Christmas Trees on Uplands Road.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Does anyone plant their tree in the garden after Christmas and re-use them, or does everyone chip/dump them ?

[Moos]

We've got one in our garden that someone obviously piously planted after Christmas. It looks hideous and I'm looking forward to getting rid of it. They just aren't that decorative without all the jolly witch balls and things on.

Does anyone else have real candles on the Christmas tree? Mr. Moos put his foot down re: electric lights on the tree on our first married Christmas, and though I had my doubts I'm a total convert now - real candles look so pretty!

[SeanMacGabhann]

pictures!

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Okay Moos, is your real name Meg, Jo, Amy or Beth?

[Moos]

I'll take some to post on here on Christmas Eve when we crack open a bottle of red, stick on the Christmas Oratorio, finish hanging up the witchballs and finally light the candles for the first time.

Cross-posted with PGC - I'm not dead or artistic so I guess I must be Jo. But I'm not sure I'm much of a Good Wife, poor Mr. Moos.

[annaj]

Sean, I've tried to grow a small potted tree outside after Chritsmas before and it doesn't work very well.

Apparently, it's to do with them having got used to being all warm in the central heating and not liking the shock of the cold when they go outside again. Or at least that's what my mum said. Whatever the reason it went brown and died pretty quickly.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

So that's why you don't have long hair!

[Lizziedjango]

Good post Gerrard and most informative.

[Moos]

Ah-ha - you can have ours, Annaj!

I might have long hair. This could be a wig.

This thread is so heading for the Lounge. Sorry about that. Thought my candles question was relevant if slightly tangential.

[Sue]

annaj Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sean, I've tried to grow a small potted tree

> outside after Chritsmas before and it doesn't work

> very well.

> Apparently, it's to do with them having got used

> to being all warm in the central heating and not

> liking the shock of the cold when they go outside

> again. Or at least that's what my mum said.

> Whatever the reason it went brown and died pretty

> quickly.

xxxxxx

I worked in a plant centre once which sold Christmas trees at Christmas.

There is a difference between trees which are

a) grown in the pot

b) dug up with all or most of their roots intact and potted up for Christmas sale. What they are potted in may not be decent compost, in fact I have known trees potted up in sand.

c) dug up with most of their roots cut off to fit in the pot and potted up for Christmas sale.

If you got one of the b) kind, it would survive for a while but then die because the potting medium would not keep the tree going for any length of time.

If you got one of the c) kind, it died because it couldn't sustain itself, having insufficient roots left to take up water and nutrients.

Also, you shouldn't just shove a potted tree outside in one fell swoop, you need to acclimatise it gradually, so for example put it outside during the day and bring it inside in the evening for a while. Bit like hardening off bedding plants which have been grown inside.

[Pippo Inzaghi]

After the trees on Lordship Lane getting gradually more expensive each year, we did the same and last weekend popped into Homebase to find a lovely 6ft Norway Spruce for ?9.98. True, the needles drop a bit and we had to find a stand (from an old xmas tree at the bottom of the garden...) but with the lights now on it and a few baubles strategically placed, tis truly a handsome beast.

[RosieH]

Yes yes, I saw This Morning this morning and that's exactly what they said - acclimatise - tis the shock that kills them.