Agnes Stevenson: Going for a real tree… why not think of a living tree that you can use again for Christmas?

It started early this year, the rush by Christmas enthusiasts to deck their trees before the Halloween decorations have been put away.

And who can blame them. It’s been a pretty bleak year and if tinsel and fairy lights cheer you up, then why not go ahead and set your living room ablaze with a bit of bling.

If you like a real tree, however, then you’d do better to hold off, because a real tree is just like a bunch of flowers, only on a much bigger scale. It won’t last forever, not if you stick it next to a radiator and forget to water it.

The alternative is to opt for a living tree, one that’s growing in a pot, and which can be planted outdoors once the festivities are over.

We inherited one of these when we moved to this garden and it is very healthy, despite having spent its initial weeks indoors.

Just like a cut tree, living trees do best when kept cool and moist. Try to keep yours away from any heat source and don’t underestimate how much water a tree needs when growing in hot conditions. Check daily and give it a drink if necessary.

And what you do with your tree once the baubles have been put away for another year is just as important. Don’t just abandon it outside the back door, that’s a sure-fire way to give it a shock.

Instead, you should acclimatise it gently to colder temperatures and continue to water it while it is in its pot.

If you plan to move it indoors again next Christmas, then move it into a larger container and give it a liquid feed once a fortnight during the summer.

If you want to plant it in the ground then dig a hole that’s twice the size of the pot, spread out any spiralling roots, and firm it in well to prevent it being rocked by winter gales.

Just a word of warning, that little Christmas tree will eventually grow into a forest giant, so pick your spot well or get ready to give it an annual prune, taking out the lead shoot and removing some of the lower branches as they spread out. It’s what I do with mine in order to keep it small and shapely. If I hadn’t started this pruning regime when I did, then that small tree would now be towering over our house.