Do real xmas trees need water????

Sorry if I am being really thick

I have not had a real tree before but remember back when i was a kid and am sure we never had a tree in a pot of water...it was attatched to a bit of wood!!

But have seen these things that are well expensive (about £30) which hold your tree and water it at the same time. Which sound good but i would rather not spend an extra 30quid at xmas unless i have to!

Or can you buy them potted??

PLEASE can someone explain to the very simple person i am what to do and what to buy before i go insane with all the xmas mayhem!!!! Cheers

1. Yes you do need to water a real cut Xmas tree even if it is a none shed variety
2. Yes you can buy potted, but make sure that they are pot grown otherwise you might as well get a cut one(or so my tree "man" says)

Why not get a realistic artificial one much less trouble

You can get the pots to put them in (the ones with legs, that hold water) for about a tenner!

we never water our trees and they last from mid of dec till little xmas day. i dont like xmas lights and water :S
ATD x

I never watered my cut trees before and never had a problem with the needles dropping (though our house is usually quite cool).

Mind you, the last couple of years we've been really 'ba humbug' and not had a tree at all

We have a stand that takes water so I usually keep a little water around the base. Not chopping the top of the tree also helps it not to drop needles. We've only had one tree that dropped its needles since the non drop varieties like Normand Spruce came in. Good luck.

http://www.christmastreeman.co.uk/Content/default.asp

How fab is that?
Mind you we have a fake one!

When we did have a real one, many mons ago, we had a cut one. My friend said to stick it in a bucket of concrete...it didn't shed one needle...it was amazing. I think it must draw moisture form the concrete...also makes it nice and stable.

Cut a tree and it starts to dry out, but it takes a while. The more water it has, the longer it takes. So a fresh cut tree may last fairly well without water. And maybe concrete is a good way to both supply water and hold the tree up.

At least here, most of the trees are cut in October or early November. Even piled in large piles out of the sun, they are fairly dry by the time they are purchased. So a good supply of water will help preserve them.

So if you are buying a tree off a lot, it may be best to also buy a stand to hold water for it. You may need to add more water every few days to keep it in the best shape.

We buy a "Non-drop" variety that comes already in it's log base. we generally put it up around the 13th and we take it down on 12 th night. We lose a few needles but it is still holding needles till the end, when I SHOVE IT OUT THE WINDOW! .It stands inside a centrally heated house next toa radiator that we have on low. I have never watered a tree yet......Hope that helps.

Cool thanks guys!!! All noted and understood now!!!