Spruce Up: How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Looking Good

Photo: Getty

First off – look out for a non-drop variety of tree if you can. The Nordmann Fir is sometimes known as the ‘non-drop’ tree because it has excellent needle retention.

Even when the tree starts to dry, you’ll find it still manages to hold onto all of its needles. They are also known to stand up to heat a lot better than some of its rivals, such as the Norway Spruce.

However it never hurts to give your tree a little extra care, regardless if it is non drop or not, so here are three further easy-to-follow tips to keep your tree wonderfully bushy and in picture-perfect shape.

1 Choose the Right Spot
Although grown all over Britain, the Nordmann Fir tree is native to the mountainous regions of Eastern Europe and thrives in cool climates. To keep your Christmas tree as fresh as possible throughout the Christmas period choose a spot for it that is out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources (like radiators or fires).

2 Prepare your Christmas Tree
If you’ve purchased your Nordmann Fir Christmas tree from us then your tree will be freshly cut and the end of the trunk trimmed the day before delivery to allow your tree to absorb the water it needs to stay fresh right over the festive period.

If you’ve purchased your tree elsewhere, we recommend cutting 1cm – 2cm (1”) from the base of the tree before putting it into a water-retaining stand. This removes any dried-out wood or sap and helps the trunk absorb water more efficiently.

Once you have secured your tree in its stand, carefully remove the netting. The branches will need a few hours to settle into their natural position, so don’t be tempted to decorate straight away.

3 Water your tree
Like all plants, Christmas trees need water to survive. You must water your Norman Fir cut Christmas tree correctly to keep it as fresh and healthy as possible. We recommend you use a stand that can hold water. This makes the watering process much easier and less messy, and time-consuming.

If you don’t use a stand that can hold water, you might be faced with the cumbersome task of moving your tree outside to water it. The water in the stand should be kept full at all times.

Watering your tree every day will keep it looking plump and full. Just remember that little and often is the key here, so keep checking to make sure that your Christmas tree isn’t drying out.

How can Britons be more sustainable at Christmas when it comes to their trees?
While the idea of taking a tree and cutting it down doesn’t necessarily bode well with a better environment at first glance, the reality is that a real tree is actually better for the environment versus a fake one.

According to Dr John Kazar at the Carbon Trust, an artificial tree has a carbon footprint of around 40kg; which is twice as much as the average real tree that ends up in landfill, at around 16kg.

So we would always suggest choosing a real tree and, if possible, one grown in Britain. Source your tree responsibly – we’ve ensured that 10 trees are planted for every Nordmann Fir ordered from us. All of the trees are delivered in 100 per cent electric vans. We’re also proud members of 1% for the Planet, committing one per cent of our revenue to environmental charities each year.

And then, remember to recycle properly and in accordance with what your council does – you can check the right way to recycle your tree on your local council’s website.

We’re also finding that shoppers are increasingly looking for pot-grown trees. This year we’re delighted to be able to offer an enchanting Blue Spruce alongside our traditional Nordmann Fir offering.

A living and pot-grown tree, if looked after properly, could potentially last years and years, and you can even plant it in the garden.

They are also miniature, which is very on-trend at the moment and looks perfect on a mantlepiece or coffee table: it hits the right spot for small-space living.

thestem.co.uk