Who has started Christmas shopping already?

Iain said:

It is just over 7 weeks until Christmas so it seems a good time for those of us who are disorganised to start planning

Ooh I love Christmas. I love being alone (after years of horrid 'family' ones). I'll repeat about my 'real' tree, which I bought around the end of November 2024 at half price, £12 for a 3' [1 metre] tree [Tesco half price these as soon as they come in, so you need to be quick]. I followed the planting instructions, buying a slightly larger air root trainer inside an outdoor container - see pics. The tree has put on 3" [75cm) this year. nb Don't plant in the garden - you'll end up with a 100' tree!   If you let your kids keep 'their tree' watered, feeding it once a month with bonsai feed, they might take to gardening and help you out . Jury's out on how many years it will keep going but  when it's transferred indoors at Christmas keep it watered and as cool as possible.

It's really expensive to buy ingredients for Christmas cake - £30 for a Dundee! I've made slow cooker mincemeat, bought a £7 bottle of Napoleon brandy and will use this for mince pies, cake - plus whatever foods taste better with alcohol. And I always buy myself presents. If you buy throughout the year then wrap them, you'll forget what's in them and still get a surprise .

The tree will last as long as you want it to.

It will get root bound, the roots will take up all of the pot, there will be little soil and it will dry out easily.

If you want to grow it for 10 years or more you need to tip it out in March, trim the roots, you can remove a 3rd, replace the soil, and it'll be happy, do every other year. It will allow space for new roots, keep it fed, and also reduce  the rate of growth.

Pruning is tricky. Firs or spruces, indeed almost all conifers, do not grow new shoots on old wood. So cutting just leaves it with nowhere to grow. Pruning is the hardest part of conifers. It is why you see butchered leylandii hedges with brown branches, only yew hedges will come back from hard cuts (it takes a few years).

You can slow it down and let it just slowly get bigger.

Or you can chop pieces out always leaving somewhere for each branch to grow. You can also chop the new growth in half, in the spring, but it will still get bigger.

The tree will last as long as you want it to.

It will get root bound, the roots will take up all of the pot, there will be little soil and it will dry out easily.

If you want to grow it for 10 years or more you need to tip it out in March, trim the roots, you can remove a 3rd, replace the soil, and it'll be happy, do every other year. It will allow space for new roots, keep it fed, and also reduce  the rate of growth.

Pruning is tricky. Firs or spruces, indeed almost all conifers, do not grow new shoots on old wood. So cutting just leaves it with nowhere to grow. Pruning is the hardest part of conifers. It is why you see butchered leylandii hedges with brown branches, only yew hedges will come back from hard cuts (it takes a few years).

You can slow it down and let it just slowly get bigger.

Or you can chop pieces out always leaving somewhere for each branch to grow. You can also chop the new growth in half, in the spring, but it will still get bigger.

Yes, I was thinking of treating it more like a bonsai. It's such a lovely shape. Thanks for the pruning tips. I'll copy it into my gardening how to book.