Tree-lovers pining for Christmases past

DEMAND for freshly cut Christmas trees is increasing, with farms and retailers attributing the resurgence to improved quality.

Christmas trees

DEMAND for freshly cut Christmas trees is increasing, with farms and retailers attributing the resurgence to improved quality - and the desire for nostalgia.

"It's that whoosh of fragrance when you come home and open the door," says Tim Pickles, owner of Tim's Garden Centre at Campbelltown, on the outskirts of Sydney.

Mr Pickles sells more than 200 cut trees sourced from one of several growers on Sydney's outskirts each weekend in December.

Resident Darren Martin, who took his daughter Dali, 5, along to help him choose a tree, can only agree.

"We were in the garden centre and the smell of pine trees was really thick in the air," Mr Martin said.

"It's like a trip down memory lane, a step back in time to when the world was a simpler place. You like to think your own child could have that cherished experience."

Cut trees are typically four to six years old, and are pruned by hand four times a year to produce conical trees with dense foliage.

"It's the quest to hunt out the perfect tree that makes it such a wonderful family activity," Mr Pickles said.

"They want one as big as they can fit in the house or on the roof of the car. Dragging it in and setting it up is all part of the fun."

To help eager hunters, he ties trees to individual stakes in rows across his lawn area, creating a mini forest for children to explore.

Cut trees in Australia are almost all Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), native to California and widely grown in plantations around the world for timber and wood chip.

Prices for the trees in major cities range from $35 to $200 for a ceiling-busting, manicured tree. The other traditional sellers of cut trees are the Scouts. Their prices are a little cheaper and the money goes back into local communities.

Some people order from the Scouts online and pay an extra $20 for delivery and after-Christmas pick-up, Catherine Gardner-Gaskin of Scouts Australia said.

You can also visit a Christmas tree farm to choose and cut your own. Some farms add to the experience with wagon rides, Santa visits and even real reindeer, and most can wrap the tree in netting for easier transporting.

Buying trees online is booming. Delivered trees can also be installed and decorated for you at additional cost, and many offer businesses a recycling collection service.

Prices for tree and delivery range from $100 to $200, and some guarantee delivery within one day of trees being cut.

Expect a cut tree to last up to four weeks with good care. "Treat them like a bunch of flowers," Mr Pickles said.

"It's phenomenal how much water they drink."