David Domoney warns against falling for this mistake when buying potted Christmas trees

David Domoney has long been a beacon for many of our garden queries, and even more so now that December has finally landed on our doorstep, which can only mean one thing: it's real Christmas tree season.

That's right, our Christmas ideas are officially fair game, and if you're one to embrace tradition, then you'll also know that now is the best time to pick up a real Christmas tree. Of course, if you're familiar with the realm of choosing and caring for real Christmas trees, you'll know that you've got two options to choose from: a freshly cut one (typically the more popular choice), or a potted tree.

If you've decided to go for the latter, David Domoney has come chock-full with his top tips on caring for a potted Christmas tree, to ensure that it stays looking fresh the entirety of the festive season, and can also stay with you for more Christmases to come.

What's more, he warns of a common mistake to avoid when buying a potted Christmas tree...

David Domoney's potted Christmas tree tips

Speaking to Ideal Home on the freshly-cut and potted Christmas tree debate, David Domoney starts, 'The difference between a cut tree and a potted tree is its size. You can't get a potted tree that's about 6/7ft because the root system will be too big to take in.'

'So if you're looking for a bigger tree, then you’re better off going with a cut tree.'

David Domoney

David Domoney is Britain's only Chartered Horticulturist presenter on TV. He has over 40 years' experience in horticulture and 20 of these have been spent on national television. Having become a household name, not only is he a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, he's a decorated garden designer and the mastermind behind UK-wide gardening competitions, such as Cultivation Street and Young Gardeners of the Year.

However, should you choose to go for a potted tree this Christmas, David warns that you shouldn't just go and pick up any old tree at the garden centre or Christmas tree farm.

'There's a difference between a potted and a containerised tree. So if you go into a garden centre and they're selling trees that have just been dug up from the ground and shoved into a pot, a lot of the roots will have been damaged,' he warns.

'They don't usually survive afterwards. But if you buy a pot-grown tree, which means it's been grown in a pot in the ground, so they're digging the pot up out of the ground, you stand a better chance of it living.'

'So buy it, take it home, leave it in the garden as long as you can and then bring it in again into the home and use it as a Christmas tree,' continues David.

Then, comes David's tips for reusing your potted Christmas tree after the festive period.

'As early as you can, you take it outside. So the less time inside, the better for the tree as it's a different temperature.' This is similar to David's previous real Christmas tree care tips he recently shared with us, too.

'Sometimes you might move it into the garage so it gets used to being a bit cold before you move it outside. Then, take the pot off and plant it in the ground. That will then be your outdoor Christmas tree.'

'You won't dig it up the following year, but you leave it outside as a Christmas tree that grows as you and the children do.'

Now, that's a long-time Christmas tree idea we can certainly get behind.

Better yet, potted Christmas trees are a budget Christmas decorating idea that your purse is sure to thank you for. Potted Christmas trees are easily accessible and affordable, and a testament to that is the fact that you can pick them up as a part of Aldi's real Christmas trees or even Lidl's selection of real trees.

So, not only will you save upfront on its cost as your festive centrepiece, but it'll be with you for years to come, albeit your outdoor tree instead. After all, it's never a bad idea to add more to your outdoor Christmas decor ideas.

They deserve just as much festive love as the inside of our homes for the holidays.