There’s no benefit to waiting weeks before buying a Christmas tree as all trees are cut at around the same time in late October. Choosing early means you have the widest choice available and can start caring for your tree as soon as possible.
Measure the space you want your tree to occupy before purchasing it. Many people have no idea how high their ceiling is and get over ambitious when choosing their tree size. Remember the stand will add an extra 6 inches to the height: you don’t want to compromise the shape of the tree by cutting the top off.
City dwellers especially need to consider space and accessibility when choosing a tree. If you live in a terraced house or flat, consider how wide your doorways are and the staircases you might have to climb with your tree – you don’t want to have to drag a 6ft tree up ten floors.
Putting practicality to one side (as we often do at Christmas) if you live in a period townhouse then take advantage of your lovely high ceilings. Go bold on height and choose a tall, slim tree that will look striking without taking up all of the space in the room.
Choosing a tree that isn’t wrapped in netting will allow you to see the shape and ensure its branches aren’t bent upwards. Trees left in netting aren’t able to benefit from air circulation and begin to form a micro-climate. This means the tree warms up, drops needles and decomposes at a much quicker rate.
The tree’s needles should be dark green and waxy to the touch. Stroke the tree to see if its needles come off easily and if they do, select another which isn’t shedding needles so readily. If you’re concerned about needle-dropping, choose a variety of tree such as the Nordman Fir, which is known to retain its needles.
Keep your Christmas tree
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