It’s ready steady go for Andover residents wanting a real Christmas tree this year, as Dobbies Garden Centre has just taken delivery of 50,000 trees.

The company say the trees have all been sustainably pot-grown in environmentally managed fields across Scotland and range in height from 1ft to 9ft, with prices for a smaller tree starting at £20.

Dobbies’ Plant Buyer, Nigel Lawton has expert advice on what to look out for when choosing your real Christmas tree, and how to keep it looking its best for longer.

Nigel says: “Before you leave home, make sure to measure the height, depth and width of your ideal Christmas tree space, and bring a tape measure to the store to double-check the dimensions. However, don’t worry if your tree is a little too big when you get it home as you can always trim it to fit the space.”

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The shop will be selling varieties of Nordman Fir, Blue Spruce, Serbian Spruce, Noble Fir, and Norway Spruce. Freshly cut trees are available in Nordmann Fir and Fraser Fir varieties, with slim options available to suit smaller spaces.

A spokesman for the company said: “All of Dobbies’ real Christmas trees are sustainably grown in partnership with real tree grower, Needlefresh and each tree is grown from specially selected seeds at the Needlefresh farms, taken from hand-picked cones which have been left to dry and nurtured into seedlings.”

Specialist pruning techniques are used to create a bushy, uniform shape with emphasis on each individual tree’s features, and the work is done by hand to keep any impact on surrounding wildlife to a minimum.

Nigel has further advice for shoppers after they purchase their tree: “Once you get your tree home, keep it outside in a sheltered area, cut 1 inch off the base of the trunk and stand in a bucket of water until you are ready to bring it indoors - this will help reduce needle drop. Once you bring your tree inside, position it in its water holding stand and ensure the water reservoir is topped up on a regular basis to make it last throughout the season. Ideally, you’ll want to position your tree away from any radiators or heat sources as this can cause the needles to dry out faster.”

For more advice, and to explore Dobbies’ range of Christmas trees for 2024, visit www.dobbies.com