How long your tree lasts will depend on what type you have and how well it is treated. Perhaps surprisingly, cut trees can stay in the house longer than living trees.
Cut Christmas trees - four to six weeks
If cared for properly, a real Christmas tree that is cut should last up to four weeks – great news for people who like to put up their Christmas tree early. Some have been known to last as long as six weeks.
Here’s five tips to keep yours going as long as possible:
- Choose a healthy tree – pick one that’s got glossy needles and shake it to check they aren’t already dropping off.
- Keep trees away from fires and radiators, this can cause them to lose moisture and drop their needles.
- Saw off the bottom of the trunk when you get it home to help it absorb water.
- Put your tree in a stand or pot that can hold water.
- Top up the water daily.
Living potted Christmas trees - up to 12 days
If you have a living tree in a pot, it’s best to only bring them inside for up to 12 days. Any longer and living trees can start to suffer and might not thrive once you put them back out into the cold.
If you’d like to use your living tree for years to come, take care to choose one that’s been grown in the pot, rather than uprooted from the ground. The less upheaval it goes through, the better.
Need to buy a Christmas tree?
We still have a selection of real Christmas trees available from as little as £15 at our site in Mark and for a small charge we can even deliver it to you. We also have plenty of well seasoned, ready to burn logs available to keep you warm over Christmas and if you buy 1m³ we'll give you a free bag of kindling. Contact us today for more details.
Recycling Christmas trees
Once Christmas is over and your cut tree is no longer needed, there's a number of ways to recycle it:
- Take it to your local recycling centre
- If you have an open fire, saw it up into logs (be careful if burning the braches – they can give off sparks)
- Have it chipped at a local garden center and use it for garden ground cover