Where to buy a real Christmas tree

Real Fresh Cut Christmas Trees

Potted Christmas Trees

Understanding Christmas Tree Grades

• Christmas trees are graded into 3 categories: premium, standard and 2nd grade. Premium is sometimes also known as 1st grade or AAA. 2nd grade are also known as budget trees.
• Premium trees are the best quality tree you can get with a good symmetrical, bushy shape and a good density of foliage with no big unsightly “gaps” between branches at different tiers of the tree.
• Growers such as Jacksons Nurseries produce premium quality trees by trimming them twice annually to maintain their bushy, uniform shape. It’s also often necessary to do “leader control” to produce a premium tree, which means ensuring the main central stem doesn’t become too tall after the last side branches. Leader control is required every year to ensure the spacing between side branches does not get too large, maintaining the bushy shape of the tree.
• Standard trees are still generally bushy and symmetrical but may have a couple of cosmetic flaws. As Christmas trees are a natural product, even with the best of care some trees will naturally fall into the “standard” category. We make sure we are strict about our grading system to ensure you definitely get a premium quality tree if that’s what you ordered.
• 2nd grade trees are still healthy but less symmetrical and/or with more cosmetic faults. 2nd grade trees normally sell for considerably less than premium trees as the extra care involved in producing trees of the best quality is much greater than growing a 2nd grade tree.
• The best place to shop depends on the grade of trees you're looking to buy and your price point. Nurseries and garden centres typically stock 1st grade trees, sometimes with budget options too. Market stalls can offer either depending on the location.
• Box stores and supermarkets generally offer cheap trees in both price and quality which may start to look a bit bedraggled by Christmas day.

Order your Christmas tree online

• If you're comfy in your armchair by the fire at home and don't fancy braving the freezing temperatures outdoors, ordering your Christmas tree online for delivery to anywhere in the UK on a date of your choosing is worth considering. At Jackson's Nurseries we have an excellent range of trees including the low needle drop Nordmann Fir, traditional Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce, Fraser Fir, Noble Fir, slim shaped Nordman, Lodgepole pine and various types of pot grown Christmas tree including the Korean Fir.
• Many of our trees are grown on site and cut or dug fresh throughout the Christmas season. We are more than happy for you to put specific requirements (e.g. bushy or broad base) in the notes to your order so we can pick the perfect tree for you. We've put together guides on different types of real Christmas trees and how to care for a real Christmas tree to help.

Buying from your local garden centre

• If you're based in Staffordshire and fancy a drive out to the countryside, our nursery in Bagnall (ST9 9LE) in the Staffordshire Moorlands also has a Tea Room and Farm Shop. We pride ourselves on using a traditional style of homemade cooking and baking using only the finest locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. We have a Festive Menu and Specials board, not to mention our welcoming staff and a heart-warming central open log fire. Our Farm Shop is stocked with a wide range of specialities including our very own homemade festive cakes, bakes and pies. We also have wonderful gift ideas, from jewellery to homeware and greeting cards for all occasions. The nursery has stunning views out over the Peak District with a terrace looking out towards the ‘Roaches’.
• Wherever you are based, buying from a nursery or garden centre nearby will help support local businesses and if they grow their own trees allows farmland to be put to use by families that may otherwise lie fallow.

Chain Retailers

• Large chain stores typically sell 2nd grade Christmas trees and health of the trees can be mixed. are only worth considering if you're on a very tight budget. Their mix of cut and potted trees spans Fraser Fir, Norway Spruce, Nordmann Fir and Blue Spruce but is a bit haphazard in terms of the sizes available.

 
Supermarkets

• Some supermarkets have started selling Christmas trees. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association has in the past said that the rising number of supermarkets selling trees meant that many were now being bought as part of a "boring shopping trip". Prices can be cheap but the quality normally reflects the same.

Christmas markets

• Christmas markets can make good hunting grounds for Christmas tree retailers who often charge a sizeable premium compared to online and other traditional plant-based garden centres. Greenwich market is one of many examples where pop-up shops spring up.
• Our customers tell us that they find out Christmas tree delivery service to London easier, less hassle and better value than braving the crowds and trying to carry a Christmas tree home from a market stall.
• Traffic is naturally busier than usual during the Christmas shopping season and we can only imagine that cramming a 6Ft Nordmann Fir into the tube to looks of annoyance from fellow passengers is about as awkward as it sounds!

 
Christmas Tree Buying Advice

• It's vital cut trees are fresh when bought. Pay special attention to make sure the needles are not dry and dull or branches brittle, particularly if buying in mid to late December. At Jackson's Nurseries we grown many of our own trees on site which are cut regularly throughout December, so you can rest assured that you're getting a freshly cut tree whenever you choose to buy.

• Needles on the outer part of the tree should not fall off when the tree is gently shaken. Some loss of internal needles is normal as these are naturally shed over the life of the tree.

• To check a tree's freshness, pull your hand along a couple of the branches to the ends or drop the tree onto its base from 1 foot (30cm) above the ground. Needles on a healthy tree should not fall off.

• If choosing your own tree from a nursery, bend a needle between your thumb and forefinger. It should form a "U" shape without breaking, unless the needles are frozen.

• If you're buying from a local nursery, compare the weights of different trees. The best trees will be heavier (not as dried out), bushier and have a straight central stem or "leader".

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