Real vs Fake

I like my fake tree. It's not that I don't like a real one, I really do, but I am kinda lazy about watering it, and then I have a dry tree with needles everywhere, plus I have to deal with getting rid of it after Christmas when it gets taken down, which would be fine IF I didn't live in the city. Plus I paid $20 once for my fake tree at a discount store as opposed to $30 or more every year for a real one. As far as the kids and dog, they can pull down a fake tree just as easily as a real one. If you do decide on a real tree, either go to a farm and pick one that hasn't been cut yet so it's super fresh, or if you get one from a "stand" INSIST that they cut at least an inch off of the bottom or it wont be able to "drink" the water. A tree that has been cut and then sits will form a seal at the base with the sap. If they say they can't cut it, go to another stand, because once that seal is there cutting is the only way to get rid of it, and a tree with no water will dry out pretty quickly and that's when the needles start falling off and it becomes a fire hazard.

why dont you have both?, decorate the fake one in one room then decorate a small, more manageable real one in another room. youll get the pine smell but not so much mess.

I have a big fake tree that my family has had since the 70s, i use it every year, i have never had a real one, but im going to get a little real one this year and do the same.

We have always bought REAL trees, typically at a Home Depot. But I am noticing the last few years that I am having terribly itchy, watery eyes with them in the home...so I'm giving it one more year, and if it continues it will be fake after that.

16 mos. is a dangerous climbing age around any tree, fake or real...be careful please.

hahahaha..i was for sure when i read the title, you were talking about boobs..hahahaha..shows where my mind is so early in the morning!!

Decorating Trees for others and companies are what I do during this time of the year. (leaving in a few minutes to do one of the clients homes) I LOVE real trees.. I love the smell the lighting, everything.. If it is a good fresh tree, it should last through Christmas just fine..

These are things to consider.
Yes, it will shed needles..Yes, it must be watered.. and there is a possibility you or your children could be allergic to it.. This is what we found out when our child was born.. She became extremely ill and ended up with a terrible asthma attack..

We now have a beautiful artificial pre-lit tree.. I use Aromatique "Smell of the Tree" Potpourri.. To give us the beautiful smell of a real tree.

They are not fire hazards unless they are not watered..Check the freshness of the tree, by pulling on the branch.. The less needles that come off is the freshest tree..

Use new Christmas lights. Do not "over plug" the lights. Place the tree in an area that is not blown on by a heating vent (this can cause the tree to dry out faster) . Make sure at least a 1 1/2 inch is cut off of the bottom of the trunk to allow it to absorb water. Some people add flat 7up or other additives to keep the tree fresh longer. We have studied all types of additives and noticed it makes no difference from regular room temperature tap water..

We usually purchase the tree, have the bottom of the trunk cut off. place it in the stand with water and let it sit for about 8 hours.. this allows the branches to drop..

Then we light it.. We start from the top.. Make sure to test all lights first.. Leave the "female" part of the lights at the top so that the male is at the bottom and easier to plug in..

I love real.... The smell is great and it just "feels" more Christmasy.. You do have to water it everyday though...We get ours the 1st week of December and take it down the weekend after New Years.. We've never had issues with it "dying" on us. Pine needles will fall here and there but not to where I wouldn't get a real tree.

We spent about $400 4 yrs ago on a good fake, prelit tree. It has held up beautifully. Check for the number of tips. I used to sell floral supplies and trees, you have to know what you are looking for and you can get a good one.

The reason we stopped using real was allergies and needle shedding.

we had real trees when i was growing up. yes they an be messy but there are ways to avoid that. first when you buy the tree don't buy it a month ahead of time wait till 2 to 3 weeks before christmas. make sure you hold it up in the lot and sort of bump it up and down. if needles are already falling off it is not a good tree that means it was cut a while ago. have the tree lot guy cut the bottom off a couple inches up and also to shave the extra bottom branches off so you can get it into the stand (better to do this at the lot than wait till you get home and then have husband cussing in the garage lol) as far as the fires those used to happen a lot but the lights now are not those big colored bulbs that they had in the 50's and 60's so unless you go with a highwattage bulbs or candles the fire thing won't really be an issue. make sure you have a good stand that can hold water to keep it watered and your good. another trick is to get a tree bag (plastic bag you can purchase at a dollar store) put it on the floor before you even put the tree stand down. put the tree in the stand in the middle. and your tree skirt will cover it. then when its time to take the tree out you just take the ornaments off an swoop the whole thing up and over the tree. when you get outside you can break a hole in the bottom to retrieve your stand. if your neighborhood does like mine and collects the trees for mulch you just dispose of the bag but it gets you out of the house without a milllion needles everywhere i am also kicking around getting a real tree this year :)

Just make sure no one in your family has allergies...

I am a real girl all the way. From a green perspective, those fake trees can be made of such toxic stuff. Yes, they are re-usable but UGH. Heaven forbid you have bad lights or a candle that does start a fire. That plastic/petroleum stuff can go up just as fast wood & sap.

We buy from local tree farms or go hunting one at my parents rural home. The local farms are such great stewards of our resources. For everyone they cut, they plant 2+ more. I like that my $$$ stays here vs Taiwan.

It really depends on the spring/summer season as to whether a real tree will be dry. We had a pretty set season here in MN and so I expect a good sappy tree this year. Just make sure you get a "fresh cut" and keep that bad boy watered 1-2x per day. Put it up and then give it 12-24 hours to thaw. Also, get a humidifier for your house (your tree and family will thank you). As to lights, use newer ones and/or led which I think get less hot. Don't overload any outlets with too many plug ins/extension cords. Keep candle use to a minimum. It is actually holiday candles that fire fighters say are the biggest fire hazard.

One last reason I vote for real...It adds to the tradition. Instead of lugging the tree down from the attic, our decorating tradition starts with the hunt for the perfect tree. The boys love this part. We wander around the farm singing carols and sipping cocoa...Oooh! I am totally getting in the spirit. Thanks for this post!

UPDATE
We have always had a cat. Has never tried to climb the tree. We had one that wanted to bat at the lower hanging ornaments. So keep your most fragile ones higher up and that will take care of apets and kids.

My vote is fake. If you invest in a better one, you'll have it for many years. In addition, you can keep it up much longer. I really like the ones with the lights. It's much easier to put up. Ours typically goes up the weekend after Thanksgiving and comes down mid-January.

What I don't like about real trees is you need to water them daily. Depending on the stand, you might find the dog drinking from it. The needles do fall off (yes they fall off on some fake trees too), and with a little one and a dog chances are you'll find them all over house. When you take the tree down and carry it out, there will be the trail of needles. Of course, one of the major advantages is the nice smell. However, for that fresh smell I'll often just buy a wreath or make an arrangement, and there's always candles. As far as fires, I don't think the risk is that much greater with a real tree than a fake.

I loved having a real tree growing up, but yes, make sure you water it because when if it dies and dries out it becomes a MAJOR fire hazard. