Care of Christmas Trees
Members of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association provide high quality Christmas trees, and their aim is to supply the customer with a tree that is absolutely ideal for the centrepiece of the Christmas celebrations.
Trees which are bought directly from members are grown in accordance with the BCTGA environmental Code of Practice and are guaranteed fresh. Provided care is taken in looking after the tree it should survive for over 4 weeks.
Trees should not be purchased earlier than the 1st December if guaranteed satisfaction is demanded.
Care of the Tree
It is part of the life cycle of the conifer tree that it sheds needles and they will accelerate that shedding particularly if they dry out. Some trees do so more quickly than others. The best way to ensure satisfaction is to care for the tree while it is in your home. A tree should be treated like any plant being brought into a warm, dry atmosphere.
Cut Trees
It is essential that cut trees should be fresh when purchased. The needles should not be dull and dried up. The branches should not be brittle. The outer needles should not fall off if the tree is gently shaken.
After you have bought your tree it should be kept outside in a cool shaded place, preferably standing in water, until it is required indoors. Before bringing the tree indoors it is an advantage if about half an inch is cut off the butt in order to open up the pores of the tree. Mount it in a water holding stand or wedge it in a bucket with pebbles, small stones or screwed up newspaper, and place it away from direct heat. Keep the container topped up with water every day; you will be surprised how much it needs.
Container Grown Trees
These are trees that have been grown for at least one season in their pots. It is often possible to lift the whole root system out of the pot and see the closely woven root which has grown in the pot. The trees themselves should look fresh. The trees will be small and seldom more than three foot. The trees should be watered and cared for as for any house plant.
Blocked Trees
These are cut trees that have been placed in a wooden block. If you do not want to water your tree this is an ideal way to display your tree. However, for extra stability you could put the tree and block in to a larger plastic pot and weighted with bricks. The tree will also be able to be watered then too.