Christmas Tree decisions and dilemmas

[manywanderings]

Can anyone help me work through this. We've had a real Christmas tree for the last 10 years or so and I love it. A few years ago I thought I'd try an artificial pre-lit one for less hassle and it was an expensive balsam hill one - I hated it and sent it back (looked realistic but so prickly it hurt!). So then we switched to getting potted real Nordman Firs - only 4ft or 5ft as don't have the space for anything bigger. They were great - I love them. Because they still have roots and are potted they didn't drop at all - even when dragging it out through the house afterwards. The only downside was the weight and mess initially. It was heavy with the bucket full of soil on the end and usually a bit muddy on the outside of the pot and we'd have to put the whole pot inside a bigger pot and it was heavy to carry through the house. Once in place it was fine and I loved watering it.

Another time one year I sent for a different artificial one and then sent it back and got a potted Nordman fir again.

Putting the lights on is a right faff every year. I now have joint problems and can't stand on a chair to do them. Our son does them but - well it looks a bit messy afterwards! OH has had a few health issues this year and can't do anything heavy.

So logically this was the year we should get a small (4 foot) artificial pre-lit tree. I've sent for one - it has a ceramic pot - it looks very nice and realistic. But I just feel miserable! I just keep thinking - just what is the point of having a tree if it's not real?! I know - what is the point of having a tree at all - it's tradition. I am trying to like it (only had it out of the box to check it out so far). But I keep thinking of sitting in the room looking at the tree and thinking - it's not real. It's just an ornament. It looks real but it feels plastic. Because it is! And then miserable when I realised it doesn't just stand there like a tree - you have to bend all the branches down and get them right - this is something different altogether - a new load of faffs to deal with. And what happens when the pre-lighting stops working - how long will that last and will it mean buying a whole new tree. But the main thing that got me down was the weight! I thought it would be much lighter than a real tree. It might be a bit lighter, but it's heavy with this permanent heavy pot on the bottom. I wouldn't be able to lift it on my own - so maybe it's not a good long term thing. If we need help lifting it and carrying it why not just get another potted one?

So help me please. Because I'm on the verge of sending another tree back and ordering another potted Nordman fir, and flip flopping between - just keep it and get on with it and - will I be happy?

Thank you :-) Yes it's going back. Our teenager will help do the heavy stuff :-) Love the idea of a plastic lined wicker basket! Will look for one :-)

I like Senticles too. . But they have become very expensive. COChristmas. not COL.

Previous years we've put the muddy pot with the soil and roots, inside a larger straight sided bucket and then put wrapping paper round the bucket. Which was another little chore and looked sort of ok but a bit ........... thanks to you I have now found a plastic lined wicker basket instead and it was inexpensive as well :-) (Online but it's the right size). Love that idea and it's a lot easier too.

Fake trees always look fake. I’d rather have no tree than a fake one. My oarebts had a balsam hill one. It was so expensive, but I couldn’t get past the fact it was plastic.

We have 2 Fraser firs - one of the kitchen and one in the sitting room. They don’t drop and they tend to be skinnier than the other types.

If we couldn’t do real trees, we’d just have greenery and lights on mantelpieces etc.

Maybe look at a pot grown one :-) The pot grown Nordman Firs don't really drop needles at all. And it still goes out in the garden afterwards in its pot - then you can re-use it the following year. The idea is to re-pot it in a bigger pot when it goes outside so it can keep growing - or plant it and dig it up again (that was a step too far for me ha ha). When we first got one it was going to be our forever tree and grow a bit every year which was why it was only a four foot one as it would get a bit bigger every year (hint - they don't grow much taller every year but do get new branches and tips). Unfortunately the second year we had a rabbit problem and the rabbits ate all the bark and killed it. So got another one and used that the last two years - we didn't get round to re-potting it last year so it's not looking great but still alive, but that one is going to be the outside tree near the outside door with battery powered candles on it. Hopefully this new one will last a few years. On the other hand if you like a large tree then it would be heavy to lift in and out of the house with the mud and roots and pot - but at least you don't need to fiddle about getting the trunk into one of those stand up holder things!