"There is no benefit in waiting right until the last minute to buy your Christmas tree, as all live trees are cut at broadly the same time in the fields in late October/November. Choosing early means you have the widest choice available and can start caring for your tree, as soon as possible," Sage said.

"Measure the space that you want your tree to go in before purchasing, as many people have no idea how high their ceiling is and get over ambitious when choosing their tree size. The stand will add an extra six inches, and you don바카라 게임 웹사이트�t want to end up having to cut the top off. This will compromise the shape of the tree," Sage said.

"For city dwellers, you need to consider space and accessibility when choosing your real tree. If you live in a terraced house or flat, consider how wide your doorways are and the staircases you might have to climb with your tree 바카라 게임 웹사이트� you don바카라 게임 웹사이트�t want to have to drag a 6-foot tree up 10 floors."

Sage advises people to put "practicality to one side" (as we often do at Christmas) and take advantage of your space you may not use during the year.

"Go bold on height, choosing a slim and tall tree will look striking without taking up all of the space in the room," Sage said.

"The color of the needles should be a dark green rather than pale and washed out and should feel waxy to the touch, not dry. Stroke the tree to see if needles come off easily. If you바카라 게임 웹사이트�re concerned about needle-dropping, choose a variety of tree such as the Nordman Fir, which is known to retain its needles," Sage said.

"Choosing a tree that isn바카라 게임 웹사이트�t pre-wrapped in netting allows you to really see the shape and ensure branches aren바카라 게임 웹사이트�t bent into an upwards position. Trees left in netting aren바카라 게임 웹사이트�t able to benefit from air circulation and begin to form a micro-climate. This means the tree begins to warm up, drop needles and decompose at a much quicker rate."

"Keep your Christmas tree fresher for longer by chopping, or sawing, a few centimeters off the bottom and soaking it in a bucket of water outside, either overnight or for as long as possible, before bringing it inside."

"For fresh cut trees a water retaining stand is absolutely essential. Even though the Christmas tree will have been cut in the field, it is still living and will be breathing through its needles. In an average heated home, a Christmas tree can take several liters of water a day and this is replaced through the trunk by keeping the water reservoir topped up with fresh water. Also avoid whittling the trunk of a tree to fit a stand. Always buy a bigger stand as whittling can remove the most active cells from the outside of the trunk and make the tree thirsty as a consequence."

Sage advised that we keep trees away from direct sunlight, and from sources of heat like from radiators and fireplaces. This is as to not dry out the tree and shorten its life.

"Ideally, try to use LED tree lights which emit less heat and are better for the environment. A well-cared-for tree should normally remain fresh for at least four to five weeks before drying to an unacceptable level."