December Gardening Articles

• Choose a Real Tree this Christmas!

Real trees are on their way back!After a few years when such abominations as fibre optic and black trees were in vogue the real live Christmas tree is making a great come-back! And what is more, most of them are now home grown with as little as five percent, according to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association, coming from beyond these shores. This is good news for the environment and even better for the sometimes struggling rural economy.

 

This is the peak weekend for buying a tree and the choice now is far greater than ever! Gone are the days when it was part of the tradition to go into the woods for the tree on Christmas Eve! Sure, you could leave it until closer to Christmas Day but chances are the tree will not be any fresher, unless you are prepared to go armed with spade or saw to harvest your own from a local Christmas tree grower's plot.Due to the sheer logistical problem most trees have been cut for several days by now and, if kept outside in the cool they will remain fresh. The problems can come if you put a fresh tree in a hot room without water, but more on that in a moment.

 

There is nothing quite like a real tree and even though the artificial trees get better each year they still lack that traditional special-ness that a real tree brings to Christmas! Just look at the wonder in little children's eyes when they see the tree decorated.

So which type do you buy? Well there is no shortage of choice and each variety has its' merits.

 

The traditional Norway Spruce (like the one in Trafalgar Square, but a bit smaller!) is losing popularity to trees that are less inclined to drop needles on your carpet. The Norway has sharp pointed, thin mid green needles and, if trimmed regularly when growing, a nice classical conical and dense shape. It also has a lovely spruce scent that will fill a room. If you go for this type you must display it in a stand that can hold water. It is amazing how much this (and all fresh tree types) will drink when placed in the house. If you don't provide water and regularly top the stand up the needles dry out, shrivel and fall off. If you seal the needles with an application of a needle fixing spray before bringing the tree inside, then this will also help reduce water loss. These sprays are quite widely available now but often run out in the last few days before Christmas Day so buy it when you see it is my advice.

 

The variety that has grown in popularity, and we find the most popular by far, is the Nordmann Fir. This has longer darker needles and a wider squatter appearance. After a few old and dead needles fall from the lowest branches (give it a good shake before taking inside) the needles on this type will really hang on well. We have tested this one and found that, even by Easter, very few needles fall off at all! That isn't to say that we still have the tree in our front room at Easter but believe me they really do hang on! Most of these are now UK grown and rapidly becoming the variety for growers to plant for the future.

 

Other varieties you might come across include the so called blue spruce. This has very good needle retention but it is slow growing and therefore an expensive option. You may even find some sitka spruce but this is more suited to timber production than Christmas. Both of these have very sharp needles and can be a bit unpleasant to handle.

 

Occasionally you may find Scots or Lodgepole pine and both really hold their needles well but the long upward pointing needles don't fit most peoples idea of what a Christmas tree should look like. These are very popular in North America but have never really caught on here.

 

A variety that we think has a great future is the Fraser fir. It has shorter needles than most and is less room filling than other firs. At a distance it might even be mistaken for the traditional Norway and that is why we think it will catch on. Time will tell.

Key points to look for ~

Look for trees that look fresh and shiny, avoid those that are dull and already dropping needles.
Buy from someone like us who understands fresh produce and, more to the point, will be around after Christmas if you have a complaint to make.
Many trees are sold in pots but few of the larger ones will be grown that way. Most are dug from the field and potted just before sale. If you buy a potted tree consider it a bonus if it survives transplanting into the garden later. If you want it to grow, buy one that is well established in the pot before you get it.

 

Tips on keeping trees fresh

Cut a slice of the trunk base off and stand the tree outside but in a bucket of water for a few days.
If your tree is a Norway spruce, spray it over with needle fixing spray.
Delay bringing the tree into the house as long as possible.
Display your tree away from a heat source and never stand it close to a radiator.
Put the tree in water holding tree stand. Top the water up daily. Better still, delegate, make it a job for the kids to do!

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