Six weeks before Christmas, the first real trees have appeared at half price on supermarket shelves, reviving an old household argument about when the holiday truly begins. Some families reach for the pine the moment the lights go up in November, while others hold out for the final days before Christmas Eve, and the question is less about decoration than about how much life a cut tree can keep. Experts disagree on how long that life lasts, but they agree on the underlying tension: a tree is a living thing that was cut from its roots, and its freshness is the quiet measure of how the season is
Real Christmas Trees on Sale Six Weeks Out: Experts Say Hold Off Until Late December
Sagging by Christmas Day - big time.
Mark
Tesco is selling real trees six weeks before Christmas. Why is that a story?
Mimi
Because of the price and the timing together. Half-price trees are tempting, but Mick Walker of Bolton Christmas Trees says a cut tree bought now will be sagging by Christmas Day.
Mark
Is that settled, though?
Luke
Not quite. Walker is one grower's view, and he sells trees himself. The RHS says cut trees usually last about four weeks with proper care, which is closer to the six-week window than he suggests.
Mimi
True, and some retailers claim four to six weeks. So the range of claims is wide.
Mark
What does Tesco say?
Mimi
That its trees have care labels meant to keep them looking their best until Christmas Day, and that unhappy customers can return them.
Luke
Worth noting that's a statement about instructions, not a measured result. The reporting doesn't test how the trees actually fare.
Mark
And the 90% sold-out figure?
Luke
That's Tesco's own claim about last year, sold out by the end of November. It shows demand, not how the trees held up.
Mimi
The practical advice is the useful part: water constantly, trim half an inch off the base, keep it cool and away from radiators.
Mark
What about people who want an early tree?
Mimi
Katie McDonald in Belfast put up an artificial one now and plans a real tree later. Potted trees are another route, but the RHS says no more than 12 days indoors.
El Pulso
- Tesco's half-price real trees hit shelves six weeks early, and more than 90% of its stock sold out last year, so the rush has already begun.
- Grower Mick Walker calls the discount "insane," warning that trees bought now will be sagging badly by Christmas Day unless they are potted.
- The Royal Horticultural Society counters that a well-cared-for cut tree should last about four weeks, leaving shoppers caught between early bargains and early drooping.
- Forestry England urges buyers to saw half an inch off the trunk, keep the tree watered and cool, and ignore myths about cola or corn syrup.
- Experts steer households toward waiting until about a week before Christmas Eve, though families who want the tree up sooner can still choose a potted or Nordmann fir and care for it closely.
Six weeks before Christmas, the first real trees have appeared at half price on supermarket shelves, reviving an old household argument about when the holiday truly begins. Some families reach for the pine the moment the lights go up in November, while others hold out for the final days before Christmas Eve, and the question is less about decoration than about how much life a cut tree can keep. Experts disagree on how long that life lasts, but they agree on the underlying tension: a tree is a living thing that was cut from its roots, and its freshness is the quiet measure of how the season is kept.
Tesco has started selling real Christmas trees at half price, six weeks before the big day. Last year more than 90% of its trees sold out by the end of November, and other retailers are following close behind, with some holding back until later in the month.
Households have always argued about when to put up the tree, with some decorating just after Bonfire Night and others waiting for Christmas Eve. For those buying a real tree, the real worry is that the living room will be covered in needles before the holiday arrives.
Mick Walker, whose company grows trees in the Scottish Highlands, says that trees bought now will sag by Christmas Day unless they are potted. He suggests putting one up about a week before Christmas Eve so it lasts through New Year. The Royal Horticultural Society is more optimistic, estimating that a cut tree with proper care should last around four weeks. Tesco says its labels carry care instructions that should keep trees looking good until Christmas Day.
Forestry England recommends trimming half an inch off the trunk when the tree gets home, keeping it watered, and placing it somewhere cool away from radiators. Those who have outdoor space can keep a potted tree outside and bring it in late, ideally the weekend before Christmas.
