This is the time of year to buy Christmas Trees for the festive season, many people buy them online and from within their local markets and garden centres. When buying your Christmas Tree online, there are certain guidelines to stick to and if necessary, questions to ask before placing your order.

You can get a great deal on Christmas Trees online as many centres will be holding a vast stock throughout the year and you can be guaranteed that your Xmas tree is sent out fresh and certainly to last you throughout the festive period and if potted, can be planted in your own garden to re-use for next year!

When is the best time to buy a Christmas Tree? Should I buy potted or cut trees? Which variety should I choose? The below tips should help you to answer these common questions.

What to look out for and ask when buying your Christmas Tree online:

• Consider the variety that you are looking for, there are varied types and some last longer than others.
• Choose a tree with healthy bark, no cracks, splits of evidence of rot / sawdust etc.
• Make sure that the needles look bright and fresh.
• When you receive your tree give it a shake, it shouldn't drop many needles (depending on time with courier).
• Not so good for the courier, but your Christmas Tree should feel heavy, a good sign of it being fresh with high water content.
• As with any online purchase, generally the brands that have been around for a few years have built a solid reputation and are more likely to take pride in what they supply their customers with.
• Norwegian Spruces are the most common of Christmas Trees and the best priced, the Nordmann Fir is slightly more expensive usually with the Fraser Fir being the variety that generally commands the higher prices.