We have found that the longer we wait, the selection of what we find acceptable is less. There were years that we had to go to three or four places. I like to aim for three weeks before.

You have to be diligent in watering it. Especially when you first bring it in. If it's cold where you are, you can leave it outside, we have done that occasionally.

If you buy an already cut tree, buy it early. If you have the option, put it in the shade in your back yard, in water. Cut a nice slice off the bottom off first. Now, fill the bucket every day. Cut trees at Home Depot and the like don't get that sort of nice treatment, and loose their needles fast.

If you buy a cut your own... you can wait longer. But realize, the "pretty trees" are gone early.

Moni

AtomicJay, Moni is right. Buy your tree early to take advantage of the best selection, but store it in water and in the shade. Recut the bottom to open up the vascular system and keep the bucket filled with water. Hose it off periodically, too.

What's your location? The cooler the climate, the better. I wouldn't bring a cut tree in any sooner than a week or so before Xmas if you plan on leaving it up until the New Year.

if you have a place for it, buy a smaller evergreen in a pot and plant after Christmas...if in frozen ground country dig a hole now...then you have a great tree for years...and watch the ads for artificals...every once in awhile you'll find on sale earlier than day after Christmas. downsize. we went from a 7 ft , to a 3 footer already lit, and small enough for the desk...i can decorate with mini ornaments in a matter of an hour, and dismantle in the same amount of time...this year we're going to dd2's condo, so only enough for us...

A suggestion that I know works. When you cut your tree stump put it in very warm water to start. Usually the tree stand gets filled with cold water, it makes the sap hard. The tree is not able to take up water. Use slightly warm water when replenishing.

Have visited Christmas tree farms in mid October in NC . Huge amounts of cut trees waiting to be trucked. No surprize the needles are shedding when Christmas is celebrated.

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Thank you all so much! I'd never thought of getting the tree early and then keeping it outdoors in water until closer to Christmas. That's a great idea & I'm going to give it a try! Appreciate all the recommendations!

Bought tree early one year. Stuck it in a bucket of water in garage. Water froze. Dragged tree down stairs to basement. Let water thaw. Dragged tree upstairs , thru kitchen and dining room to living room.

Moral of the story...don't do this. Too many needles every where! LOL!

Scary. I only knew the family because their son was friends with my friend, but the house burned down and he died. If it's shedding needles it's too dry and should never ever be lit or exposed to sparks or flames. Pretty is wonderful, but safe is better.

That's terrible, plllog! I can't agree more, safety first.

Susan - love the idea of an evergreen! Thanks for the idea.

I'm not much help, we've always cut our own tree. And it has to be a minimal-shaping or natural shape noble fir - need the layered branching for my particular ornaments. For years it was on a noble plantation belonging to the company DH worked for, these days mostly a U-cut place. We cut it about 3 weeks before Christmas, put it in a 5 gal bucket of water outside, cut it again when bringing it into the house (that's within just a few days). Our tree stand is deep well, and never allowed to go dry. I usually leave it up through New Years, it drops no needles at all. Occasionally a warmed up spider or bug or two, but never a needle.

We buy ours the day after Thanksgiving and store it in a bucket of water in the garage. We used to like to just wait until a week or two before Christmas to get it, but now in addition to the better ones being gone, we were surprised to see that the trees are frozen solid by then! Not good.

We purchase our tree about 2.5 weeks before the holiday. I ask and wait for when a fresh delivery is going to occur. Then I choose from the ones that haven't been opened yet--I am an expert at knowing what the shape and thickness of tree will be prior to opening! The only thing that trips me up in that department is when there are some broken branches, because those only show up after the opening. I always bring my own scissors to cut the strings and hand wipes to remove the sap from my hands after purchasing the tree. We hose off the tree before bringing it into the house, followed by an overnight dry, and make sure there is a fresh cut done at home, and that the cut end is always in water.

I do experience the serious tree allergies grainlady wrote about with noble firs. And the more the tree would dry out, the worse the symptoms became. I suffered a lot for many years, with itching eyes, and coughing starting from a few days after bringing in the tree, and it would get progressively getting worse until my esophagus and lungs burned with pain. But there was no way I was going to give up a live tree (long story behind that, that I won't go into here).

However, the local HD lots started selling Nordmann firs and those made all the difference! Not only do I like their look slightly better, but my allergies don't kick in until well after the holiday now. I remove the tree before the discomfort begins. I would not have thought there would be much of a reaction difference between one fir species and another, but there was.

We either use an artificial tree or decorate the Blue Tipped juniper that we bought in a pot and planted in the garden. That live baby is getting big now, probably 10 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter.