View Full Version : Christmas tree's
do any of you have a REAL christmas tree and if so how do you cope with the needles that fall off??
i'd really like a real tree this year but wondered about the safety aspect :panic:
LOOPYLISA
17-10-2010, 12:26 PM
We have a real tree don't like plastic :blush:
we buy a 6ft low drop think it's called , hardly any needle drop just water , we wrap in a dust sheet to the tip :)
Can't wait :clapping:
we have 3 cats and have never had a prob although this year we will have a 6 month old kitten !!!G
sorry writing this on my phone , just re read back , it makes no sence at all :laughing:
Rain or Shine
17-10-2010, 12:38 PM
Hiya
If you go to a garden centre they can advise you on which trees have low drops and less likely to give allergic reaction.
My Dad has one thats called a Norwegian Spruce which doesn't really drop, only really drops when touched or moved about, they are not spikey and have soft leaves. Also if you want a different kind of Christmas tree you can get them sprayed for needle drop. All Christmas trees need to be kept away from radiators as this reduces needle drop also.
Asking my partner as he used to work in a garden centre when younger and sold Christmas trees.
Hope this helps xxx
Pipsqueak
17-10-2010, 12:49 PM
Always had a real tree (unless we've been going away). Brian and his family used to have a Xmas tree field and would be horrified at the thought of a unreal one. Actually so would I..... my dad would spin in his grave!
Brian says Norwegian Spruce.
miffy
17-10-2010, 12:53 PM
Nope, artificial tree for us.
I'd love a real one but hubby says no :(
Miffy xx
LOOPYLISA
17-10-2010, 12:55 PM
Always had a real tree (unless we've been going away). Brian and his family used to have a Xmas tree field and would be horrified at the thought of a unreal one. Actually so would I..... my dad would spin in his grave!
Brian says Norwegian Spruce.
That's it Norwegian spruce :thumbsup:
we always had real christmas tree's when i was growing up, and they just SMELL christmassy iykwim??
need to find out where to go look now :panic:
LOOPYLISA
17-10-2010, 01:15 PM
we always had real christmas tree's when i was growing up, and they just SMELL christmassy iykwim??
need to find out where to go look now :panic:
You can't beat the smell :-)
you've got me thinking about colours etc now, getting me into trouble lol
Twinkles
17-10-2010, 01:54 PM
We always have a real tree and it has to touch the ceiling ( it's the rules :laughing: )
The Norwegian spruces are good for not dropping but don't always have the 'proper' shape. They are much more expensive too.
The ordinary ones do drop like mad if you don't keep them watered. But they both smell great.
Not sure how you will get on with one as you like to put your decs up at the beginning of December Hebs. You may need to buy another one halfway through !
LOOPYLISA
17-10-2010, 02:08 PM
We always have a real tree and it has to touch the ceiling ( it's the rules :laughing: )
The Norwegian spruces are good for not dropping but don't always have the 'proper' shape. They are much more expensive too.
The ordinary ones do drop like mad if you don't keep them watered. But they both smell great.
Not sure how you will get on with one as you like to put your decs up at the beginning of December Hebs. You may need to buy another one halfway through !
Bigger the better ;)
PRINCESSDAISYFLOWER
17-10-2010, 02:55 PM
I dont know what I am going to do this year as my 2 yr old ds has developed a huge xmas tree phobia!
mrs_scottydog
17-10-2010, 03:12 PM
We always had a real one when I was younger. Since moving out we've only had one year with a plastic one, as we wanted a tree but weren't at home a lot - it was just wrong! Back to real ones and just get one from a local farm that grows them. You can't beat the smell of a real tree. :) Hx
green puppy
17-10-2010, 03:17 PM
Always had a real tree (unless we've been going away). Brian and his family used to have a Xmas tree field and would be horrified at the thought of a unreal one. Actually so would I..... my dad would spin in his grave!
Brian says Norwegian Spruce.
We have one of these every year, after 2 weeks they still look fresh. Not spiky as said and hardly any needles drop.
PixiePetal
17-10-2010, 03:36 PM
We have either. Artificial in the shed so we are not without one but prefer real. Got new puppy this year so not sure what to have.
