Festive tree markets are about to open (and in some places already have). Do you need to run out to buy a tree right away to get a freshly cut specimen? We advise you to take your time, as even the freshest, healthiest and strongest rootless tree can only last 2-3 weeks in a warm room with all the right care. No matter how ideal the conditions are, after 2-3 weeks it will start to lose its thorns. The exception – Christmas trees with roots in a container. These can last longer, about 2 months.

But you shouldn't delay buying until after the holidays either. If you arrive in the last few days or even hours, the best you'll find are crooked, half-faded, half-rotten and half-rotten tree trees, because the beautiful ones will have sold out. It is better to buy your tree 5 days before the holidays.

How to choose a quality Christmas tree

When you go to a Christmas tree market, look carefully at the specimen you like. The easiest way to determine the freshness and quality of a Christmas tree is to take it by the trunk and, while holding it upright, tap the bottom of the trunk firmly against the ground several times. If a lot of needles have fallen off the tree at once, the tree is not fresh, it was cut a long time ago and it will not give you much pleasure for long. It will wither and fall off within a couple of days. A recently cut spruce tree will either not drop any spines at all, or will drop only a small number. You can also pull firmly with the fingers of your hand along the branch of the tree – the thorns of a good quality fresh specimen will remain on the branch and not on your fingers.

Pull at least one thorn off the branch and rub it between your fingers. The fresh spruce will start to give off a specific spiny smell and a small trace of spruce resin will remain on your fingers. A frozen spruce that has been left out in the cold for too long and was cut down a long time ago can be identified by the uncharacteristic smell of the needles when rubbed on your fingers. These thorns are dry and do not leave resin on the fingers.

Note the colour of the needles on the tree. The needles must never be yellowish. A healthy colour is always a bright dark green. Unfresh fir needles from trees that have been cut down for a long time will turn lighter and then yellow.

Examine the branches carefully. A good quality fresh spruce should have branches that are firm and pointing upwards, not drooping. Branches that have been cut long ago become brittle and break easily from drying out.

It is best if the trunk of the tree is not seriously defective or damaged. Large cracks and wounds in the trunk will accelerate the drying out of spruce trees at home. The trunk section should be light in colour with droplets of resin.

The variety of spruce you buy is also important. It is not recommended to have a blue (silver) spruce in the living room – the smell gives you a headache, even though the thorns do not last long. The most common variety of spruce bought for the festive season is the popular Norway spruce (Picea abies). It does not cause headaches and, with irrigation and watering, can last up to 3 weeks.

Spruce trees with roots and soil in a pot (container) last longest in a heated room. Yes, we sell these too. The root system allows such a tree to retain its needles and forest fragrance for longer. With proper care, such a tree can last in a room for a couple of months, provided that the humidity is kept at the required 50%. Traders assure us that a Christmas tree in a pot can last until spring, but certainly not in a room with dry air during the heating season, but in a cooler and more humid place.

How to care for your Christmas tree to make it last longer

Try not to take your Christmas tree straight from the cold to a warm room. Leave it on a glassed-in balcony, in a tambour or outbuilding overnight first, otherwise the needles will suffer from the sudden change in temperature.

To help your Christmas tree last longer over the festive season, do not place it near radiators, furnaces or other heating devices. Dry indoor air will cause the thorns to fall off even faster. Heating dries out the air in the room, with humidity levels of only around 20-30%, whereas a Christmas tree needs 50-60% humidity.

The medium you put your Christmas tree in is the main factor in how long it will stay green, dry and dead. The simplest but most effective option is plain wet sand.

Before placing the tree in the sand, cut about 10 cm of bark off the bottom of the trunk. This will help the tree to absorb moisture better. Then prepare an aqueous solution by mixing 2 teaspoons of sugar and 2 aspirin tablets. Water the sand thoroughly with this solution and place the tree on it. Don't forget to water your tree regularly – then it will give you a festive mood for longer.