Growing Christmas trees

[Growing4twins]

Im so hoping ill get some responces to this thread  :P  I thought about trying to grow a couple of chrimbo trees on my plot to sasve me a bit of money in 3 or 4 years time.  I could really do with some top advice on which varity to go for, i was looking @ Welsh blue noble fir, it seems quite a compact & bushy tree from the pics ive seen.  Also has anyone else grown thier own?

[Growing4twins]

[Macy]

It depends on what size you want, but I would think the 3 to 4 year time frame is a bit optimistic. The standard noble fir is quite slow to get going in my experience (not for christmas trees, just for shelter belt), but then start shooting up. However, maybe you'd take better care of them than me. If you can source them in small enough quantities they shouldn't be much money - here in Ireland I think I got them for €5 or €6 per 10.

[OllieC]

15 years ago, the standard calculation from someone I know who grew them to sell was 1 foot per year, selling for £1 a foot. That's for the bog standard Christmas tree - (Norwegian Spruce?).

I think knowing that you grew the tree would add to the satisfaction too & you can't really put a price on that.

[betula]

That is true Ollie  :)

I have give up on a real tree at Christmas.......just decided they were too messy.

The prices at Blooms garden centre were eye watering   :o :o :o

[Growing4twins]

They have got some in stock @ wilkinsons for £18, which are rooted & a decent size which i didnt think was all that bad, considering my neighbour brought hers for £35 & it cant be much taller than 4 foot.  I was looking on ebay @ the cost of seeds & i found 50 seeds for 99p, i recon @ that price they are worth a bash. Person who sells thenm seems to think they grow @ 12 to 18 inches a year.  Even if it does take me a few years to get one for a decent size i think it will be worth it. 

[Borlotti]

My lovely Xmas tree, grown in a pot, in the front garden for two years and then planted at the allotment, seems happy there.  Do I dig it up and put it in a centrally heated room or leave it and get the imitation tree out of the loft.  This is the first Xmas tree that I have planted out and it has grown, although it looked a bit sad in the summer (when it was very hot, and no rain) do you believe it.  Perhaps next year, when I am rich and have a bigger house will pot in up and bring it indoors.   Still waiting for the snow forecast at 6 pm.

[OllieC]

Oh, and if I wanted a few for the garden I'd go for a walk in a pine forest and help myself to the seedlings growing along the edge that will be killed anyway...

[Growing4twins]

Now thats a good idea Ollie, unfortunatly i dnt live by any forests, so its back to the seeds on Ebay.

[PurpleHeather]

Some years back they could not retail them at £5 each so the growers were getting diddly nothing and gave up growing, hence the shortage this year and exhorbitant prices.

So, now there will be growers all over working out how much profit they will get planting a few thousand  firs and starting off their newbie trees..  In 5-7 years time there will be another glut.

As for growing your own, are you going to keep it in the garden and decorate it?

Digging up a tree, roots and all  to bring indoors with the intention of replanting it in January...You just wait until you see the size of those roots........

Nah, get one of those nice plug in ones.

[chriscross1966]

We used to do it when we lived in the country, there were two trees that in alternate years were dug up , put in a big pot and brought in for two weeks, then planted back out again.... they survived it OK but didn't grow as fast as a normal treee.... when they went out they got a couple of shovels of muck and compost chucked around them and some bone meal....

chrisc

[Growing4twins]

Well my seeds came thru, just got to germinate them & give it a go.  If it dosent work i ve only lost £2 so i cant really complain.  A freind of mine recons that your not allowed to plant them on your allotment as trees are classed as a perminant fixture.  So im on the hunt for some big pots & i think ill grow them in the pots & see how they go.  I doubt ill have very big trees but @ least i'll have given it a go!

[lewic]

I wouldnt be too happy if someone planted one on a plot near mine. They grow really fast and get enormous - dont take it out of the pot!!

My downstairs neighbour rescued a small potted xmas tree and planted it in our back garden. In 10 years it has grown to 2 stories high and will soon be blocking my light. Looks lovely at  the mo though...