garden centre. I personally don't think you can beat a real tree!

We always get a Norway Spruce from a Christmas tree farm near us - and I think that helps as it hasn’t travelled far - first weekend in December.

When we get home we trim an inch or two off the base off the trunk, quickly get it in it’s stand, and keep it topped up with fresh water. Also make sure you put it somewhere away from heat and radiators.

Ours always looks great right through to early January when we take it down. 🙂

We get a real tree every year in the last weekend in November. We always get one with a pot and roots so it's a living tree and therefore needs watering but lasts the whole way through.

We always have a real one. Can’t beat them IMO. But mid December is plenty early enough for a real tree, unless you’re the sort of person who takes it down on Boxing Day.

This is maybe not much help but dh always saws an inch or so off the bottom so it can take up water - we keep it outside in a bucket of water until it goes up. It then goes in a bucket of wet gravel which is kept topped up. I wrap red or other Christmassy paper around the bucket - it looks lovely.
Ours is never taken down until 6th Jan and always lasts well.

Making sure it’s in some sort of water container is the key. And preferably not putting it anywhere too hot, e.g. right next to a radiator.

Plus of course making sure the one you buy is a non-drop and reasonably fresh.

Although we used to put ours up on Christmas Eve we still bought it a week or two earlier and it was fine. Make sure you add water to the base and, if needed, top it up after a week or so.

We've now changed to doing it the Saturday before Christmas (with wiggle room depending on which day it lands on) so will buy it that day.

I agree with getting a Nordman. Stand it in a bucket of fizzy drink for 24 hrs before putting up and be sure to get a stand with a water reservoir and keep waterered, adding very diluted fizz every couple of days.

I always have a real one and put it up on 1st or there abouts and then take it down on 6th Jan. It’s usually a bit dry and crispy by the end but ok.

Ways you can keep it fresh:

Stand in water (buy a good quality stand, having a Christmas tree fall over is one of the least festive things that can happen!). Strip the bark from the stump to enable it to take in maximum water. Don’t stand by a radiator.

The Norman fir variety are more expensive but don’t drop their needles anywhere near as much.

If you live near an IKEA they often have a great deal on Christmas trees. £25 for 5ft and if you stand them on a LACK table they look 7ft!

You could get a rooted one?

Ours has to go near the radiator so when we have a real one it can only go up a max of two weeks before and it's crispy and bald by 12th night. I do love it though.

We're going early this year so will get the artificial one out and a smallish potted one for dcs bedroom.

I have mine up from December 1st to twelfth night and it doesn't drop or dry out really as I keep it watered after stripping and cutting the stump before I put it it in its stand. We had a potted one last year but am going back to cut. Aaahhh Christmas is coming.

We always used to have a real tree - last year got ours around first week of December - same place/tree we have always had - it started losing needles within days and by Xmas day looked pretty bare that much had fallen off - I actually put it outside on Boxing Day as had enough

We're getting a fake tree this year

We buy ours around the 10th - 14th December and lasts us til around 7th January.
Best one we've had with regards to needles not dropping and holding shape was a Fraser fir... a bit more expensive but worth every penny and it smelled absolutely delicious!

Also I recommend a Krinner tree holder. You fill it up with water when the floater drops. It comes back up again when there's enough water in the pot :)

I think we normally get it a week or 2 in. I didn't realise that I had to buy something for it to sit in 🤦🏽‍♀️ my friend brought a potted one yesterday and she said it will outlive her but I don't really know how!

@merlotormalbec

I think we normally get it a week or 2 in. I didn't realise that I had to buy something for it to sit in 🤦🏽‍♀️ my friend brought a potted one yesterday and she said it will outlive her but I don't really know how!

I didn't realise that I had to buy something for it to sit in

How the hell does your tree stand up then??

We always have a real tree. We have a stand it sits in which we fill with water once or twice a week. That’s really all the care it requires. We always put it up on the 1st. The trees from our local farm last well but last year we made the grave error of buying one from morrisons- it was almost bare by Christmas. So I highly recommend buying one from a farm if you can.