A real tree fills the house with the smell of the season, but a badly chosen one is dropping needles on the carpet by Boxing Day. A few minutes of checking at the lot, and a bit of care at home, makes all the difference.
Pick a fresh one
The Nordmann fir is the popular choice because it holds its soft needles for weeks. Run a branch gently through your hand: a fresh tree keeps its needles, a tired one sheds them. Tap the cut end on the ground and walk away if a shower of green falls off.
Get it home and set up right
Treat the trunk like a cut flower. Saw a couple of centimetres off the base before it goes in the stand, which reopens the pores so it can drink.
- Use a stand with a water reservoir, not a bucket of sand.
- Top up the water daily; a fresh tree drinks a surprising amount.
- Keep it away from radiators and the wood burner.
Make it last
Heat is the enemy. A tree next to a roaring fire dries out in days, while one in a cooler corner sails through to January. If you can, stand it in a bucket of water in a cold shed for a day or two before bringing it in.
Afterwards
Most councils collect trees for chipping in early January, and the chippings often come back as free mulch. Failing that, a few cut branches make good frost protection over tender border plants for the rest of the winter.