Christmas tree survival guide
Fed up with needles on the floor? Read our guide to stop the drop, so your tree will make it to the 12th Night fully-clothed!
We buy eight million Christmas trees every year in this country – enough to fill a forest the size of 800 football pitches. But these days there is a wide range of varieties available to satisfy demand. The non-drop tree is worth the extra money but you can’t beat the smell of the traditional Norway Spruce.
You can make your tree what ever the variety last longer by looking after it’s two key needs: cool temperatures and plenty of water. Bringing it into the house early means it’s more likely to shed needles than if you stay with tradition and only bring it in on the 24th. And while it’s easy to forget to water the tree with all the excitement, if you don’t your pressies will be adorned with more than just wrapping paper on Christmas morning.
Top Tips to Stop the Drop:
1. Buy from a ‘choose-and cut’ plantation. Walk the rows of live trees, choose your tree and it’s felled for you. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association website lists sites near you – christmastree.org.uk
2. Try a pot-grown tree. Ideal if you only bring your tree in for the 12 days of Christmas, and you have somewhere cool to keep it. In January move it to a sheltered area outdoors and water well.
3. Inspect your tree before buying. Gently inspect the needles at the tip of the branches. If they fall off when you brush past them choose another tree.
4. Treat your tree like a cut flower. Saw off the bottom 2cm from the trunk and scar the bark on the lower part of the stem. This removes the sticky sap, which blocks up the stem, letting the tree absorb more water.
5. Thin out crowded branches. Before bringing the tree inside, cut off congested branches. This gives it a more graceful shape and slows the rate of water loss from leaves.
6. Plunge the base in water. Stand your tree in a bucket filled with pebbles and water, or select a stand that holds water. Top up every few days throughout the season.
7. Shake the tree outside. This will knock off loose or dead needles, before the tree comes into the house, which is especially important with the Norway Spruce.
8. Keep it cool. The best spot to put your tree is in a cool room, away from drafts and heat sources. Also turn off your fairy lights at night, as the heat they produce dries out the needles.
December is the month to…
Make a clean sweep for the New Year by clearing away the last remnants of autumn. Move patio pots aside and collect remaining leaves, before thoroughly cleaning the paving. Dirty surfaces can be slippery when wet, so blast away grime using a pressure washer. Repeated use can damage worn surfaces, so use your washer with care. Treating fences, sheds and other timber structures with stains and preservatives will give them the protection they need, to see them through the harsh winter.
Remember to feed & water your garden birds this winter
Other garden jobs to do this month include:
- Protect pots from frost by wrapping them in bubble wrap & moving them to more sheltered areas
- Improve bare border soil by mixing in compost to prevent moss growing and improve drainage
- If snow falls, knock it off conifers and evergreen shrubs to prevent bending and breaking branches
- Store hosepipes inside over winter to prevent them freezing and getting damaged
- Provide water and food for birds this winter and they’ll repay you by controlling plant pests
November is the month to….
November is the month to…
November is a great month to take stock of your garden and plan for the following year. Take a good look round and decide what you would like to change and plan the plants you would like to include in next year’s garden.
Any trees or shrubs that you would like to move can be safely transported now and perennials can also still be planted. Roses respond well to planting this time of year, whilst the soil is still warm enough to encourage a little root growth.
Be sure to look out for Hedgehogs before lighting your bonfire
Any plants appreciate being well watered before planting. Stand bare root roses and trees in a bucket of water for an hour, and if the dry weather continues, watering may be required after planting.
If you are planning a bonfire night party in your garden, have a thorough tidy up beforehand and remove any fallen branches or debris to reduce the risk of guests tripping over in the dark. Check for hedgehogs before lighting your bonfire also.
Enjoy the fireworks!
October is the month to….
The autumn is now definitely here for real, and already there’s a chill in the air and the nights are drawing in. It’s a beautiful time of year however, with strong sunlight and the trees changing colour. Sometimes it may seem pointless raking, when the wind blows even more leaves onto the lawn, but just think of all the lovely leafmould you can make.
Raking autumn leaves seems never ending
Spring and autumn are two of the most industrious times of the year in the garden and it is worth thinking about one when you are working during the other. Bulb planting is a good example, and now is the time to think about how to light up the garden when it wakes after hibernation. Bulbs are incredible value, for they have instant impact, but it is always better to buy few varieties and larger numbers of each. Think 10s and multiples of 10 for a generous effect in pots. Think 100s (buy wholesale, anyone can if the numbers are large enough) if you are planting in grass, and look into the right varieties. The smaller-flowered Narcissus cyclamineus hybrids such as “Jack Snipe” have fine foliage and so are easily incorporated, and there are early, mid-season and late varieties to keep the display working from late winter until May.
The earlier you plant bulbs the better, for the soil is still warm, and getting the roots established before the weather closes in will help them fight wet and rot. That said, tulips are happy to go in as late as the end of November, so leave them until last. The general rule is that bulbs should be planted at two and a half times their own depth, and if you are planting in drifts, work on the principle that if you threw them in the air, you would plant where they landed.
October is the perfect time to plant Spring Bulbs
Top 10 things to do this month
1. Clear up fallen autumn leaves regularly
2. Cut back perennials that have died down
3. Divide herbaceous perennials and rhubarb crowns
4. Move tender plants, including aquatic ones, into the greenhouse
5. Plant out spring bulbs
6. Harvest apples and pears
7. Prune climbing roses
8. Order seeds for next year
9. Last chance to mow lawns and trim hedges
10. Renovate old lawns or create new grass areas by laying turf
