Christmas Day has been and gone and Britons will soon be thinking about taking down the decorations.
Monty Don has shared how to keep real Christmas trees going long after the festivities end.
He explained real Christmas trees do not need to be thrown away.
Instead, they can be planted in gardens and continue to thrive.
Monty Don shared how to make your Christmas tree last
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Monty said: “The most popular Christmas trees are Norway Spruce (picea abies), the Nordman Fir (Abies nordmanniana,) or the Colorado Spruce (picea pungens).
“All three are very good, have specific virtues and can last for a long Christmas season if looked after properly.
“All three will also grow in most gardens if they are bought with healthy roots and planted carefully as soon as possible after Christmas.”
Real trees look great and can add some life to the home at Christmas.
The gardening expert shared his favourite Christmas tree is the “Colorado, or Blue, Spruce, picea pungens”.
He added it can survive well if planted in the UK.
“The high altitude and bright mountain light gives it a rather stiff habit which is one of its main attractions as a Christmas tree,” Monty wrote in his December blog.
“If you do plant one in the garden it will grow much stronger if given maximum sunlight.”
December is a quiet time for gardeners with just some simple maintenance needed to keep your outdoor space looking its best.
Real Christmas trees can be planted outside
PA
The gardening expert has shared advice for the plants that need to be looked after now.
He shared how to keep Christmas poinsettias “looking good for months”.
The expert said: “They do not like cool nights, very hot dry rooms or big fluctuations in temperatures.
“So keep them where there is a constant average temperature, avoiding draughts, cold windows or even very bright spots that can get very hot in the middle of the day.”
