If you get a real Christmas tree

raceyrae

When do you put it up?  I grew up with a fake tree and we would put it and other Christmas decorations up Thanksgiving weekend.  DH and I now get real trees and it worked before when we were in NYC to put it up Thanksgiving weekend because we would go home before Christmas and throw it out at that point (it was always already lossing a ton of needles by then).  It seems the tree only keeps for about 2 weeks, maybe 3. 

So do you put the tree up anyways around Thanksgiving - does it last till Christmas?  If not, when?  Do you put other Christmas decorations up right after Thanksgiving to maximize the Christmas feel for the month or wait till the tree is up? 

MrsMcJamie

Growing up we always got a real tree and put it up Thanksgiving weekend and left it up until New Years (or whatever weekend was in btwn Christmas and NY). I don't remember them dying or shedding needles too badly at all...

Heels.Fan03

I usually start putting up our Christmas decorations (everything but the tree) the weekend of Thanksgiving. We usually get our tree the first weekend after that (first full weekend in December) and leave it up through New Year's - so about 4 weeks. In the past, we haven't had a lot of trouble with it drying out too soon. We try to get a healthy tree, keep it watered and away from any heat vents to keep it from drying out prematurely.

cmbrown

We get ours Thanksgiving weekend.  And it keeps real well til after Christmas!!

akspriss

we usually get ours the weekend after xmas and keep it up till new years. i am usually so busy thanksgiving weekend that we dont get the decorating started till that following week and weekend. we just make sure to check the water every day.

mrsmikey

akspriss:

we usually get ours the weekend after xmas and keep it up till new years. i am usually so busy thanksgiving weekend that we dont get the decorating started till that following week and weekend. we just make sure to check the water every day.

We got a fake tree last year, but up until then we'd always had a real tree.  We did the same as akspriss.  Put it up the first weekend in December (not Thanksgiving weekend, but the next) and left it up until New Year's.  It would stay great through Christmas, but usually by that point I would get tired of watering it and by New Year's it would be done.  If you can go to a choose n cut place, it will last a little longer than a tree that's already been cut. 

raceyrae

Thanks.  I'm notorious for killing plants because I don't water enough so more than likely it sounds like maybe ours isn't lasting as long because of not checking the water enough.  We'll have to be more diligent about it. I think we're going to try for the tree Thanksgiving weekend assuming I don't go into labor so I get an opportunity to go with Natalie to pick it out and decorate.  Once I have my c/s and the baby, it will be harder for me to participate.

BackthePack

akspriss:

we just make sure to check the water every day.

This is the key to it lasting. We used to always get live trees Thanksgiving weekend & my dad insists on keeping up decorations through "Old Christmas" which is sometime in early January. Just water, water, water & it should be fine. 

Yelena1281

we get ours at Thanksgiving weekend or the weekend after that.

A great trick to keep a tree from losing needles is SPRITE- the regular kind. It has sugar (which trees need for food) and acid (which coniferous, aka x-mas trees like). SO- just fill the resevour with it and re-fill as needed (usually every other day I add to it)

 works like magic!

 

MrsHughesNC

Yelena1281:

we get ours at Thanksgiving weekend or the weekend after that.

A great trick to keep a tree from losing needles is SPRITE- the regular kind. It has sugar (which trees need for food) and acid (which coniferous, aka x-mas trees like). SO- just fill the resevour with it and re-fill as needed (usually every other day I add to it)

 works like magic!

 

I've heard this trick too! I've heard it is best if the Sprite is flat.. not sure if that's a fact or not. hehe.

But we get ours T-giving weekend too, and it's definitely shedding some needles by the time New Years rolls around, but is good to go thru Christmas.