Cut trees
Most real Christmas trees sold in the UK are cut trees: grown in a plantation for seven to ten years, then cut at the base. At a farm you can cut one yourself, choose a growing tree for staff to cut, or pick from freshly cut trees in the yard.
Cut trees give you the widest choice of size and shape, and they are usually the cheapest for their size. Kept in a stand with plenty of water, a fresh Nordmann or Fraser fir will easily last four to five weeks indoors.
After Christmas, most UK councils collect real trees or have drop-off points in January, and turn them into chippings or compost. Take off all decorations, tinsel and any metal or plastic first.
Container-grown trees
A container-grown tree has spent its whole life (or several years) in a pot, so its roots are intact. It can go back outside after Christmas, either in its pot or planted in the garden, and some can be brought indoors again the next year.
They are smaller and slower-growing than cut trees, and they don’t like a warm room for long. Most growers suggest keeping one indoors for no more than about ten days to two weeks, in the coolest spot you have, away from radiators. Water it so the compost stays moist but not waterlogged.
Potted trees
A potted tree is usually a field-grown tree that was dug up and put in a pot shortly before sale. It looks like a container-grown tree, but much of its root system was cut when it was lifted, so it is less likely to survive being planted out. Treat it like a cut tree that happens to come in a pot, and ask the farm how it was grown if replanting matters to you.
Tree rental
A few farms rent out living trees in pots. You collect the tree in December, look after it over Christmas and return it in January, when it goes back into the field to keep growing. Some families rent the same tree year after year. Rental trees need booking early, as numbers are limited.
Which should you choose?
- For a big, full tree at a good price: cut.
- For a smaller tree you can keep in the garden: container-grown.
- For a tree that goes back to the farm: rental, where offered.
Whichever you choose, read our tips on keeping your tree fresh, and find a Christmas tree farm near you.