christmas tree - Page 2

I spent a car journey yesterday trying to remember the abbreviations for OH so that he know who i was talking about

I always used to think LOL meant lots of love and not laughing out loud.

Elf (see previous page) has changed his name yet again. I'm sure he's really Sotongeoff. Funny, I'd imaged him tall, capable, an excellent gardener and a whizz at computers! I imagine elves small and ethereal. The joys of Christmas time!

Here is a photo with one of my Christmas trees in the background. Not the biggest! Don't have a photo of that. Bother, it won't upload. A box appears saying "RadUpload Ajax callback error" what does that mean? Perhaps Elf Geoff would know?

'Fraid not-someone else will perhaps-you could try going round the a different way buy uploading it to an external photo-sharing site like flicker or photo-bucket and then using the direct link option-works for me when the picture is too big

Ive just purchased a rooted 4ft Fraser Fir tree that I dug up myself from the Longshaw Estate, Derbyshire. I intend to keep it potted and would like some advice regarding keeping it healthy.

The place I bought it from told me to just plant in normal compost, whereas I always thought they needed erecaceous compost?

Also, is there a preferred feed that I should give it, and when?

Many thanks 

mine I put in ordinary soil with compost ,I feed during the summer with my own liquid feed ,comfrey or seaweed,its also inportant to water regulary even in winter,transplant when the roots look like they are going to escape the pot.I have had mine for 10 years and its still going strong.

LeadFarmer wrote (see)

Ive just purchased a rooted 4ft Fraser Fir tree ... I intend to keep it potted...

This is a Fraser Fir, growing in a pot...

Georg Faust wrote (see)

I actually bought that, growing in a small pot, from Homebase, several years ago. For the first few months I just kept it in the pot it came in. I have potted it on, into slightly larger pots, a couple of times. I can't recall exactly how long I kept it in its original pot.

I prefer to use John Innes No 3 compost. John Innes is soil based, so that gives the pot greater stablitly, and makes it less likely to blow over. No 3 is the compost to use for trees and shrubs. When potting into a larger pot you don't actually need that much compost.

I tend to neglect it. I give it some tomato feed occasionally. I know it's happy because last year it had a few pine cones on it.

Thanks for the advice.

that looks one health tree,long may live to see many Christmas's s .

I have just bought my tree from Beliver Forest,Dartmoor, it cost 33.00, should have been 35.00 but that was all I had.

I dont mind the price though if the profits are going back into the Forestry commission. 

Heres a photo of my 4ft (ish) Fraser Fir. I was advised to buy a smallish tree as it would have a greater chance of surivng being dug up and potted. Hope it survives for many xmas's..

I have found that the ones you pot on and grow, become a bit 'leggy' after a couple of years, I do like a really bushy tree.

There was an item on one of the TV shopping channels, just a couple of days ago. They were marketing Christmas trees, and had a representative from one of the growers in the studio. He explained how they get bushy trees.

Some that are grown commercially, for Christmas, have some of their shoots pinched out, early in the year, or possibly in the previous season, and this encourages a more bushy growth.

that is like mine,

I was told by the place I bought mine from that I should prune mine back next year to encourage growth, and even trim the tip off to encourage a new leader.

I did prune mine and its just taking off again,hoping to keep its shape.

 This is my Christmas tree,  I've lived here for 6 years now and when I put the tree in it was up to the height  of the middles bar just below the bird house,  I normally put lights and decorations on but the ground has been to wet to get over to it,  might have to bight the bullet and do it sooner rather than later.