Real Christmas tree - is this a good deal?

[Kensington]

Hi Folks,

It's our first Christmas in NZ and we are hoping to have a real Christmas tree, only I have no idea what the average prices are. There is a deal on GrabOne today for a 5-6 footer including delivery for $35 - is this a good deal??

http://www.grabone.co.nz/wellington/...17+other+deals

[kiwieagle]

Most trees are $20 in our area for cut your own but they're pretty scraggly. If they look like the trees in the photo, I'd say it's a good deal.

[kiwihusker]

I am up in Auckland and that appears to be a good deal. In the states we paid upwards of $45 for our trees. Good luck.

[Kensington]

Thanks for the replies.

[catt]

We had a real tree first year here after having real norwegian spruce in the UK for many years and truth is i was so disappointed as they are all floppy and drop needles everywhere and no matter how you try to keep them in a good state nothing seemed to work so we opted for a fake tree the year after and now it gets pulled out every year. We paid $20 for ours if i remember rightly and went and chose and cut it down ourselves in a field of trees, never again in NZ would i have a real one. Just my opinion.

[kiwieagle]

We had a real tree first year here after having real norwegian spruce in the UK for many years and truth is i was so disappointed as they are all floppy and drop needles everywhere and no matter how you try to keep them in a good state nothing seemed to work so we opted for a fake tree the year after and now it gets pulled out every year. We paid $20 for ours if i remember rightly and went and chose and cut it down ourselves in a field of trees, never again in NZ would i have a real one. Just my opinion.

Personally, I'm partial to Douglas Fir but that's just not available here. Also, it's summer and after they're cut it is inevitable they are going to decline fast. In the States, we bought our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. Here, we do it 2-3 weeks before Chrissy to maintain freshness. I completely empathise with what you are saying but for me, it's the ritual of picking the tree that is just as special as the tree. I used to get so excited as a child and my kids do now. They skip down the rows of trees, looking for the perfect tree, helping Dad tie it on the back of his work ute, smiling, excited with anticipation. You can't replace that with a tree in a storage box. Also, scraggly and Charlie Brown as they are, they still smell lovely. For me, it's not about the thing, it's about the experience.

[Bozeman]

We're on the same page with kiwieagle. Sure the tree is a hassle but it's part of the family ritual. Perhaps we'll switch to the fake tree after the nest is empty... We'll be getting ours this weekend. $25 or $30 here in Christchurch.

I did see Doug Firs advertised last Christmas. I don't recall where or for how much but I do remember the price was very high. $100 or close to.

[Bozeman]

Douglas Fir Christmas trees available in Christchurch: http://www.needlefresh.co.nz/Christm...anterbury.aspx (which admittedly doesn't help much if one is not located nearby...)

[Adams Girl]

I would consider buying a sapling, myself, but we have some 30m tall evergreens on public land right near us. Maybe I can decorate one of them!

Have you thought about getting a live tree so it's not just something that's chopped down then discarded? I remember my parents in the UK, in the very few years we had a live tree, wanting to keep the lounge nice and cold, for the tree's sake. It worked one year as they always got one with the root attached, and they planted it outside. It's probably about 10m tall by now.

[kiwieagle]

I was hesitant to share this as I'm a bit of a rule stickler (I married a rebel to keep me on my toes) but, quite a few Kiwis I know cut down pine trees in public spaces to get their Chrissy tree. I found that really horrifying until one of our friends reminded me that wilding pine trees are a weed here. So, think about that when contemplating planting a tree.