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We had to go to three different places before we could find a Christmas tree today. Got a nice, freshly dug,local grown one for only 12 quid in the end, but it made me think I'd like to grow my own for next year. Can anyone tell me when is the best time to plant, what variety I should look for, and where I can buy a baby from?

See the guys you have just got this tree from, you will need to keep it growing for three years to be any size at all. You will really have to plant one a year to keep the continuity going.

Chiltern seeds offer seed for the 8 types of christmas tree.

Abies concolor 'Swift's Silver'
Colorado Fir, White Fir, Silver Fir, Christmas Tree seeds

Abies balsamea
Balsam Fir, Silver Fir, Christmas Tree seeds

Abies procera
Noble Fir, Silver Fir, Christmas Tree seeds

Juniperus virginiana
Pencil Cedar, Eastern Red Cedar, Christmas Tree seeds

Metrosideros tomentosa
New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pohutukawa seeds

Picea abies
Norway Spruce, Christmas Tree (EU species) seeds

Pinus radiata
Monterey Pine, Christmas Tree seeds

Pinus sylvestris
Scots Pine, Christmas Tree (EU species) seeds

What you want is a transplant. Probably a 2+1, which means after the initial year in the seedbed, it was transplanted or lined out, in lines  ;D for two years, then transplanted in lines again for a further year,to give it more room and to break any taproots so fine fibrous roots develop. Thats the technical bit, what I am saying is this 2+1 will be a sturdy plant and will have good roots, ask for about 20cm or 40cm tall. Buy a few as they will not all be identical and one may grow better than another.
They will be bare root and plant any time from now to the spring before the buds flush, so long as the ground is not frosty. Plant at the soil depth it was in the nursery.
Ask for christmas tree provenance plants or they will be skinny and not bushy. These are from selected seed stocks you see.
Noway Spruce is the common one, or Nordman Fir if you want the non needle drop variety. These take twice as long to fill out as the spruce, thats why they cost so much more. Scots pine is also used, it is less prone to aphid damage than the spruce. Scots pine shears well because it will shoot from dormant buds easily, but makes a very dense Xmas tree, it does hold the needles well.
I will look up some nursery  phone numbers for you, and post them tomorrow. They are wholesalers but I think you will find them a friendly lot and like gardeners like others who love trees, especially if they can sell you some.
You may guess I have grown them on a small scale commercially, just a few acres, on a couple of the estates I have worked on  :)

I recently ordered a selection of tree seeds some of which are Christmas ones, my favourite is Blue Spruce. I intene to try to grow them for Bonsai b ut they would equally grow into full size trees given time

Thanks, ipt8. that's really useful.

Ooops, forgot the phone numbers. I am working Monday and will get them then and pass them on   to you.

We have had our tree for four years now - bought it from ASDA as they were closing on Christmas Eve four years back - paid £2.38 - keep it in a big pot out the garden all year and bring it in each Christmas - It has grown about 2 feet since we have had it - by our reckoning we have another two years before it is to big to bring indoors.  £2.38 and lasted four years - NOW THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL MEAN LOL LOL LOL

No rush, ipt- think we might be busy next week!

Vegging I like your style, not mean just very careful, :-*    ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Quote from: Just Vegging Out on December 22, 2007, 13:18:20
We have had our tree for four years now - bought it from ASDA as they were closing on Christmas Eve four years back - paid £2.38 - keep it in a big pot out the garden all year and bring it in each Christmas - It has grown about 2 feet since we have had it - by our reckoning we have another two years before it is to big to bring indoors.  £2.38 and lasted four years - NOW THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL MEAN LOL LOL LOL

I too got mine feom ASDA last year - it cost £6.48 (odd amount??) - and I potted it on and it survived - when I came to bringing it in this year the pot broke as it was so potbound as it had rooted so well - so I repotted it and bought it inside.  Mind you - the new pot cost £6.00 plus two bags of compost for £10.00 - so i'm not quite sure how this is going as far as a bargain goes!  LOL

But at least it's still alive and thriving and isn't heading for the dump!

Louise

Here are some tree nursery numbers. They really deal wholesale but be nice and I am sure they will oblige, and send you plants.

Bear in mind you will be buying bare root stock, they are little more than twigs when bought as transplants but fill out surprisingly in three years or so. Remember to either plant them on arrival or heal them in, which just means put the roots in the ground and cover in soil to keep them from drying out and to keep the frost off. Plant when it is not frosty. Snow is OK but not frost.

My favourite that sells good fibrous rooted transplants - Prees Heath Forest Nurseries Tel: 01948 841353. email: phfn@members.v21.co.uk. You can mention my name.

Woodland Improvement and Conservation Limited. Tel: 01452 832100. email: sales@woodimp.co.uk. website:woodland-improvement.co.uk.

English Woodlands Burrow Nursery. Tel: 01435 862992. email:salesewburrownursery.co.uk.

Hope they are of use.

regards and Happy new year.

Ivor Terry

I was given a 'grow your own Christmas tree' kit from a friend last Christmas (Norway Spruce) and have grown a tiddly little seedling from it but it is only an inch tall after one year. Although it seems very healthy it doesn't appear to be growing very quickly. Maybe this is the correct growth rate but at that rate it will take about 60 years before I could hang one bauble on it!!!  ::)

we got another free babby xmas tree when we bought our cut tree from the local nursery. it's bare-rooted with at least 12" of root system, and the tree is probably about 18" tall. don't know what variety it is though, the needles are thin, green and pointy rather than bluey and rounded...

it's sitting in a buckit in the hall at the moment, but it's yours if you'd like it Caroline (unless you've already got one!)

(will try and post a pic over the weekend)

That's really kind of you, norfolklass. Unfortunately I'm up in Yorkshire, but my husband works in Norwich from time to time. If he's coming down by car any time before next Christmas (assuming you are keeping it) I'll let you know- but don't keep it specially!

I can always stick it in the post... I'm sure it would be fine in a cardboard tube.

(to be honest I'd be glad to get rid of it! we already have one that we got free a couple of years ago that's doing really well outside, and no one else I know wants one. I'd give it to my mum but, with the best will in the world, she'd only kill it!)

Will send you  PM

Quote from: glosterwomble on January 04, 2008, 09:39:59
I was given a 'grow your own Christmas tree' kit from a friend last Christmas (Norway Spruce) and have grown a tiddly little seedling from it but it is only an inch tall after one year. Although it seems very healthy it doesn't appear to be growing very quickly. Maybe this is the correct growth rate but at that rate it will take about 60 years before I could hang one bauble on it!!!  ::)

Hi
Give it a little feed and dont let it dry out nor scorch in the sun.
Ivor

Thanks Ivor, I haven't fed it so maybe that is the answer!

Yes they actually only grow to about between three and eight inches in the first year.
Ivor