Christmas Trees

[Clarice]

Real or Artificial? I love the smell of a live tree but prefer the convenience of the artificial. We use an artificial tree but I add fresh cut boughs to it.

[NJWilk]

We always have a real cut tree in the livingroom, but I put a couple of smaller (2 to 3 foot) artificial trees in other rooms. I picked up an artificial tree this summer at a yard sale that I plan to use on the front porch or elsewhere in my outdoor scene. But if I could only have one tree, it would have to be the real one.

[larry]

I like live trees. BUT I also like the higher quality artificial trees.

I just ordered a new one today. A nice 9 footer.

Should get it right before Thanksgiving.

[CandyCane]

I was a big "only real trees" advocate, but after years of cleaning up pine needles and keeping water in the bowl, I've come to see the benefit of a good quality, pre-lit artificial tree. I do miss the lovely pine smell though.

[Ugly Joe]

I go with artificial too...we have one that is the perfect size for our space (9 foot, but narrow), and it's too hard to get a natural tree that would fit...

...and the fire hazard is considerably lower with artificial..

[Johnny Thunder]

We head to a local farm and cut our own.

[spookineer]

We have 2 pines and 2 fir trees in the front yard, so artificial inside is the way we go. Normaly from 2 to 4 themed trees and of course the Halloween tree!

[HotchocolateDuo]

We use a Artificial. I do add some pine smelling candels to the same room though. Love the smell of them.

[Mummy deer-est]

We do a real tree, every year. And this year we'll plant it in the back yard when all is said and done. But I have no idea how to do that! Any tips?!

Just love the experience of taking the kids to the nursery to find "the perfect" tree.

[Frosty]

To get a mature cut tree to root sounds very very difficult! You can take cuttings from the tree before it starts to dry out and root those in soil in small cups and keep in the light and if they take plant them when it warms up outside :)

[JackFrost]

I have been know to use cammo netting as my tree!

[HotchocolateDuo]

You could ask the guys that sell the trees. They ight have some good advise. Good luck!!

[Mistress Muffy]

We always had real trees in my family. The second year in the diner I bought an artificial one for convience in taking it down. This is a beautiful very full tree & it has to be sturdy cause its darn heavy after I pack it full.

BUT......I do miss the real tree and yes going to pick it out and I would love to cut a tree again. Next year in the candy kitchen I'll buy a real tree. If time allows I might even try a small one this year.

Muf

[lyssa-anne]

HI - opps i actually posted the same question on another page...sorry about that...anyway we always get a real tree but this year I am getting an artifical tree also to put in my kitchen beside the fireplace...(we have a huge kitchen with a floor to ceiling fireplace in it and the first year we moved in I put a tree there and loved it) and then closer to Christmas we will get a real tree for the living room. I also have a few 3 ft. trees that I made outta tomato cages and evergreen garland that I put in different rooms thoughout the house.

[Sickie Ickie]

Neat thinking about the garland and cages as trees. We use only artificial trees, as cleaningup is muuuuuuuuch easier. I like the real ones better though.

[LovingTheHolidays]

We use artificial because we have them and to not use them would seem wasteful to buy a cut tree when we have two artificial ones already. Artificial is alright, though I hate the setup of an artificial, trying to get it to look alright and natural. I definately prefer the look and smell of real, but on another note I don't miss the pine needle cleanup. My son misses going and cutting down a real one, we used to do it every year with him.

[childofthenight]

real for me. I'll say it again, the cats hate it.the little so &sos

[Rod Rego]

Definitely real. I think the look and smell of a real tree makes up for the mess they make.

[Clarice]

The other day hubby asked if I wanted a real tree this year. I of course said no but he said he really wants one this year and wants to go cut one down :eek:! I told him maybe we could find a little one and put it up on a table. We have a heater vent right in front of our front window where I always put the tree. I could just imagine the mess a large dry tree would make. Of course he wouldn't care he's not the one who would have to clean up all that mess :mad:. Between kids, the cat, and the birds I'm going to have pine needles, bird seed and garland all over the house. Even with a small tree. Maybe he'll change his mind when he finds out how expensive real trees are.

[Sickie Ickie]

My brother was always allergic to pine growing up. so we had no real trees until my bro was out of the house.

[Ice Princess]

Real tree for me. We go to the farm and pick it out and cut it down. Me and hubby make a day of it. We go in the morning, pick it out and cut it, bring it home, and then go and get a bit to eat at one of our favorite pubs and then go home to decorate it with Christmas music playing and drinking a bottle of wine. Oh Yeah!!!

[RavensBarrow]

I used live ones for years until we brought one home with poison ivy in it last year. My wife and i got it. Made the whole month sort of suck :eek: I had to drag the wretched thing out and wash the whole place down with bleach. Two courses of Prednisone later I put an artificial one which also goes up today.

[Mummy deer-est]

Oh, poison ivy - ick. That isn't fair! Where did you get the tree from? Did you complain?

[RavensBarrow]

Oh, poison ivy - ick. That isn't fair! Where did you get the tree from? Did you complain?

Ritchey's Christmas Tree Farm in Duncansville, PA. Yeah, I wrote them a friendly letter suggesting that they trim around their trees better and how they turned me officially against live trees. I got no response. I suppose it's my own fault. I should have spotted it because I do know what Poison Ivy looks like. Live and learn I suppose. It is funny when you think about it. Especially when it happens to someone else ;)

[Nephew Fred]

Artifical all the way.I would love a real tree,but here in Nevada,you are lucky to get two good weeks out of them.We have very little humidity here.Also,the cost is waaayyy too much as they ship them in from Oregon.

[Sickie Ickie]

What is the general cost?

[Santa's Elves]

We use real a tree as our main tree with a couple of smaller fake ones here and there around the house. Sometimes we go to tree farms and some we get from tree lots. I think this year we will make a trip to the tree farm, the kids love picking the tree that way.

[Silent Knight]

Real tree here as well, but I have been trying to talk the wife into an artificial one She stands by her decision, so tree hunting I'll go again. I usually try to find one that's taller than I actually need so that [I] can use the extra branches and or trunk to make a center peice for our patio table.

[AngelEye]

Artificial pre-lit all the way. My cats would destroy a real tree I am sure of it. It's all I can do to keep them off of the fake one every year. My Mother in law has investing in a special ornament for us that hangs at the bottom of the tree. "Oh No! Here comes the cat!"

[Sickie Ickie]

There's a how-to on the project page to construct small trees out of clippings from teh larger ones.

[buddytheelf]

The grand tree is a real one, the pavillion one is a fake.

[Carol]

Real one. Every year. The smell is just amazing. I am surprised that so many people have fake trees.

[Sickie Ickie]

Easier to take care of plastic. LOL

[Craig]

We could NOT afford to purchase as many real trees (as Mark likes to put up) each year. Last year we had 9 trees in the house (a house of 1350 square feet, mind you) I love the smell of a real tree, but if you have boughs in the house incorporated into your decorations, you can have the smell without the fire hazard.

Shucks, NOW I am wanting to decorate (again!):):):)

[Mr. Griswold]

I have to have a real one. There is something sentimental about hiking through 3ft of snow, freezing myself and falling down slopes trying to just reach that perfect tree. I have never actually had a fake tree only the real deal.

[cougar1217]

Real one for us. It is just a great tradition to drive up in the mountains, hike thru the snow, drink hot cocoa, and pick out a tree that is always way bigger than you thought it was.