Buying guide to real Christmas trees

There’s nothing like a living Christmas tree to decorate the house but the choice available at garden centres these days can be baffling. Not only are you offered a choice of cut tree, container grown or containerised but there are lots of different species as well. Here’s a low down on what you need to know before you buy.

 

What type of roots

A cut tree has no roots and is the cheapest option if you are on a budget, you simply look after it as you would cut flowers – just put it in water and it will take up water and help reduce needle drop. It is hard to keep it upright in water so a stand is used to wedge it upright with screws into the stem. It does take a bit of sawing and shaving off the end and the result can be unstable (you can always put the stand into a larger pot for safety). A cut tree is the type I usually buy, after Christmas I shred the tree and put the shreddings on my blueberry bed.

A container-grown tree has spent a long period in a pot and its roots have formed a rootball holding the compost together. These are expensive because of the care they have had getting them to that stage ie potting up, watering etc. You are saved the problem on getting the stem into a stand and keeping the tree upright. Just drape some fabric around the pot and keep the compost moist. They should last if you want to keep the tree in the garden afterwards, although it has to be said there are more interesting shrubs and trees for an outdoor container than a Christmas tree.

Containerised trees, these might be described as being potted or freshly lifted. I don’t recommend these, just a look at the way the roots are roughly cut and cramped into the pots are a sign that it is a rushed job – usually the fibrous roots that take up the water are damaged and the larger roots are just anchors.

Types of tree

The Norway spruce is the traditional tree, it has a lovely aroma and is the cheapest, but it is prone to dropping its needles. In recent years Nordmann fir have become popular because they don’t drop their needles to the same extent. There are more expensive alternatives, for a blue sheen to the needles, try Blue spruce. For pine scented aroma, look out for Fraser fir, Noble fir, Scots pine or Serbian spruce.

Buying and care tips

Measure the height of your room before you go to buy. Choose a well-shaped tree with plenty of branches – unless space is at a premium when it might be better to look for an uneven one you can site in the corner.

Saw the bottom couple of centimetres off the cut tree, stand it in a bucket of water somewhere cool until you are ready to put it into the stand. A cool room will mean the needles stay on for longer.