How to look after your Christmas tree and getting the best out of your Christmas trees.

Christmas Trees - or at least the ones without roots on - are a little bit like cut-flowers. If you don't provide them with water, then they will wilt. In the case of the Christmas Tree, this usually takes the form of Needle Drop!

Most people will know about crushing the cut stems of cut flowers to enable them to take in water. In the case of the Christmas Tree, crushing the stem is out of the question, but we are all aware of the sticky resin that can exude from conifer stems. In the case of the Christmas tree, this will harden at the cut off end making it even more difficult for the tree to take in moisture. So make sure that you cut off around 50mm (2 inches) of the stem, to give a new start to the tree and enable it to take in moisture to see it through it's two or three weeks of totally alien surroundings. (Indoors, usually near a radiator, and draped with Christmas Fairy lights that give off a lot more heat than we realise. Just imagine having a 'necklace' of those lights if you have been used to cool living conditions.

The tree - like cut flowers - will need to be placed in a container with it's stump in water. There are many Christmas Tree stands that do this job quite well. The other option is to place the tree in a waterproof bucket, and wedged in with old newspapers and large stones to make sure that it is secure. Make sure that the tree is NOT too heavy at the top for the container!

Throughout the period indoors, make sure that the tree is well watered, but DO TAKE CARE if there are electric lights  on the tree - and also be careful not to splash the plug socket - often near the tree - when watering.

Tree care and Information

So you are interested in having a real Christmas tree this year? Not sure which one to go for or how to look after them? Then this page is for you!

Looking after a real Christmas tree and keeping it fresh and looking good isn't too much work so long as you follow these guidelines:

Prevent the tree from drying up and keep it moist.
If you are not putting the tree up straight away then try and keep the tree out of the wind and direct sunlight. Put the tree in a bucket of water.

When setting the tree up cut the stem (about 2.5cm/1") before placing it into the stand.
The stand should contain a reasonable amount of water and should be topped up regularly.

Try not to move the tree once you've set it up.

Keep the tree away from radiators and fires.
This will stop the tree drying up (causing the needles to fall) and will help keep it looking as good as the day you bought it!

If you aren't sure yet what tree to buy then read on for a brief guide to the types of Christmas tree available

PINE and SPRUCE

NORWAY SPRUCE picea abies
Needles - Light to dark green in colour
The traditional Christmas tree, can be sheared (trimmed) to make an attractive dense bushy tree, this is our best selling tree and provided it is freshly cut or dug in December and supplied with plenty of water whilst in the house should hold its needles well into the new year.

SERBIAN SPRUCE picea omorika
Needles - green with silver underside with a soft texture
A narrow more sparsely branched tree. Tends not to be so good at holding its needles.

BLUE SPRUCE picea pungens glauca.
Needles - can be an attractive silver blue.
Good needle retention,though they can be very sharp, not so good with young children or pets in the house.        

SCOTS PINE pinus sylvestris.
Needles - large, blue in colour
Can be very dense when sheared, perhaps the best tree for needle retention
A popular tree

FIRS
Generally speaking the firs are slower growing than the pines and spruce, the reason for their higher price which can be twice that of a similar sized spruce.
               
CAUCASIA FIR abies nordmanniana.
Needles - dark green, soft
The most widely sold fir, good needle retention, tends to be rather wide as a small tree and the top shoots away as the tree gets larger. Best between 1 to 2.5 metre

NOBLE FIR abies procera.
Needles - soft, curled, dark green
Good needle retention, very slow growing needs a high rainfall to grow successfully. Can be a most active tree, though quality is very inconsistent. Does not grow well in England.

DOUGLAS FIR pseudotsuga menziesh.
Needles - soft, light green strong scent.
Not a true fir, branches are very wispy unless sheared heavily,perhaps best sold as foliage

BALSAM FIR abies balsamaea / FRASER FIR abies fraseri
Needles - short, dark green
Two very similar trees recently introduced into this country from America. Too early to say how they will be accepted on the British market.