Real Christmas tree

[aLittleL1fe]

Never bought a real christmas tree and wonder how people transport them home. Is it feasible to carry a tree as a 2-person job? Assuming fit people ;) and a 12min walking distance to Aldi.

Other questions:

• where to buy the stand for a real christmas tree?
• will it die real fast in a room with a wood burner (at a safe distance) and 21C temp?

Thank you!

Our potted tree cost £20 from Wilko last year. I got it home, repotted immediately, dressed it and watered well.
It's been in the garden in a pot all year and grew new buds so I'm certain it's happy! It'll be coming in again in 3 weeks.

@SockFluffInTheBath

I’m probably going for a potted tree this year (with roots intact) to see how long I can keep it going

This was my plan last year but the man who owns the garden centre we bought from said they’re almost all field-grown not pot-grown. There is a a machine that chops out a pot-shaped chunk of soil & root, so the roots get mangled and the trees don’t generally survive. I’d be glad to hear from anyone who’s nursed one through though, I had a romantic notion of a collection of old Christmas trees down the bottom of the garden!

Ah I didn’t know this, although I bought a 3 ft one from Aldi several years ago as they were selling them off for a fiver a few days before Christmas. I managed to keep it going for another 3 years, and it grew to to 5 1/2 ft. I repotted it immediately as the roots were sprouting out of the top and bottom of the pot, so with it being smaller initially I’m guessing that one was pot grown. But sadly it succumbed in a mega heatwave we had!

I was hoping to get a bigger one this year, but I’m guessing those will be dug up and chucked in pot. I’ll have to find out before I decided to purchase!

We are going to get a potted tree in hope we can keep it alive in the garden after Christmas and use it again next year.

@WithASpider

Our potted tree cost £20 from Wilko last year. I got it home, repotted immediately, dressed it and watered well. It's been in the garden in a pot all year and grew new buds so I'm certain it's happy! It'll be coming in again in 3 weeks.

What size was the tree you got?

B&M were just getting their potted trees in last week and some of them looked quite a nice size. Prices were from £15. So may take a chance on one of those rather than paying the extra from the garden centre, especially if I can’t keep it alive!

We carry ours home the two of us, gloves are handy to keep yourself from getting spiked. They aren’t actually heavy, just a bit awkward manoeuvring a 6 foot tree along. When we take it to the local park for the council recycling one of us can do that solo, just dragging it along by the trunk.

Yes - easily carried with two people. Take gloves though as the trunk can be a bit prickly. Tough gardening gloves are best.
As for temp, it will be fine for a couple of weeks indoors at 21°C. Just don't bring it in too early and remember to water it. Cut an inch or two off the trunk immediately before you stand it in water as it seals itself up.

I am so grateful for all these comments - this is the first Christmas for us (me and 2 teens) after divorce and I am possibly overthinking things but this thread made me feel much less nervous!

One last question: do you place something like a mat on the carpet to protect it, and what size is your 'protection'? I have new carpets and don't want to ruin them.

There's a standard size doormat in Aldi atm:
www.aldi.co.uk/tough-geo-ultrasorb-mat/p/704579545172004
And a much bigger utility mat 60cm x 90cm:
www.aldi.co.uk/large-natural-coir-utility-mat/p/045703194924101

Would these work? What do you place underneath, if anything?

@SockFluffInTheBath

I’m probably going for a potted tree this year (with roots intact) to see how long I can keep it going

This was my plan last year but the man who owns the garden centre we bought from said they’re almost all field-grown not pot-grown. There is a a machine that chops out a pot-shaped chunk of soil & root, so the roots get mangled and the trees don’t generally survive. I’d be glad to hear from anyone who’s nursed one through though, I had a romantic notion of a collection of old Christmas trees down the bottom of the garden!

A friend of mine has a tree nursery, and in a random piece of land round the back he has a collection of trees in the ground that belong to local people, and which he keeps an eye on throughout the year. They come back every year for their tree, which is dug up and put in a pot, then after Christmas they return the tree where it goes back in the ground and grows on for another year. And repeat.

I would never buy a real Christmas tree if it didn't have any roots, its quite awful to see so many just chucked away after Christmas, as in those rootless ones. I have lost count of how many I have planted out in gardens,at the various houses I have lived in. Even in other people's gardens, if they have asked for one with roots. If you have a fair sized garden, and don't plant out the tree near to the house, they grow quite high and really, especially in damp or rainy areasm

So, what about carpets though?

We've always had a real tree and it's in a carpeted room with a wood-burning stove.

We get a locally-grown Nordmann fir or Fraser fir, they needle-drop a lot less than the spruces (and the needles are flatter and softer, less painful).

Sit yourself on the front doorstep whilst you saw a bit off the bottom (also a good opportunity to take off any wonky lower branches to zhuzz it up in a nice symmetrical way and ensure it'll fit better in the stand), then take it indoors and keep it well-watered in this sort of stand:
www.amazon.co.uk/Cinco-Advantage-Stand-Trees-Meters/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

If you're careful when you water, your carpet should be safe. I use an empty wine bottle for this because it has a nice long neck so I can reach the stand.

IME, they drop needles like mad when you first bring them in and set them up and while being decorated. It's the shock, I think.

So you do all the positioning, installing in the stand, watering, unwrapping, let it relax a bit. Then get on with hanging lights and baubles. Then admire your work, but ignore the epidemic of needles all over your carpet - more will probably fall overnight.

Next morning, Hoover up the needles. Don't use the flat carpet attachment, the needles get stuck in the roller. Use the naked hose.

We always buy potted ones with roots. They’ve all grown well. Not one has died. They are often quite small. I usually let them do two years in the pot, then plant them. The photo is of our first one from 16 years ago. It was about 3’, it’s now 15’! We always plant them over the top of dead pets as a memorial. We’ve got about seven growing around the place, but we have a small holding, so lots of room.

Forgot the photo!

@aLittleL1fe

So, what about carpets though?

Old bed sheets under the tree, then those get covered with extra loose tree branches purely for aesthetic purposes. Never bothered with overflow protection, it's more about falling needles or wax dripping from live candles.

Re transport, if it's just a short walk then perfectly feasible to carry a netted tree by yourself, just hoist it onto one shoulder and grab the trunk in front of you. Gloves def useful for that.

Definitely get a stand that takes water. Keeps the needles on.

Old sheet under the tree.

I've never covered the carpet, just hoover up one the tree is gone by i am generally quite lazy when it comes to home stuff so I'm sure your supposed to do something else.

Does anyone know when the aldi trees are expected to be available?

I have had a round red ikea bathmat - so rubber backed - for years that I put under the tree stand to protect the carpet. Never had any damage to the carpet, and never had to worry if I have had a slight overflow or spill when filling the water in the holder.

Oooh more great ideas and a wonderful picture @Honeyroar - thank you all

Wow, amazing @Honeyroar, I wished I lived somewhere where I could actually plant them in my garden but sadly don’t have the space. So would have to keep it potted.

My mums neighbour, when he bought his house, inherited a Christmas tree that was planted in the garden after Christmas by the old neighbours. It was about 4 ft tall when planted, over 20 years later it’s now about 25-30ft it’s gorgeous!