Yattendon’s TV tips for perfect Christmas trees

Television crew broadcasts from estate farm

In the UK, we buy over eight million fresh Christmas trees every year – and the good news is seven million of those are grown here in the UK

THE national spotlight was this week cast on the Yattendon Estates’ well-known Christmas tree farm, with an ITV crew dropping in to film a piece for This Morning .

Celebrity gardener David Domoney presented live from the estate on Monday, giving an overview of the Christmas tree industry.

He explained the different types of tree and offered some pointers for viewers looking to buy their own real tree for the festive season.

Mr Domoney said: “Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the Christmas tree.

“In the UK, we buy over eight million fresh Christmas trees every year – and the good news is seven million of those are grown here in the UK.

“You've got to treat a lot of these trees – these cut trees – as if they are cut flowers, really, because the roots have been removed.

“The magic of choosing the tree is making sure they’re regularly watered.

“If you’re not sure which tree to go for, feel the weight. The heavier the tree, the more moisture. If it’s a tree that’s dried out, a lot of needles will fall out.

“If it’s well-hydrated, they won’t.” Saying he was buying his Christmas tree from Yattendon, Mr Domoney mused on the scale of the local operation.

Around 80,000 trees are provided straight from the farm every year.

Most of them are sold on to garden centres and other specialist stores, and the Yattendon site has its own shop selling direct to the public.

Last weekend, the Government announced that any business selling Christmas trees can temporarily reopen, in spite of lockdown restrictions on retail, which have created difficulties for the seasonal industry.

The ITV This Morning film can be viewed online at https://bit.ly/ 3m07xOg

To learn more about Yattendon Christmas trees, visit https:// bit.ly/3fssYos