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Grow Your Own Christmas Trees
Christmas trees are traditionally coniferous species of the northern hemisphere, in particular those species found in Scandinavia and North America.
It takes approximately 7 years for a Norway Spruce or Nordmann Fir to attain 6 ft (1.8m) in height from seed. 6ft is an ideal height for most home owners. Therefore, in rotation, by planting one tree each year for 7 years it is possible for the home owner to harvest a tree each Christmas for their own use Saving perhaps £35 per year.
Christmas trees are relatively speaking, trouble free to grow and can be grown in almost any soil type although they do prefer acidic soils. Most conifers do not thrive on chalky or alkaline soils. However, for those that live in chalky regions or on strictly alkaline soils, you can use the Serbian Spruce (Picea Omorika), one of the more commonly found Christmas trees in garden centres. The natural range of Serbian Spruce is the chalky soils of the upper Drina valley in Bosnia-Herzegovina, so it is suitable for alkaline soils in Great Britain.
Christmas trees grown in the garden can also be left standing and decorated each year to expand your Christmas spirit to sprucing up your garden.
Alternatively you can grow Christmas trees in large pots, moving them indoors during the Christmas period then back outside by the twelfth night of Christmas, January 5th.
Despite all this, the most interesting aspect of growing Christmas trees is choosing your preferred species. Take a look at the table at the bottom of this page to make an informed choice.
All manner of coniferous trees could be used at Christmas, why not grow something unusual, perhaps a Western Hemlock or Coastal Redwood.
Sourcing seeds and plants
Seeds can be sourced from online seed merchants. However if you know of a cone bearing Spruce, Pine or Fir tree in your garden or locally, you could collect the seed. The seed is best collected in the autumn. For good pollination and therefore maximum viability of seeds it is better to source seeds from a group of trees of the same species. Although most conifers are self fertile, effective pollination requires many trees in close proximity, within 300ft (90m). If the papery wing of the seed does not have an embryo, it has not been pollinated and therefore not a viable seed.
Cut ripe cones from the tree or collect ones that have recently fallen, place in a paper bag or on a seed tray lined with paper and allow the cones to dry at room temperature until they are fully open or with Firs use your hands to break them apart. Trapped seeds can be removed by shaking cones within a bag or by using tweezers.
Visit our propagation page for further information.
If you would prefer to buy a potted conifer, small 2 to 3 year old plants can sometimes be seen, out of season, at garden centres.
Planting
When sowing seed, sow in pots or trays in February/March or from September to November. Once germinated allow the seedling to grow for at least one year before planting out. An ordinary multi-purpose compost or homemade compost is suitable for potting on.
Plant trees in early spring from March to May or during autumn and water regularly until established.
Give your Christmas trees plenty of room to grow. Plant in a well lit area with no overshadowing trees. Decide how big you want your trees to grow to. If a 6ft (1.8m) tree is required a spacing of 3m is adequate. It is important to give trees plenty of room so they can develop a regular and even shape.
Pruning and maintenance
The only pruning required will be to remove dead branches or any unwanted leaders, if more than one leader develops (leading shoot of the main trunk).
Transplanting established conifers is less likely to be successful than with deciduous trees. This is because conifers are usually evergreen and therefore never completely dormant. If you must, it is important to transplant during the winter when growth and activity within the tree is at its’ slowest.
| Name | Origin | Habit | Needles | Eventual height (M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norway Spruce (Picea abies) | Scandinavia, Alps and Balkans | Dense, formal | 1.5 -2.5cm long, sharp, start to drop within 2 weeks of being indoors. | 50-70 |
| Nordmann Fir (Abies nordmanniana) | North East Turkey and Caucasus Mountains | Dense, formal | 2-3.5cm long, blunt, retains needles for many years after being cut. | 60 |
| Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) | Appalachian Mountains, USA | Dense, Formal | 2.5cm long | 25 |
| Serbian Spruce (Picea omorika) | Bosnia-Herzegovina | Dense, formal | 2.2cm long, bunt tips. Needles drop within a few weeks | 30 |
| Blue Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens ‘glauca’) | United States of America | Dense, formal | 2cm long, stiff and sharp. Needles will drop within a few weeks of being indoors. | 28 |
| Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) | Scotland, Northern Europe and Russia. | Open, irregular/formal | 5-7cm long, not sharp but pointed. Needles may last several months. | 40 |