To a lot of people it may still seem too early to be thinking about buying the Christmas tree!… (even though the big day is less than five weeks away!) However, choosing the perfect tree this early might not be as crazy at it sounds. Across the UK (and further afield) Christmas tree growers are cutting and palletising thousands upon thousands of trees at the moment, in order to get them to their customers in plenty of time. It is quite likely therefore, that if a cut tree is your choice, it will have already been cut – even though you’re not planning to buy it until nearer Christmas. It will be now sat without water, and in fact would benefit from an early purchase and a lovely long drink outside in a bucket of water!
Early purchases also give you the pick of the bunch, to ensure you get the type, size and shape of your dreams. Very low maintenance after purchase, we advise simply cutting the bottom couple of inches of trunk off your tree when you get it home (or this year we can do it for you at our ‘cutting station’ before you take it home!) and then placing it outside in a bucket of water where the fresh trunk can draw up plenty of moisture and remain well hydrated until you’re ready to bring it inside to decorate. Some trees will drink ALOT so keep a close eye on the water level in the bucket and keep topping it up.
When you do bring your tree into the home keep it fresh by positioning it away from direct heat sources like wood burners and radiators. Use a water holding stand and be sure to keep a close eye on the water level throughout the festive period, topping up daily or as required.
Armed with this advice, a cut non-drop tree like a Nordmann Fir should fair very well and hold on to the vast majority of its needles until the festivities are over and you’re ready to remove it from the home again.
If a pot grown tree is your preferred option, you should try and keep it in a cool space once inside the home – and bring it inside as late as possible before Christmas. A living tree like this shouldn’t spend more than one to two weeks inside the home – and it can then be enjoyed outside, either potted on into a larger pot (if you plan to bring it back inside next Christmas) or planted out into the garden where it will grow happily, and can be wrapped in outdoor twinkly lights for many Christmases to come! Please note, your pot grown tree may not last more than a few years if kept in a pot as it isn’t naturally suited to ongoing pot cultivation.
For full details of the Christmas trees we have available this year, please click here.
