A Christmas tree from a zelfpluktuin is a whole evergreen conifer, typically 1.0 to 2.5 metres tall with a conical shape and dense branches, sold cut, with a root ball wrapped in netting or in a plastic pot, and quite different from the small indoor houseplants sometimes sold under the same name, such as the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla). The usual field types are the Norway spruce (fijnspar), the Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana, a true fir despite the Dutch name Nordmannspar), the blue spruce, the Scots pine and the dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’).
Picking one
The season usually runs mid-November to 24 December. Go in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the midday heat; the tree is best hydrated then and the field is less crowded.
Check the tree before you cut. Run your hand along a branch: fewer than five needles should fall. The colour should be bright, with no brown or yellow patches, and a crushed branch should give off a fresh resinous smell. If shaking the tree sends needles down in handfuls, or the twigs feel dry and brittle, or there is mould at the trunk base, leave it.
Harvesting is a single cut. The tree is sawn horizontally through the trunk at ground level, or you do it yourself with a hand saw or bow saw. Wear sturdy gloves; the resin and needles are sharp. Potted trees are lifted whole from the container. Root-ball trees come pre-wrapped, so there is no digging. The stump stays in the ground and the tree does not regrow.
Handle with care, and know your species. Nordmann fir branches are flexible and sturdy, while Norway spruce branches are brittle and shed needles when dry. Blue spruce needles are stiff, sharp and silvery-blue. Scots pine needles grow in bundles of two. A root-ball tree is heavy, roughly 10 to 30 kg, and awkward to carry.
Farms differ in what they sell. Some offer only cut trees, others root-ball trees for replanting after Christmas, and others potted trees. The dwarf Alberta spruce is sold small, 30 to 100 cm, in a pot for the table rather than the floor.
Weather matters on the way home. Cut trees tolerate frost but should not sit in a hot car or a heated room before you set them up. Rain makes the tree heavy and slippery. Strong wind dries a cut tree quickly if it is left outside.
At home
Shake the tree vigorously outdoors before bringing it inside to knock off dead needles, insects and debris. Wipe the trunk base. Do not wash the needles with water; that promotes mould and needle drop. If it is a root-ball tree, wrap the ball in cloth to protect your floors.
A cut tree goes straight into a water-holding stand, and you top the water up daily. Indoors at 18 to 22 °C it lasts two to four weeks depending on the species and how warm the room is; the Nordmann fir keeps its needles longest, the Norway spruce shortest. A cooler room at 10 to 15 °C extends needle retention. Keep it away from radiators, fireplaces and direct sun.
Never let the water in the stand run dry. Once the cut seals, the tree stops drinking. Adding a tree preservative to the water is fine. Do not submerge the whole tree, only the trunk base, and do not leave a cut tree in a hot garage or attic for more than a day.
A root-ball tree needs its roots kept moist. Stand the pot in a water-filled saucer or wrap the ball in damp hessian, and keep it outdoors in shade until you plant it. Kept cool and damp it can stay alive for weeks or months, and you can plant it in the garden after Christmas. For temporary storage, wrap the roots in moist material. To replant, do it within weeks of Christmas or keep the tree in a large outdoor pot.