Why a glass of 7UP may help your tree look its vibrant best for longer (2024)

Plus, under no circ*mstances could a Christmas tree be erected until the start of Advent.

But in recent years, a new tradition of embracing the spirit of RTÉ’s Late Late Toy Show has taken root.

And the last 12 months or so – under the shadow of the Covid crisis – has heralded a sea change in terms of what is and is not socially acceptable.

Now, more than ever, anything goes when it comes to the festive season.

Many will agree that whatever cheers people up and distracts the little ones from the possible prospect of another ‘Covid Christmas’ should be welcomed with open arms.

According to Nigel McEvoy, manager of Jones’ Garden Centre in Donabate, Dublin, some early birds bought their Christmas trees in October.

“Since then, we’ve seen a small trickle of artificial trees going out,” he said. “With all the transport issues coming out of the Far East, we would have had to order them very early to get them. We ordered them in December 2020 and they would have arrived in late September.

“And with the Toy Show, the trend is to get your tree up beforehand for the kids. Now we’ve got a good few people in looking for their fresh trees. The next two weekends will be very busy for us.”

Over the coming weeks, he expects to sell up to 1,000 real trees and 350-500 artificial trees. “The real trees still outsell the artificials by about four to one. We do try and push the Irish-grown trees as we are a garden centre and we always think they should be our focus,” he said.

Ireland’s real Christmas tree industry is worth an estimated €15m annually. According to Bord Bia, around 100 growers in Ireland will harvest 700,000 trees, with around 300,000 due to be exported.

Paddy Daly, owner of the Christmas Tree Barn in Sandyford, Dublin, concentrates on the real-tree market. Since he opened last weekend, demand has been “strong” for its Nordmann and noble firs.

He will open 9am-9pm and says many people are now buying smaller second trees for their playroom. “There seems to be more of an appetite for real trees. A lot of the people are getting excited and eager to get set up for Christmas,” he said.

There is a huge selection of trees at Mr Daly’s American-style barn. Prices start at €50 for a six footer – but trees ranging up to 16ft in height are also available. Operating since 2012, Mr Daly said the focus is on getting the freshest premium trees. “We get ours from several tree growers in Wicklow: they are all locally sourced and the most important thing is our trees are freshly cut to order.”

And when it comes to keeping your tree fresh, he recommends putting it in a bucket of water and replacing the water several times in the run-up to Christmas.

“We really encourage people to put it in a bucket of water when they get home because the tree will hydrate and take a few big drinks over the Christmas.”

In terms of a Christmas ‘experience’, Glencullen Christmas Tree Farm, in Dublin, encourages families to visit with their little ones to enjoy their whole site, which is set on 10 acres.

Owned by Patricia Fitzachary with husband Jimmy, the farm was inundated with customers at the weekend.

Ms Fitzachary said the annual rush “seems to be starting earlier every year”.

In addition to a wide range of trees, the farm also has a themed area with Santa’s Cottage, a sleigh and train and a gingerbread house – all free of charge.

As for getting more value out of your tree and ensuring it stays fresh until Christmas, she is a fan of a certain fizzy drink that helps it absorb water.

“Put it in a water stand with a little 7UP.

“That helps breaks down the resin in the tree and protects it,” she said.