The advantages to having an artificial tree (a larger one) is that you only have to buy it once and take it apart and put it in the attic when you're done with it. It won't create any allergy problems either then again it doesn't have the aroma. You can always get some wreaths and clippings from real trees that do have the nice pine scent.

I think you might be confusing live trees for real trees because trees that are actually alive and potted are pretty common too.

The advantage to having a living tree is that you can plant it when you're done depending on what it is (might not do so well here) but the drawback is you can't keep it indoors that long and expect it to live. Maybe a week to ten days tops.

The advantage to having a real (but dead) tree is you have to schlep it home from the place you get it each year. Then you have to figure out how to get it inside without dropping little bits of tree parts all over the floor and knocking things down in the process. You have the nice piney aroma for a while. Some people might have allergy problems from having a real tree indoors but there are some real trees that you could use like Leyland cypress that are supposed to be hypoallergenic. Then when you're don't with it, depending on your municipality, you might have to schlep it somewhere else for disposal or even pay to have it taken away. But for a lot of people, it just wouldn't be Christmas without this real tree experience.

These are just my opinions.

I've done artificial for several years now mainly because I could put it up right after Thksgvg and take it down on NYD and not worry about it drying up and starting a fire or dropping prickly needles everywhere - used to do real *but dead* several years ago and those dang needles hurt and they seem to be around for months! Last yr bought one of those smaller pre-lit things - goes up in 3 easy pieces! Now the news this yr about LEAD in artificial trees and the light cords has me scared for my baby grandson, but geez, it's always something..I'm guessing sales of read *but dead* trees will be up this year after those news reports!

I would prefer to have a real tree, but they set off my allergies. They're also a big pain in the butt to dispose of after Christmas. We might actually go with one this year anyway, though, if only because our old fake tree is getting so dusty it's as hard on my sinuses as a real one, and we can't afford a new one. Decent fake trees are expensive!

Denna

We do artificial - bought it one year on the 50% off sales the day after Christmas.

Last couple of years we've had to forego the ornaments though - the kittens we got in 2002 keep climbing the tree! Sigh. It's still pretty though with just the little white lights.

I have done both, most recently we put up a huge pre-lighted artificial. It is so big and heavy I had to wait for my son in law to put it away after Christmas. This year I am doing neither. Instead I am putting one of those rosemary plants trimmed like a tree on eithier end of the mantle and that's all folks.

Fake a rama, also purchased after Xmas during the big sales. We tried real-but-dead (RBD) for awhile. Our cat's sole mission during the season turns out to be drinking the tree's water. Apparently there's nothing like cool, lightly pine-flavored water. Now, she just tries to eat the artificial needles. That way, her barf is also seasonally decorated.

My first Xmas with the wife, I took my trusty axe and headed into the woods. After much tramping, I found out why folks opt for the tree-farm products. Struck with a seizure of cleverness, I looked up at the taller pines and saw that the top appeared solid, fluffy and marvelous. So, much chopping and a great crash later, I walk to the end of the forty foot monster to find a spindly tuft of nothing, crushed on one side. Unwilling to waste the effort (and this 'phone pole-like tree I'd felled) I summarily lopped off the last 7 feet and dragged it home. This scrofulous thing we dubbed the Xmas Joshua Tree, and decorated it in all three dimensions from my family's huge stock of ornaments, which included several life-sized birds, the owl and quail being the largest. Garlands were hung in three shells of increasing radii, and lights blinked, bubbled and glowed in all sizes and wattages.

Enjoy yer trees everyone! I can't wait until they come with a USB 2.0 plug for computer controlled lights!

It seems like most people like fake trees. I like real trees. Yes, they can be demanding but I don't care. Christmas would not feel the same with a fake tree. My family and I like to go out and look for the perfect tree each year. I had not heard about the lead risk associated with fake trees. My two year old son is getting over a high lead level from the old home we rented in Virginia before we moved here. My mother-in-law (who lives with us) wanted a fake tree but the rest of us voted against the fake tree. My kids and I like our Christmas tradition. So no fake trees in my home.

