Christmas trees at Salem are grown organically from carefully selected seed strains known to produce bushy, well-formed trees, specifically for the Christmas tree market.

They are not to be confused with ordinary forestry grade trees or 'tops' which are vastly inferior in both quality and appearance.

Growing Christmas trees takes a lot of patience. After the tiny trees are planted in neat rows, they must be carefully watched over, weeded and watered. It is 6 to 8 years before they are big enough to cut. During that time, the trees decorate the landscape and provide a place for wildlife to live.

British Christmas Tree Growers' Association BCTGA

As members of the BCTGA our trees are grown in accordance with the BCTGA environmental Code of Practice and are guaranteed fresh. Provided care is taken in looking after the tree it should survive over 4 weeks.

Trees should not be collected earlier than 1st December if guaranteed satisfaction is demanded.

Cut Trees

It is essential that cut Christmas trees are fresh when purchased. The needles should not be dull and dried up. The branches should not be brittle. The outer needles should not fall off if the tree is gently shaken.

After you have collected your Christmas tree it should be kept outside in a cool shaded place, preferably standing in water, until it is required indoors. Before bringing the tree indoors it is an advantage if about half an inch is cut off the base in order to open up the pores of the tree. Mount it in a water-holding stand or wedge it in a bucket with pebbles, small stones or screwed up newspaper, and place it away from direct heat. Keep the container topped up with water every day; you will be surprised how much it needs.

Trees with bare roots

These are Christmas trees which have been dug up with their roots. This is usually only possible with the smaller trees. The small roots break off and no soil comes with the larger root system. They should be freshly harvested. It is best to soak the roots in water before potting the tree in moist earth. The earth should be kept moist. These Christmas trees will last longer if they are kept away from direct heat when they are brought indoors. There is a slight chance that these trees will survive if planted out after Christmas. They should be watered very well.

Root-balled trees

These are Christmas trees that have been carefully prepared so that they can be dug up with minimal disturbance to the earth round the root system. Earth is retained by wrapping the roots in sacking or similar material. The roots should be kept damp and the trees, having had the sacking removed, should be potted in moist earth. These trees should remain fresh, retain their needles, and have a reasonable chance of survival if planted out after Christmas.

Container-grown trees

These are Christmas trees that have been grown for at least one season in their pots. It is often possible to lift the whole root system out of the pot and see the closely woven root which has grown in the pot. The trees themselves should look fresh. The trees will be small and seldom more than three feet. The trees should be watered and cared for as for any house plant.

After Christmas they can either be planted out with a very good chance of success or they can be left to grow on in their pot, but it is much better in this case to re-pot the tree in a larger pot. It is seldom possible to re-pot trees in this way for more than one season.