We had a traditional tree (forget the name - what we all had in the old days:laughing: ) once - living in an old beamed cottage at the time. It dropped every needle before Christmas eve and we threw it out. Never again :(
So may be a Norwegian or back to the artificial one. Could do with a tall slim one - any ideas??
my decorations are going up on Nov 28th (sunday before the 1st dec)
it is a family tradition to have our decorations up for the 1st :D
Heaven Scent
17-10-2010, 03:54 PM
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH - FINGERS IN EARS - ITS ONLY OCTOBER!!!!!!!!
Monkey1
17-10-2010, 03:59 PM
my decorations are going up on Nov 28th (sunday before the 1st dec)
it is a family tradition to have our decorations up for the 1st :D
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooo
mamasheshe
17-10-2010, 04:07 PM
i get real but i think the trick is to get them late I'm afraid herbs i get mine on my birthday 18th December xx
i get real but i think the trick is to get them late I'm afraid herbs i get mine on my birthday 18th December xx
HEBS
:D
sweets
17-10-2010, 05:23 PM
ha ha ha think we should call you herbs from now on :laughing: :laughing:
i have a really good artificial one that from a small distance looks real, last year tho i decided i would have a real one but couldn't believe the price of them! the cheapest decent one i saw was £35 so im afraid i stuck to my plastic one.:(
karen m
17-10-2010, 05:27 PM
have had both over the years love real but lounge in this house not bes shape or size
Always have a real one, hate the thought of an artificial one, sorry think they are awful.
We make a real occasion of it and all go up to the christmas tree farm, and have a mince pie and a hot choc and buy a couple of new decorations at the same time.
We have to take 2 cars, one for me and the children, and one for hubs and the tree.
Only problem is when you are outside in the open christmas tree farm, you cant judge what they will look like in your house and hubby always insists on a 7ft one!!!!
Usually get it in the middle of december, I hate it when people put their trees up in November, sorry but it is just wrong!!!
Winnie
17-10-2010, 07:39 PM
In recent years we've brought rooted ones in a bucket, last years tree is still alive :clapping: (they only tend to last 2 or 3 years in a bucket-even if i repot them). It cost about £25 and was about 3 feet tall, its at least 4 ft tall now.
Usually get it in the middle of december, I hate it when people put their trees up in November, sorry but it is just wrong!!!
we have ALWAYS had the tree up for the first of dec...
before i was born my gran was in hospital dying of bowel cancer, and my 2 older siblings were upset about her being ill, my mum put the xmas decorations up early to cheer them up, they had been up a few days when suddenly the tree fell over for no reason, within seconds of the tree hitting the floor the phone rang, it was the hospital saying my gran had passed away in her sleep .. this was on the 1st dec, my mum swears it was my grans way of saying goodbye so we ALL put our decorations up before the 1st of december.
:thumbsup:
zillervalley
17-10-2010, 07:58 PM
great reason to do so too hebs
for the years before I minded I put mine up in November, its only been since I minded that I put it up on the first Sunday Of December
ziller
LOOPYLISA
17-10-2010, 09:07 PM
First week of dec here :-)
sweets
17-10-2010, 09:08 PM
mine usually goes up about 10 days before but comes down day after boxing day as im fed up of it by then :laughing: i can't stand clutter :panic:
mushpea
18-10-2010, 06:07 AM
we have artifical cause i think its such a waste of all those lovley trees,, we did used to have a real one when i was little but dad would plant it in the garden after christmas then each year they would pot it up, put in the green house for a few days then the conservatory then the house to climatize it, then do it all in reverse after christmas.
ours go up the weekend before christmas ususaly although again this year i have go termtime only mindess that would miss out on our decs so they are going to make a hand print tree and make decos to put on that which will go up on the 1st dec.
mama2three
18-10-2010, 07:57 AM
Our family tradition was for the tree to go up after us kids were in bed on Xmas eve. So we went from 'normal' on xmas eve to a real wonderland on xmas morning - tree , decs , cards , presents. i think my mum was just about in bed when we all got up!
Im afraid Ive bucked the trend as I like the tree up mid december - Its an artificial one though. Id always wanted a real one , and one year bought a lovely one - it fell over twice and broke lots of my decs , it shed needles everywhere , and wasnt quite the right shape. ive stuck to my fake one ever since.
