THE JOURNEY OF A DOBBIES CHRISTMAS TREE
Enjoy a merry yet eco-friendly Christmas without sacrificing the joy of a real tree – find out how we sustainably source our real Christmas trees, from sapling all the way to store
Choosing a real tree is on the of most-loved Christmas traditions – spending time with your family picking out the perfect tree, sipping on a hot chocolate, and building excitement for the big day! Once you take your tree home, there’s nothing better than filling your living room with the scent and feel of a real tree, then watching it come to life as you dress it with decorations and gifts start to pile up underneath
However, alongside all the Christmas magic, you want to make sure you’re sourcing your trees in an eco-friendly way and doing your bit to protect our planet. All of Dobbies’ real trees come from our environmentally managed supplier, Needlefresh, sourced by our expert Green Team. This means when you buy a real Christmas tree from us, you’re buying one that’s been specifically chosen and grown for you, with years of care and attention to detail
Interested in learning more about exactly where your Christmas tree has come from? Keep reading to find out more!
DOBBIES’ CHRISTMAS TREE SUPPLIER
Founded nearly 26 years ago by passionate growers committed to producing top quality Christmas trees, Needlefresh have been our Christmas tree supplier for over 13 years. They’re a small, dedicated team based in Inverness, Scotland, and work to coordinate tree supplies directly through to retailers – like us!
On a Needlefresh tree farm, around 3000-4000 2-year-old tree saplings are planted daily in spring, totaling to around 500,000 over the season. These are either put into pots for pot grown trees or put directly into the ground for fresh cut Christmas trees. After the saplings are planted comes the many years of care and attention Needlefresh provide to each individual tree to allow it to grow beautifully, ready for you. For example, growers are continually developing specialist pruning techniques by hand so that each tree is treated individually and the impact on surrounding wildlife is kept to a minimum
There are 2.5 million pot grown trees and 4 million cut trees in production over an area of 3000 acres. Throughout trees’ growth, plantations are a valuable habitat for wildlife. Flora and fauna shift with the 10-year rotation of the crop and all growing methods are specially selected with the aim of making the least amount of impact on surroundings
Needlefresh do everything they can to make sure their trees are grown sustainably, protecting the environment, wildlife and other plants near their growing trees. They ensure all Christmas trees match Dobbies’ high standards by controlling insects, bugs and weeds that can damage the growth of trees, but to do so they use as few chemicals as possible and keep it to a minimum. Where they do use chemicals, they only use ones fully approved and tested to make sure wildlife and non-damaging insects aren’t harmed
One 6ft tree can take over 10 years to grow. These trees are shaped every year by hand to achieve a perfect triangular shape. Once this finish is perfected, your tree is then harvested. After a tree has been cut down, Needlefresh plant at least one other tree in its place to ensure continued environmental benefits. Christmas trees provide oxygen, clean the air, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and provide habitat for wildlife. Any tree left over is mulched and used for fertiliser to grow the next generation of trees. Finally, the trees are packed on site and sent straight to store, ready for you to pick up!
We stock a great range of unique Needlefresh trees suitable for just about every home. For those looking for that classic Christmas scent, the Fraser Fir has a beautiful bluey-green colour and wonderful citrus-like scent. For small spaces, choose one of our pot grown trees, or to fill a large space with festive feel, the Nordmann Fir Premium is our top pick
For more information, read our guide on choosing the best real Christmas tree for your home
OUR SUPPLIER’S TOP TIPS ON CARING FOR YOUR REAL CHRISTMAS TREE:
Once you bring your tree home, cut 2 inches off the base of the trunk and stand in a bucket of water outside in a sheltered place under you’re ready to bring it inside
Place your cut tree in a water holding stand and check daily the water reservoir is full. Refill daily and never allow it to run dry, as the base of the tree will seal and stop taking up water. Cut trees should be treated in the same way as cut flowers to maintain freshness
If your tree is pot grown, keep the compost damp and only water when the top layer of soil feels dry
If keeping your tree in a warmer room, you may need to water it more frequently
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR TREE AFTER THE FESTIVE PERIOD IS OVER
There are a few options of what to do with your real Christmas tree once the festivities are over and you’ve taken the decorations down. Many local councils have tree recycling schemes. They’ll compost your tree, and then our suppliers can buy the compost back and use it as fertiliser
You can also repurpose your cut tree to create a wildlife haven for small animals like hedgehogs and insects to shelter in during the winter months. This involves stacking the branches and chopped up pieces of tree trunk together with soil or leaves – read our full step by step guide to find out more
If you have opted for a pot-grown tree, you can plant it in your garden after Christmas or repot it into a larger container and enjoy it year after year. If planting in the garden, then make sure to choose a spot that has well drained soil, sun, and enough space for the tree to grow. Our pot grown trees will grow very large, so make sure you leave enough room and water the tree regularly. If you don’t have the space, then just plant it into a new pot with peat-free John Innes No 3 compost each year to keep its growth under control