Real Christmas Tree Advice Appreciated

prophecy_grrl

Hi all

DH and I will be decorating the house for Christmas next weekend. We would love a real Christmas tree this year, but are worried about our pets. We have cats who I imagine would love to climb it, and a dog who would probably try the same!

My question is this - are the needles from the tree harmful to pets?

Grateful for any advice guys

:xmassmile

cuddlymarm

Hi

We've had a real tree ever since the kids could walk (now 20 and 24) and the only problems we found was that the tree was hard work on the hoover when you remove it and that we shouldn't use lammetta or glass ornaments (we had one cat that absolutely loved eating the lammetta, so we stopped using that) We also don't use chocolate decorations (but that would be the same if we had an artificial tree) so the temptation to climb to get them isn't there.
The pets pinch the odd bauble but as i said we don't use glass one so thats not a problem.

Merry Chrimbo

:xmastree: :xmastree: :xmastree: :xmastree: :xmastree:

Jammygal

You could get a more expensive tree that doesn't drop needles......like a blue spruce......unfortunately you pay for the priviledge ;(

Hapless_2

you could go for a Nordmann fir, they don't needle drop either.

sparklygirl1

Hi we too getting a real tree as our daughter is walking this christmas. I want to know when is the soonest I can put my real tree up. If I put up on 1st will it still be alive until christmas day..........

buxtonrabbitgreen

Hi sparklygirl
We always have a real tree and buy it the weekend before christmas. I tend to find that by new year its about had it and started dropping , even the non drop ones.

ambernora

i want to buy a real tree this year but I can't wait til the week before christmas. Are there any that will last all of december?

sparklygirl1

Should last four weeks with 2 pints of water per day. Should be out of way of heating and heavy traffic areas of home. We are going on Saturday to a forrest to get ours.
Heres a list of places for people
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/HCOU-54VGW5

Codswallop

We get a real tree from a company called pinesandneedles online. They aren't cheap but you do get excellent value for money. Two years running we've bought the tree around the 17th of December and we always wish we'd bought it earlier! There is very little needle drop with them. If I recall, they are Nordman Fir trees. Just remember to keep topping up the water resevoir, particularly if you have the heating up high.

outrageous_monkey

I will be buying our tree this weekend (Nordman) and then it will stand in a bucket of water for a couple of days. Once its taken out and bought into the house, it will be given water twice a day. I did read last year that if you placed a bowl of water under the tree, that was suppose to help too.

prophecy_grrl

Thanks all for your replies - having done some internet research I've decided against a real tree in case puppy tries to eat the needles and damages his throat. He's a mischeivious little thing!

The Wilko value tree will be making a return tomorrow!!!

Cheers

prophecy x