If you get a real tree every year, can you get it this week and keep it until 12/25? Or is there a time limit?

[Anonymous]

+2. It’s not about aesthetics. Real trees are beautiful and smell great. They ARE a fire hazard even doing everything right. Google the videos of how fast those things burn up. It’s FAST.

I always remember that MD family a few years back. Grandparents and several grandchildren killed by a tree fire. Not taking that chance when there are plenty of fire resistant and lively artificial trees out there.

[Anonymous]

We get our tree the Sat after Thanksgiving. We water it when it needs it, and get rid of it the first weekend after New Years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+2. It’s not about aesthetics. Real trees are beautiful and smell great. They ARE a fire hazard even doing everything right. Google the videos of how fast those things burn up. It’s FAST.

I always remember that MD family a few years back. Grandparents and several grandchildren killed by a tree fire. Not taking that chance when there are plenty of fire resistant and lively artificial trees out there.

The story also mentions that the MD family watered weekly and if you water daily this would not happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How early is too early for a real tree? Coworker told me it can easily catch fire if you get it too early and it dries out.

2025?

[Anonymous]

Water it daily. It may be crispy and needles falling off by Christmas but you could get it now.

[Anonymous]

There is a difference in smell and feel between a fresh tree and a dry tree. Learn to tell the difference. And always turn the lights off. I would only leave the lights on all day for like Christmas Eve and Christmas. Supervise your tree. Put the lights on when you are there enjoying it. If you can't watch it, leave the lights off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We buy precut trees at Lowe’s or Whole Foods. Some years we’ve gotten trees that stayed nice for weeks. Some years we’ve gotten trees that looked fine at the tree lot, but never drank a bit of water (even though they do cut off the base of the trunk at the time of purchase), and they dried out immediately. Most years, the tree is getting dry by Christmas but still looks okay. If you’re making sure the tree stays watered, using strings of lights that aren’t old, and making sure the lights are unplugged when no one is around the tree, the fire risk isn’t that high. When the lights aren’t even plugged in, the tree is not going to spontaneously burst into flames.

Thanks PP! Op back. Ah! Ok, my coworker described it as a giant match but this is good to know about the lights. When I have had fake trees I have kept the lights on overnight. I never would have thought about this! Thank you!


Thank you other pps too! We live in an apartment without a balcony and a unit across the building suffered a catastrophic fire one year when their tree caught fire from fireplace. I am not sure of specifics . But I’m learning a lot reading up on real tree maintenance.

A real tree is a huge fire hazard and a TON of work. I would stick with artificial. It’s like getting a dog - most people have no clue what they are signing up for.

LOL it's really not that big of a deal. You do have to remember to water it but once Christmas is over and the urgency is gone, you skip a couple of days and the next thing you know, you allow yourself to willfully neglect it. We usually get a fresh tree and then don't take it down until the end of January. The needles are everywhere and the worst part is dragging it out and having to clean up the trail of needles inside and out the door. Haven't had a fire yet, though.

A real tree is so, so much better than a fake tree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We buy precut trees at Lowe’s or Whole Foods. Some years we’ve gotten trees that stayed nice for weeks. Some years we’ve gotten trees that looked fine at the tree lot, but never drank a bit of water (even though they do cut off the base of the trunk at the time of purchase), and they dried out immediately. Most years, the tree is getting dry by Christmas but still looks okay. If you’re making sure the tree stays watered, using strings of lights that aren’t old, and making sure the lights are unplugged when no one is around the tree, the fire risk isn’t that high. When the lights aren’t even plugged in, the tree is not going to spontaneously burst into flames.

Thanks PP! Op back. Ah! Ok, my coworker described it as a giant match but this is good to know about the lights. When I have had fake trees I have kept the lights on overnight. I never would have thought about this! Thank you!


Thank you other pps too! We live in an apartment without a balcony and a unit across the building suffered a catastrophic fire one year when their tree caught fire from fireplace. I am not sure of specifics . But I’m learning a lot reading up on real tree maintenance.

A real tree is a huge fire hazard and a TON of work. I would stick with artificial. It’s like getting a dog - most people have no clue what they are signing up for.

LOL it's really not that big of a deal. You do have to remember to water it but once Christmas is over and the urgency is gone, you skip a couple of days and the next thing you know, you allow yourself to willfully neglect it. We usually get a fresh tree and then don't take it down until the end of January. The needles are everywhere and the worst part is dragging it out and having to clean up the trail of needles inside and out the door. Haven't had a fire yet, though.

A real tree is so, so much better than a fake tree.

(And when you pick out your tree, pick them up and bang them on the ground a few times to see if the needles fall off; if they're already falling off, the tree was cut a while ago. Try to get one fresh enough to not lose it needles when you bang it on the ground.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why every year I cut down an artificial tree. That way everyone is mad.

We like to throw ours into the surf after New Year's.

Just kidding. I don't want to cut down a living thing, but I just can't embrace a plastic tree. Also they're not much of a fire hazard if people say, "I always remember that tragic fire where the grandparents and kids died." If they were a fire hazard, we'd be hearing about Christmas tree fires every year.

[Anonymous]

These trees contribute to global warming!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+2. It’s not about aesthetics. Real trees are beautiful and smell great. They ARE a fire hazard even doing everything right. Google the videos of how fast those things burn up. It’s FAST.

I always remember that MD family a few years back. Grandparents and several grandchildren killed by a tree fire. Not taking that chance when there are plenty of fire resistant and lively artificial trees out there.

What caused their fire exactly? The tree or the lights on the tree? Does a tree just combust?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please! Do not cut down a living tree!!

And don’t buy a cut one. These are so horrible for our environment and only encourage climate change!

Christmas trees are grown on farms to be Christmas trees. Ask Taylor Swift. The places they are grown on would probably be covered in homes or data centers if they were not tree farms.

How is a cut tree bad for environment? Please specify we need to be enlightened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t leave lights on overnight. Not even on a fake tree.

Yes- my parents had an artificial tree and got brand new lights. We watched one of the lights spark (it was faulty) and the spark fell to the floor, caught the skirt on fire and then the whole tree went up in flames. Whole thing didn’t take more than 5-6 minutes.

Thank goodness we were there. Got everyone and the dog out. Not only did the whole room burn (hot enough that curtains and furniture melted) but smoke from an artificial tree has some nasty stuff in it. Entire house had to be stripped down to the drywall. All electronics replaced.

But thankfully no one was injured. We never leave lights on when no one is home, or when we go to bed.

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure if we are getting our real tree this weekend or not, but we have in the past. Usually looks good until Christmas-New Year’s Day if watered daily. Some years better than others.

We never ever leave tree lights on at night or when we are not home. I would not do so with an artificial tree either. Accident waiting to happen.

[Anonymous]

We always have a real tree and we usually get it first week of December and keep it until January 13. We cut the stump when we buy it and put it in the water immediately. We add water daily (or as needed after checking it). It usually stays pretty green until first week of January.