Christmas Tree real or fake ?

[biggs682]

So how many peeps go for real tree's that can be re planted in the garden

Or do we all go for fake ones ?

We bought a potted one about 10 years ago and it just about got through the first year , so once Christmas was over we planted it in the garden and to our horror it had hardly any if any roots at all . After about 4 years it started to pick up to the extent that i would never bring it back in the house again as i would need a huge pot to get the root ball in .

So once again we will be getting our fake one down from the loft

Would love to hear what others do

And what is best for the planet ?

 

[MontyVeda]

no tree at all

 

[slowmotion]

Real tree. You are actually doing the planet a favour by cutting them down. They give off terpenes which are powerful greenhouse gases.

 

[Rusty Nails]

We have used an artificial tree for several years.

Last year we bought a real tree which we kept in a pot outside the front door. We have kept it outdoors since then and I am considering bringing it inside this year as it has a really good shape.

My wife is worried that this will bring bugs/insects indoors. Is this likely?

 

[sleuthey]

We have a fake one that separates into 3 stacking sections. My little prince turns two at Christmas so we will just put the top 2 sections on top of the chest of drawers so he can't sabotage it.

 

[vickster]

no tree at all

This

 

[Rusty Nails]

I don't have a TV.

 

[slowmotion]

I don't have a TV.

What is this Christmas of which you speak?????

 

[Globalti]

Spruce trees don't harbour much wildlife so I wouldnt worry about insects coming indoors.

 

[Reynard]

A fake one here. The ones in the garden are much too big to bring indoors in any format other than logs for the fire

It's nothing special, just a 2ft tall jobbie that I can put on an occasional table in the sitting room, out of reach of a certain two furry persons. I have a lovely 4ft tree, but it has to go on the floor (low ceilings here chez Casa Reynard) and yes, then the decorations become the world's best ever cat toys.

 

[Beebo]

Christmas trees are a cash crop. Grown to be cut down. I presume the transportation is the issue.

We have two trees, one real, one fake. The cost of a real tree is really high. About £60 for a decent one, so fake is cheaper as long as you reuse it. Probably greener too, if you reuse it for 10 years.

 

[nickyboy]

Take the advice of Alexander O'Neil

 

[tom73]

Fake for us.
Use to love going and hand picking trees for our stock at the nursery. Whole day out in open with noting but trees all round.

If you buy real try and pick your own and get it cut fresh most of the own in stores have been cut months ago and shipped in from Europe and unless you really look after them they never last.
Buying one with in a pot is very much a guessing game. Most will have just been dug up with little root balls and dumped in a pot. If they live is more luck than anything.

The best real option is to rent one. They really are grown in pot you just water them and had them back. They then get grown on for next year or planted out and grown. City farm and community horticulture projects often do them. So not just green option but also helping community too.

 

[Julia9054]

As I am a bit tight, I am always shocked at how expensive Christmas trees are so last year we didn’t bother. I have a twisted willow tree in my garden which grows like buggery so I am always having to have it pruned. This means I have a giant pile of offcuts at the bottom of my garden. The branches are quite decorative so last year I stuck a few in a vase and hung deccies on them.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Another thumbs up for a real tree here, but no trees are harmed in the process as i decorate one of my palm trees i keep inside for the winter! I think i'll trim up my date palm this year as it has spikey leaves not wide flat ones like the one (can't remember its name as it's in Latin) i used last year. With spikes you can get the string on the baubles to fit over them. Most palms don't have a central bit to stick a star or a fairy on,but hey ho,you can't have everything!