When to put up a real Christmas tree - according to an expert

The appropriate time to put up your Christmas tree is a question almost as divisive as whether Yorkshire pudding has a place on the Christmas dinner plate. Some might feel the best time is just after Bonfire Night, others may think Christmas Eve is more apt, and most will probably plump for somewhere in between. Tesco started selling Christmas trees at half-price this week and said more than 90% of its trees had sold out by the end of November last year.

Lidl and some other retailers are also launching their ranges next week, while others including Dobbies Garden Centres are waiting until the last week of November. But with Christmas Day still six weeks away, is it unwise to rush into buying a real tree so early? And do you risk spending your Christmas week cleaning up piles of pine needles?

Probably, says Mick Walker, from Bolton Christmas Trees, which grows trees in the Scottish Highlands before sending them to homes across the UK. "It might last until the beginning of Christmas, but it won't last the full holiday," he warns.