It does have to reach the ceiling - its the law!!
LOOPYLISA
18-10-2010, 08:41 AM
Our family tradition was for the tree to go up after us kids were in bed on Xmas eve. So we went from 'normal' on xmas eve to a real wonderland on xmas morning - tree , decs , cards , presents. i think my mum was just about in bed when we all got up!
Im afraid Ive bucked the trend as I like the tree up mid december - Its an artificial one though. Id always wanted a real one , and one year bought a lovely one - it fell over twice and broke lots of my decs , it shed needles everywhere , and wasnt quite the right shape. ive stuck to my fake one ever since.
It does have to reach the ceiling - its the law!!
My step childrens mum does this , they go to bed and when they wake and come down its transformed ! the fairys did it in the night, not sure they believe it now they are 16 and 13 :D
sillysausage
18-10-2010, 10:23 AM
I love a real christmas tree. I agree with others who say don't buy it too soon.
My advice-
1. shop around- often local farms etc sell xmas trees and they are usually far cheaper than garden centres and places like B&Q.
2. When you get it home chop off the bottom couple of inches of trunk and leave it stood in a bucket of water outside for at least 24 hours and definitely until you are ready to trim up.
3. Get a large bucket for the tree to stand in rather than one of those tree stands, use sand, gravel, soil etc to fill it and hold the tree steady. If you want to use a tree stand (for extra stability) place it inside the bucket and back fill with gravel etc and add lots of water. Your tree will need at least 1 pint of water every day!. The main reason for needle shed is the tree drying out, so what ever you can do to keep the tree watered will help.
4. If you can site the tree somewhere cooler, away from radiators etc then try and do so. (we can't our house ain't big enough lol!)
5. water it, water it and water it some more....you wouldn't think of keeping a lovely bunch of flowers in a dry vase, they would die in a few days....same goes for Xmas trees!!!
We get our tree at a weekend around the 14th Dec. We have had low drop ones as well as the usual cheaper ones. I refuse to pay more than £15 for a 6-7ft tree. Last year we had one of the cheaper ones with the little needles that usually drop off pretty quickly. It was inside for 3 weeks and didn't drop many needles at all. Of the needles that dropped off the worst bit of the tree was a branch that had been resting on the radiator (that bit had got warmer and dryer than the rest of the tree).
Heaven Scent
18-10-2010, 12:54 PM
When my two were little I did this but not as late as Christmas eve - I put mine up early to mid dec and they NEVER come down until the weekend AFTER 6th Jan.
Our family tradition was for the tree to go up after us kids were in bed on Xmas eve. So we went from 'normal' on xmas eve to a real wonderland on xmas morning - tree , decs , cards , presents. i think my mum was just about in bed when we all got up!
Im afraid Ive bucked the trend as I like the tree up mid december - Its an artificial one though. Id always wanted a real one , and one year bought a lovely one - it fell over twice and broke lots of my decs , it shed needles everywhere , and wasnt quite the right shape. ive stuck to my fake one ever since.
It does have to reach the ceiling - its the law!!
Annie_T
18-10-2010, 06:41 PM
we have a 4 inch xmas tree that sits in window sill .... we no room anymore for a tree (we only have artifical tree b4) i would like a real tree but no room and 2 cats that would climb in it haha x
loocyloo
18-10-2010, 07:37 PM
we have had real trees, and i grew up with real trees, but i like to put mine up on advent sunday which is 28th nov this year! i do all the decorations then too!
we tried a real tree for the whole of advent -it didn't last! so we go for a pretend tree!
our pretend tree looks very real! last year my mum got some spray that made it smell real :laughing:
Playmate
18-10-2010, 08:39 PM
I love real trees,but they don't love me :( I get a horrible rash if I go any where near the pines, so its artifiaicial for us :D It gets put up at some point in December when I have time :D but certainly not before the begining of advent.
Rubybubbles
18-10-2010, 09:01 PM
I love real trees,but they don't love me :( I get a horrible rash if I go any where near the pines, so its artifiaicial for us :D It gets put up at some point in December when I have time :D but certainly not before the begining of advent.
Me too!
BUT I have had my tree 10 years now and it cost me £20:clapping: how's that for money saving!
I am on the look out for a new one though but:eek: to the prices!!