It's been forever since I've had a real Christmas tree, but we're planning to get one this year to celebrate our first Christmas in our new house! I'd like it to last until the beginning of January, so I don't want to buy it to soon then have all the needles falling off before Christmas. When should we plan on buying it so that it lasts?
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I would get it mid December if you want it to last into January?
I haven't had a real tree in forever though, so not sure! -
we always bought ours thanksgiving weekend. also there are different varieties that shed much less needles. we buy ours online though and have it delivered via fedex -- yes even a 10 foot tree!
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We either buy ours Thanksgiving weekend or the first weekend of December and it always lasts.
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@Mrs. Bee: Do you know off hand which varieties shed less needles? And that would be great if we could have it delivered--do you have a company/website you could recommend that you've gotten good trees from? We have really high ceilings in our living room, so we're looking at getting a 9-10 foot tree.
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As the daughter of a Christmas tree farmer, it depends.
Are you going to cut it yourself or go to a local farm where the trees have been cut in the last few days? Purchasing a tree this way ensures that it will have a much longer shelf life. Getting a tree from a place like HomeDepot or Lowes means it was cut a few weeks and will not last nearly as long.
When you're looking at different varieties, the firs tend to last the longest - think concolor fir, fraser fir, and my personal favorite, douglas fir (it has the MOST amazing citrus/fir scent).
Keeping your tree well-watered and displaying it AWAY from a heat source (fireplace, radiator, etc) will also help make it last.
I usually put my tree up a week or two after Thanksgiving and take it down after New Year's. There's some needle loss by that point, but it still looks good.
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@lawbee11: sure this is where we get it from:
http://www.weirtreefarms.com/tree_info.php
we usually get the fralsam! amazing how few needles fall off!
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We usually get ours the second weekend in December. If you do get a tree that's pre-cut, see if they will cut off a couple inches from the bottom - that helps it absorb water and lasts longer.
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@Mrs. Tricycle: We're not going to cut it down ourselves...we live in Houston so I don't think there are any Christmas tree farms around here! I found this Living Social deal--it's $70 for a 7-8 foot Fraser fir and includes delivery. That sounds like a good deal...am I right? You're the expert!
It says delivery is the week of Dec. 3, so it seems like that would be good timing?
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@lawbee11: You'll be fine! If you have a saw around the house, cut off the bottom inch or so of the trunk, and stick it in water right away - that should help. Worse case scenario, you pull out the vacuum every few days to pick up the needles that fall off at the end of the month. If you aren't constantly bumping it or shaking it, it should retain needles pretty well, even once it does start to dry out.
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Yeah, we always get ours the day after Thanksgiving (Fraser Fir) and take it down after Christmas. There's allllways needle loss, but then you get to have a super gratifying vacuuming experience afterwards...
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@Mrs. Bee: Thank you! Those are beautiful...I had no idea Christmas trees were so expensive, though!
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@lawbee11: well they're expensive in new york, and it it cheaper for us to buy online for a big tree. but elsewhere in the states it's probably cheaper to go to a tree lot.
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Thanksgiving weekend and we keep it until jan 1st.
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I'm thinking the first week of December...
@Mrs. Tricycle: thanks for the tips!
Are you going to cut it yourself or go to a local farm where the trees have been cut in the last few days? Purchasing a tree this way ensures that it will have a much longer shelf life. Reply
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