I do both actually. Growing up our home usually had an upstairs living room as well as a downstairs den so we had a fakey in the living room and the real McCoy in the den with all the presents under it. I guess I never got over that so now that I have my own place I have to have a real one in our living room. As for the fake ones, the house is too small for two trees inside so I compensate by using the yard & wrap-around porch. To date I have 4 fake Christmas trees outside lol including a nice 9 ft. pre-lit! You can get em' for free or cheap at after-Christmas sales, yard sales, freecycle, etc...I've never paid more than $5.00 for one. My sweety wonders when my Christmas tree obsession is going to stop lol. He's gonna' be waiting a while.

Danielle

one year(mid 90's), i bought a b&b norway spruce that was about 3.5' tall. after christmas, i kept it outside until i was ready to plant. it is now almost 12'tall, downswept shape and a nice addition to the landscape.
i wouldn't do this each year because of lack of planting space but it is a nice leftover.
his name is "albert". ;-)

Caretaker, your post is hilirious and reminds me of Chevy Chase in "Christmas Vacation"!

Jeff, how long did you have Albert in the house? We havn't yet gone to cut a tree and I had forgotten all about the actual live one's. Never had one of those, but if it could handle the shock from going in and out of the house, I think I'd like to try that this year.

I'll apologize up front for possibly offending anyone, and I know ya'll have your reasons, and maybe it is because I grew up next to several christmas tree farms out west, but COME ON! The last people I thought would have fake trees is a bunch of gardeners! I mean why don't we all just put in astroturf, plastic shrubs and plastic pine straw in our yards and call it a garden - that sure would easier than actually having to take care of those pesky "plants"! And you wouldn't have to mess with those darn pine needles, and watering, and all that fuss. Ah well, just a sign of the times I guess - everyone's too darn busy... That lead in the fake trees cracks me up - reminds me of the fact that farmed Salmon is bad for you while wild Salmon is great! I like the idea of a natural agricultural industry supporting farmers/fishermen, trees/fish, open space/rivers, and the consumer (not that these are always the case with tree farms). But anyway, it makes me miss the natural 60's revolution (except I was too young)... LONG LIVE THE REAL (but dead) CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!!! OK, off my soapbox now. Again, pre-emptive apologies...

wildflower,
the tree was in the house for no more than 2 weeks, if i recall correctly. i put the ball in a large stainless steel bowl and kept it watered.
i would think that, if you have a spot where it could get good light inside, it would be even better.
as soon as the holiday was over, i put it outside and probably planted it in late january or february.
i know that norway spruce appears to grow well here but some of the others (blue spruce, etc.) do not. seeing some healthy specimens in my area is what prompted me to try one of these trees.

We went the B&B route last year with a lovely little Deodar Ceder. We had it in the house only a few days (5) and kept the furnace low and root ball moist. We had dug the hole earlier so it was all ready to be planted. It's doing great! We are not having a tree this year, as we'll be traveling, but I would do this again without a question. Why pay $50.00 on a dead tree?

We didn't have a tree this year since we're going to my parents house for the holidays, but having learned that Christmas tree farming is among the most pesticide-intensive industries, next year it'll be an organic tree. Some people who believe they're allergic to Christmas trees might really be allergic to the chemicals.

I knew it was only a matter of time before I heard of a certified organic christmas tree.

JenKittenchick, it's never even crossed my mind about pesticides on Christmas trees. Interesting...I guess they do whatever they have to do to make them perfect-looking at sale time.

We ended up going with a dead, pre-cut tree from Lowe's. Right now there's a major railroad construction going on around it. Anyone else do trains under the tree?

Here's a pic of our train. Not very good, but the best I've been able to get so far.
Merry Christmas Everybody!

Here is a link that might be useful:

Wildflower, is that a tiny greenhouse next to the train? I think we have everything but that with our train set.

Yes it is Daryl. A gardening friend of mine gave that to me for Christmas. It's fiber-optic and really cool looking. Since Rusty Wallace is retired now, I have him next to it to keep an eye on the plants and he's doing a very good job...

You got any pics of your train?

That's really neat!

I thought I had some train pictures, but I can't find them. I'll keep looking, though.
We didn't set ours up this year. We have a 15 year old dog that pees in odd places these days. :-(