It’s December, and that means the countdown to Christmas is officially on – and every day from now until the festive season we’ll be answering some of Google’s most-asked questions to help you have an even merrier Christmas.
We kick off with one of those all-important questions about Christmas trees – and this one’s aimed at those of you who favour a real tree, and might be wondering when the best time is to put it up and how to take care of it.
If you do decide to decorate your home with a real tree this year, you’ll want to make sure that it stays healthy throughout the festive season and not just be nowt but a pile of needles come Christmas Day.
But just how long can you expect your tree to last and how often will it need watering?
Here’s what you need to know…
How long do real Christmas trees last?
If you pick a healthy tree then it should last for around four-six weeks – which will see you comfortably through the festive period.
Here’s how you can tell how well a tree is doing:
- Head to the shadiest part of the farm to avoid one that has been sitting in the sunlight.
- Look for one which has green, rather than brown, needles. if you touch the branches, the needles should feel pliable and shouldn’t fall off the branches.
- If you lift the tree and drop the trunk to the ground, very few green needles should fall off.
- The type of tree can make a difference also. Non-drop trees such as the Nordmann Fir are likely to hold their look and shape for longer.
Sam Lyle, one of the people behind Christmas tree specialists Pines and Needles, said: ’30 years ago most Britons bought their tree a couple of weeks before Christmas but now many people are putting them up in November, which means it’s more important than ever to keep you looking bushy and bright.’
How should you water a real Christmas tree?
The answer is that you should do it often! After getting your tree home you should place it in a bucket of water or a water-filled stand as soon as possible.
Christmas trees need a lot of water so your best bet is to mount it in a water-holding stand – and the water should not be allowed to go below the base of the tree.
You’ll need to top up the water daily in order to keep the tree looking at its best over the holiday season – a useful rule of thumb is to add a litre of water for every inch of the trunk per day (so if you have a tree with a two-inch diameter trunk it may need up to two litres of water a day).
Obviously though keep an eye on the water levels in your tree stand and top it up as needed.
Are real Christmas trees expensive?
They can be, although it depends largely on the size of the tree and where it’s from.
According to Which? the most bargainous place to bag yourself a Nordmann Fir is Morrisons, which is selling a 5ft tree for just £15 – with Homebase’s smaller version coming in at £20 and Aldi and Lidl selling a 6ft version of the same tree the same tree for £24.99.
At the other end of the scale, you can get yourself a larger version of the tree at Waitrose for around £55.
MORE: Mum transforms Christmas tree into creative new design every year for just £40
