GINA PARKINSON has seasonal advice about keeping your Christmas tree in shape.

IT'S that time again. The shops are filled with all things Christmas and thoughts turn to the annual tree.

There has been an enormous increase in real Christmas trees over the past decade with prices coming down and a widening choice of sizes and species available. So I went to Homebase, Foss Bank, York last Thursday to check out what was on offer.

There is plenty of choice at the store from tiny potted Norway Spruce through to cut Nordman fir more than two metres tall. Cut trees include the above-mentioned Nordman fir as well as Fraser fir and Norway spruce, each species coming in a number of sizes and prices. These three types are also available as potted, living trees as are Blue spruce and Noble fir.

Norway spruce (Picea abies) is by far the cheapest species and was first used in Britain by Prince Albert in 1840. It has evocative, aromatic foliage and is considered by many to be the 'traditional' Christmas tree. Its biggest drawback is the shedding of needles, which will begin quickly as the tree dries out, especially in a heated room. Cut Norway Spruce costs £5 for a small one, £10 medium and £15 large. A living Norway Spruce is £5 for 50cm tree, £15 for 70cm, £20 for 90cm and £25 for a 1.1m tree.

Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana) has dark green glossy foliage and will keep hold of its needles as long as it is kept well watered. Because of this it is overtaking Norway spruce in popularity. There is a good range of sizes with a 1.1 metre tree costing £15, 1.4m tree £20, 1.6m tree £25, 1.9m tree £30 and 2.1m tree £40. Living Nordmann firs cost £25 for a 90cm tree.

Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) has dark green needles and a long-lasting pine smell. It has good needle retention and now that plantings in the UK are being harvested it is a little easier to find. A cut Fraser fir is £20 for 1.6m tree and £25 for a 1.9m tree while living ones cost £25 for a 90cm tree and £45 for a 1.4m one.

Blue Spruce (Picea pungens 'Glauca'). I didn't see any cut Blue spruces but the 90cm potted trees at £25 are lovely, with their prickly needles coloured with a metallic blue sheen. This species is related to the Norway spruce and cut trees will drop their needles.

Noble fir (Abies procura). Like the Blue spruce, I didn't spot any cut Noble fir and just one size of potted trees, £25 for a 60cm tree. It has aromatic bluish-green needles with a silvery sheen and will hold onto its needles well. It used to be hard to find but is now grown in plantations in Wales and western Scotland and so is becoming more readily available.

Farming Christmas trees

CHRISTMAS trees are grown commercially on plantations and are like any other crop except they take several years to reach maturity rather than just one.

In the past many were imported but most are now grown in this country, even more unusual species like the Noble fir and Fraser fir.

The early years of the plantations provide a good habitat for many birds and other wildlife with the growing of Christmas trees in such a way making it unnecessary for trees to be felled from the wild.

Avoiding needle drop

SOME Christmas trees are very prone to needle drop, especially that old favourite the Norway spruce.

Many of us will have experienced a shower of needles whenever anyone strayed too near to the tree or when the time came to take it down.

Cutting the bottom 3cm or so from the base of the tree and then standing it in a purpose-made water-holding stand or deep bucket filled with water will certainly help, especially if the tree is put in a cool position, away from a radiator. There are also some products available that claim to help to stop needle drop and researchers at Gardening Which? have put Fito Needle Drop Stoppa to the test.

For the trial they used 1.5m Norway spruce and Nordmann fir, with the trees having 3cm cut from the base of their trunks and each placed in an eight litre-capacity stand.

They were topped up every other day, half the trees with around a litre of plain water the rest with a diluted solution of Fito Needle Drop Stoppa.

There were also some trees not watered at all.

The trees were placed together in temperatures of 21C during the day and 17C at night and were monitored over three weeks.

The results showed that Norway spruces stood in plain water will keep their needles better than with no water at all but after three weeks begin to look dull. However, Norway spruce treated with Fito Needle Drop Stoppa stayed lush and green with the buds on some of the trees bursting open.

The addition of Fito Needle Drop Stoppa to the water of the Nordmann firs didn't make any difference with the trees looking the same as those treated with plain water.

However, unwatered Norway spruce and Nordmann fir both suffered, with the Norway spruce losing over a kilo of needles after 21 days and the Nordmann fir holding the needles well but losing the glossy shimmer and looking dull and lifeless.

The advice from the Gardening Which? trial is that keeping the trees topped up with water does make a difference.

Fito Needle Drop Stoppa is worth using for a Norway spruce if it is going to be kept for a fortnight or more; although other spruces weren't included in the trial, they would probably also benefit.

A 1.5m tree will need two bottles of the treatment for this period of time.

A needle-retentive tree such as the Nordmann fir doesn't need the treatment but it will keep looking its best if it is stood in and topped up with plain water.

Fito Needle Drop Stoppa costs £2.99 and is available at Homebase and B&Q.

The Stop the Drop Trial is in the December 2003 edition of Gardening Which? Tel 0800 252100 for membership details.

Updated: 16:14 Friday, December 05, 2003