Real Christmas trees - could someone explain?

[Hellenabe]

Dumb question i know but I'd like to get a real Christmas tree this year but I'm just confused about which tree. If its unpotted, how do you store/display it? Unpotted are bigger but do they stand up well? I'm not planning on replanting them.

Nordman firs are a good type as they don't drop their needles as badly as some other types do. I've also got the Krinner stand even though I have artificial trees usually, I'm keeping it in case I get the urge for a real tree as well. It's the best thing for real trees.

When you go to take the tree out after Christmas, cut off some branches with secateurs so it'll go through the doorway easily.

Or cut it indoors on a duvet into garden bags

Lone parent here too. Tiny house, no way of getting delivered. And yet for some mad reason I end up grappling with an 8ft-er every bloody year! The whole pantomime of getting it bought, transported, erected, lit & dressed nearly finishes me off.

And still I never learn! 🤣

Two tips:

1: Place your cut tree as far from a heat source as possible (ie don't put it right next to a radiator, if possible) and water frequently.

2: When it's time to get rid of it, lay a large sheet/duvet cover on the floor next to it. Then lay the Christmas tree on it. You can then 'truss' the tree up like an overgrown sausage and drag it outside with minimal needle sheddage.

Yet another vote for unpotted with a Krinner stand. They truly are the best stands out there and will last forever. We had a few years of trying to buy potted instead of cut, but for us they never survived out in the garden to the next year, so it was more expensive for a worse-looking tree.

The kind that are soft and hold onto their needles well are the nordmann firs. We have cats, so a spiky but nice-smelling norway spruce tree is good for us because they make the house smell wonderful and are too painful to be tempting for the cats to climb. 😆

A tree you chop yourself will stay fresh the longest and will still look good after several weeks up inside. If you are buying from somewhere like a garden shop instead of cutting your own, I recommend getting one as soon as they show up in the shop and then keeping it outside in a bucket of water (after you’ve sawn off a tiny bit of the stump so that it can absorb water better) to keep it happy and hydrated until you are ready to put it up. The ones at the garden centre all come in at the same time in late November and just sit there, so waiting to buy until mid-December just means you’ll be faced with trees that have been sitting there drying out for weeks and are picked-over.

You do need a stand, and if you have cats prepare for strange behaviour. Ours mainly ignored it as the first attempt to play with it ended up with a cat with a pricked nose. Another cat would wriggle under the tree and drink the water and regularly slept under it, mind you he was a strange cat as he killed a house plant because he ate all the leaves.

My top tips: Definitely get it delivered if you can (else you’ll be finding pine needles in the car forever more), remember whereabouts you stored the xmas tree stand (I currently have 4 😂) and absolutely under no circumstances let a man help...they get in the way and suck the joy out of it all…. I put mine up second week of December and it’s fine until twelfth night. Put something waterproof under the stand (especially if you have wooden/laminate flooring as watering is tricky) Water every two/three days using a chilly bottle (or similar) because you might not have the space to use a regular jug.

Enjoy your lovely tree!

I love it - the true spirit of Christmas 😀🎄

Krinner stand is the best thing I have bought. I am short and not very strong and can get my 6ft tree in it easily myself. Before this I had one of the screw ones and it involved several friends, swearing and occasionally tears to get it in.

Oh I now need that stand - I have a screw one and it's a ball ache!

OP I always get a Nordman fir - they are beautiful - I go for around 5ft. I love going and choosing mine though - I'd do it if you can - you can have a good look for gaps and damage and find your perfect tree (also feels proper Christmasy). Our local hospice recycles the trees for a small donation.

I buy around about the 6-10th and it lasts until New Year (well apart from last year but that was due to having a 10 week old kitten!)

Sorry to disappoint you, but I can confirm marital harmony is technically not possible when it comes to getting the tree up, bucket or not!

I use a plant pot ( no holes) filled with water and three bricks. Theres a knack.
It’s amazing how much water they drink and this way I only fill it up once.