Is it too early to buy a real Christmas tree?

[Shinyshoes1]

That's it really , is it too early ? Will it be dead by Christmas day ?

When should I look at getting one ?

[TheOnlySeven]

No I'm getting mine on Tuesday. Just make sure you water it daily, and a non-drop one will last better.

[DameDeepRedBetty]

Unless it's in a pot with roots, and you keep it watered, it will be pretty ill by Christmas. Also I don't think they like being inside a warm house even if rooted and potted.

I tend to do the decorating after school breaks up - in fact, try very hard to keep all the Christmas stuff until then.

[Shinyshoes1]

Oh ... Do they come with roots then ? I'll need a pot too by the sounds of it ...

Goodness , you can tell I've never bought a real tree before

[TheOnlySeven]

Honestly it will be fine. They wouldn't sell them this early if they'd be dead by Christmas would they?

[TheOnlySeven]

There was a thread on this the other day, get a sawn one as they last better. You can get a stand for it from home base or B&Q or a larger supermarket might have one.

[Follyfoot]

We usually buy about 10 - 12 days before Christmas - one of the non drop ones. By New Year its well past its best. Even though its watered regularly, the needles are drying out and the colour is much duller. I wouldn't buy a tree now.

[whereisthewitch]

We always buy one on the 1st... only one year it was dead but I think because we positioned it too close to the fire!
Just water it and keep it away from a heat source, we bought a stand thing from b&q and just watere the stump in it.
You can't beat a real tree! !!!

[DoubleLifeIsALifeOfSorts]

Oh, I got one yesterday :(

Can you water it if it's cut and attached to a bigger piece of wood as a stand?

Ds is going to pop if we didn't start Christmas fun now... His nursery has been practicing Christmas songs since September!

[Pufflemum]

We got ours today, the forest was packed with people taking trees, so if you leave it too late you won't get a good (ie big) one. Luckily we have a cold house so it should survive as well in our hall as it would cut down in a pile at the forest!

[MrsClauswearsspanx]

We got ours yesterday. And it's always been fine.

[CremeEggThief]

I have an artificial one currently, but the earliest I've ever bought a real one is the 10th of December. They last fine up til the 6th January then, IME.

[Luggage16]

ours always goes up on the first and lasts until new year no problem - you get what you pay for though, we always go for a non dropping one, cut the base off and water it regularly.

[notthefirstagainstthewall]

If you buy a ready cut one (as opposed to one freshfrom the field) it get the end cut of again because they seal themselves when cut. Soak the end in a bucket of water for a few days in the garden so that it has taken in as much water as it can.

Then just hope for the best!!

I don't mind needle drop- makes the room smell nice every time you vacuum.

[clam]

I will buy mine tomorrow (taking the kids after school - always empty on a Monday, unlike the weekends) and leave it outside until next weekend, when ds is limbering up to boss the hell out of us organise decorating.
They always say you should leave it outside for a while before bringing it in, but I'm not sure why. Surely it's already been outside for weeks, so why will being on my patio instead of outside the shop make a difference?

[MamaBear17]

We get ours on the 1st every year. We choose it, it is cut there and then and still looks lovely on New Years Day. DH reckons that cutting some ridges into the base and daily watering helps.

[EatingAllTheCrumpets]

We get ours on or around the 1st, it's soaked outside for 7-10 days (depending how impatient I am!) then put up. We have a ridiculously hot house so have to keep it well watered and it's dead by mid Jan so it does come down in the first week or so of Jan

[Farahilda]

It depends on when to intend takngit down.

If you are going to be traditional the it needs to last until 12th Night, so I think it would be worth waiting another coup,e of weeks.

Of course, if you have say someone with an early January birthday or another overwhelming reason to break from tradition and take it down early, the you'd probably be OK any time from now on.

[Acinonyx]

We got ours today and dh is getting it set up right now. It was sawn off not potted, 7 ft. We take it down before NY. If you get one that has good needle retention you should be OK (it was not cheap...). We have a stand thing that lets you water it.

[Dilidali]

Bought ours today :) there were lots of people buying trees.
Got a non-drop one, 6ft, £45.
In a bucket with some compost. Never had a real one so can't tell you. :)

[5Foot5]

We were out in the forest today and there were loads of people out buying their tree. We will probably wait until next weekend and I always try to get a Nordmann as they don't drop. We put ours in a metal stand

[Vivacia]

Where's this forest where you can just go and cut a tree down? Or is it like pick-your-own where you pay entry?

[losersaywhat]

We got ours yesterday, a fraser fir from the local country park. I normally take it down the first week in January cos its annoying me by then, I find they dont shed that many needles and still look good weeks later.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Don't leave it too late though or you'll be buying the dregs (like the last loaf of bread that everyone has had a squeeze of on Bank Holiday Monday)

We used to buy ours 10-14 days before, leave it outside until we needed it. A cast iron water stand, and the place where we bought it used to cut the end.

Yes we got needle drop but it's part of the deal with real trees.

[LumpySpacePrincessOhMyGlob]

Ours went up yesterday. Saw a couple of inches and water it every day. We always get a real tree and they are always fine. Get a good one though, I think ours was a nordic spruce.

[Pixiepie]

buy a fake one. No needles, no mess, it wont die and could last you for years and they look very real now!