Handling Real Trees

Christmas trees will often arrive netted and compressed on pallets. This aids handling and transportation and protects the trees in transit. Growers will aim to net and palletise the trees just before they are dispatched.

On delivery they must be removed from the pallets as soon as possible (care should be taken as the trees are under compression). If trees are left stored in pallets they can degrade rapidly. Pallets are for transportation and not storage. Consider aranging a split delivery allowing you to have trees for sale that are only recently harvested.

Trees should be stored upright, preferably out of their nets and in a sheltered spot. Wind can cause the trees to dry out more quickly.

Retailers are encouraged to provide tree care advise to their customers. Key is the use of a stand that allows the tree to be watered and to avoid sources of heat such as fires and radiators.

A tree only begins to degrade when it goes indoors, kept outdoors in December a tree will remain fresh through to the end of January. Selling cut trees in November, and expecting them to be in an immaculate condition come the new year, is fraught if they are not cared for properly.

About

Representing Christmas Tree Growers in Ireland.