Choosing the Perfect Christmas Tree
As we count down the days now until Christmas arrives, all attention turns to our Christmas trees, and the big question on everyone’s lips is… how do we choose the best one?
The first thing to note and be sure of, is that the golden rule is, you’re not choosing the BEST one EVER… you’re choosing the best one for YOU. The best and most perfect tree that suits your home, your family, your home’s size, your routine and daily life. What’s the point in getting a GIANT tree if it takes up three quarters of the room and no one can sit in there on Christmas Day?
Choosing the Perfect Christmas Tree
- Make sure it has very dark green needles. If the needles are yellow, orange, brown… it’s been cut LONG before it should have been and will NOT survive in your home. It wont make Christmas… so make sure the needles are green
- It should be too heavy to pick up easily. It should be nice and heavy from soaking up all the water and feel very saturated.
- It shouldn’t drop any needles when you first pick it up. When you think you’ve chosen the right one, give it a little shake, bang it lightly on the floor; if it drops a lot of needles, it’s been cut and has already died / needles are dead, which means it won’t soak up any water in the house and will NOT last until Christmas.
- Make sure you buy from a Christmas Tree grower – a Christmas tree farm / provider – they KNOW what they are doing. They will be guaranteed to be fresh and we guarantee the best trees possible. We know where they were grown, when they were cut and graded and selected for you. Always buy from a grower…. We know what we’re on about!
- When your chosen tree makes its way back to your home, pop it straight in water. Always put them in water, to let them soak up all the watery goodness and it will THRIVE. You should be needing to top the water up every couple of days, and keep topping it up.
Also, some pointers / tips from the top:
- Place tree away from direct sunlight.
- Provide fresh water every day!
- Keep away from heating vents, fireplaces, or other heat sources.
- Do not place near a draft.
- Don’t leave the lights on for longer than necessary.
Let’s look at the types of Christmas trees you can choose from
Nordman Fir – Probably the most popular tree in the UK
This is an extremely popular tree known for its ability to retain its needles for longer in an indoor environment. It has non-pointy flattened needles with dark green soft foliage and a soft aroma. This tree will usually last around four weeks in good condition before it begins to dry out.
Fraser Fir – one of the newest Christmas trees in the UK
Fraser Fir is a pyramid shaped tree, which reaches a maximum height of about 80 feet and a diameter of 1-1.5 feet. Its strong branches are turned slightly upward which gives the tree a compact appearance. It has flat, shiny, dark-green needles-like leaves, arranged spirally on the twigs but twisted at their bases to form 2 rows on each twig. The foliage is dense and soft – an ideal tree for indoors, where space is limited. The tree’s distinctive aroma will add to the magical mood and feel of Christmas.
The leaves are needle-like; arranged spirally on the twigs but twisted at their bases to form 2 rows on each twig.
Norway Spruce – the oldest traditional Christmas tree
Norway Spruce is a large, fast-growing tree, growing 35–55 m (115–180 ft) tall and with a trunk diameter of 1 to 1.5 m (39 to 59 in). It can grow fast when young, up to 1 m (3 ft) per year for the first 25 years providing there are good conditions. The shoots are orange-brown and hairless. The leaves are needle-like with blunt tips, 12–24 mm long, quadrangular in cross-section (not flattened), and dark green on all four sides. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards. It is very closely related to the Siberian spruce (Picea obovata), which replaces it east of the Ural Mountains, and with which it hybridises freely.
This is a tree to buy closer to Christmas as it loses its needles slightly faster, however is a very reasonably priced tree as it grows very fast. This old favourite has a beautiful aroma that will create that Holiday sensation for the whole family.
Noble Fir – The best tree for holding it’s needles
In the wild, this tree is a tall, beautifully symmetrical tree that reaches to over 200 feet in height. It has smooth bark with resin blisters when young that changes to brownish-gray plates with age.
The needles of this tree are roughly 4-sided (similar to spruce) over 1 inch long, bluish-green but look like silver because of 2 white rows of stomata on the underside and 1-2 rows on the upper surface. The needles are generally twisted upward so that the lower surface of branches are exposed. Known for its beauty, the noble fir has a long keep ability, and its stiff branches make it a good tree for heavy ornaments.
The original Latin name Abies nobilis had to be changed when it was discovered another tree already had been given this name. However, the common name has persisted because of the magnificent proportions of the tree and the large, heavy cones.
Korean Fir – The one with ‘THE SMELL’
These are very similar to Fraser Firs but a little smaller than them, making them the perfect smaller choice (perhaps size doesn’t allow for a bigger tree?). And with their white buds, these are truly a stunning choice.
The needles of Abies koreana are wider, more rounded and softer than ordinarily, giving a full conical appearance as the branches twirl around its central stem. The leaf arrangement is spiral on the shoot, but with each leaf variably twisted at the base so they lie mostly either side of and above the shoot, with fewer below the shoot. The shoots are green-grey at first, maturing pinkish-grey, with scattered fine pubescence. The cones are 4–7 cm long and 1.5–2 cm broad, dark purple-blue before maturity; the scale bracts are long, green or yellow, and emerge between the scales in the closed cone. The winged seeds are released when the cones disintegrate at maturity about 5–6 months after pollination.
Perhaps the most striking feature of this tree is its potent aroma. Your home will feel saturated with a Christmas perfume.
Plan you visit to the farm:
We’re open now every day until Christmas
Week days 9am – 7pm (Mon – Fri)
Weekends 9am – 5pm (Sat & Sun)
Our Christmas shop is open, Café , toilets, wheelchair accessible.
Christmas arch and dog arches for our four legged besties.
We sell all the accessories and Christmas tree stands for your tree… so we’re the one stop shop!
We’ll meet you in the Christmas tree barn!