Some people have their own traditions. Katie McDonald from Belfast, who grew up in a house that always waited until the last minute, plans to get a real tree in good time for Christmas Day. Steve Chapman from Merseyside visits a tree farm in early December each year, choosing a tree from the field and enjoying the scent that nothing else can match.
With half-price trees already on the shelves, shoppers must balance a bargain against freshness. The experts' advice is to wait until December.
Tesco began selling Christmas trees at half price this week, with Christmas Day still six weeks off. The supermarket said that more than 90% of its trees had sold out by the end of November last year. Lidl and some other retailers are launching their ranges next week, while Dobbies Garden Centres is holding back until the last week of November.
The timing of the tree is a question that divides households about as reliably as Yorkshire pudding on the Christmas dinner plate. Some people put one up just after Bonfire Night, some wait for Christmas Eve, and most land somewhere in between. For anyone buying a real tree, though, the date has practical consequences: the worry is that the house ends up carpeted in pine needles by the holiday itself.
Mick Walker, of Bolton Christmas Trees, thinks that worry is justified. His company grows trees in the Scottish Highlands and sends them to homes across the UK. A tree bought now, he says, might last until the start of Christmas but not through the full holiday. Unless it is a potted one, he warns, it will be sagging by Christmas Day, and badly. He calls Tesco's half-price offer "insane" and says it is drawing people into buying something that won't do the job. His own advice is to put a tree up a week before Christmas Eve, which should carry it straight through to New Year.
The Royal Horticultural Society offers a more generous estimate. Cut trees, it says, should usually last about four weeks with the right care, though some retailers claim four to six weeks. Tesco told the BBC that its range includes cut firs as well as potted spruces and firs, and that every tree carries care instructions on its label which should keep it looking its best right up to Christmas Day. The supermarket encourages any customer unhappy with a tree to return it to the store.
Walker's tips for keeping a tree fresh are simple: keep watering it, spray the leaves, and put it in the coolest spot in the room, away from radiators. Forestry England adds that the trunk should be trimmed when you get the tree home. Sawing off about half an inch (1.2cm) from the base removes hardened sap and lets the tree take up more water. The agency also dismisses the idea of adding cola or corn syrup to the water as a myth. Its website says a tree just wants a constant supply of fresh water.
Forester Richard Cooper, of Forestry England, told the BBC that keeping a cut tree outside in a shaded spot might prolong its life, though it depends how keen you are to get it up and decorated. Anyone with outdoor space can also keep a potted tree outside and bring it in each year. The RHS says such trees should come indoors as late as possible, with the weekend before Christmas ideal, and stay no longer than 12 days. If the tree looks unhappy, it should go back outside.
Variety matters too. The Nordmann fir is the most popular tree in the UK and is non-drop, meaning it doesn't shed its needles. Norway Spruce has a strong pine scent but generally should be kept outdoors or put up just before Christmas. Pine trees, Walker says, last longest, though he concedes they lack the classic Christmas look.
Some people have found their own answers. Katie McDonald, from Belfast, put up an artificial tree last week. Her mother always left it to the last minute, she says, so her family was the last house on the street to put one up. She made herself a childlike promise to be among the first once she had her own home. She plans to swap in a real tree in a few weeks so it is in prime condition for Christmas Day.
Steve Chapman, from Merseyside, says his family's season is built on tradition. His children wouldn't settle for only 12 days of Christmas, he says, but it's certainly not two months of it. In the first week of December they visit a local Christmas tree farm, choose a tree from the field and have it delivered the same day. For him, nothing beats the smell of a real tree.
With half-price trees already on shelves, shoppers must weigh a bargain against how long a cut tree will stay fresh, and the experts' advice points to waiting until December.
Citas Notables
It might last until the beginning of Christmas, but it won't last the full holiday.— Mick Walker, Bolton Christmas Trees
Your beautiful tree just wants a constant supply of fresh water - it's that simple.— Forestry England
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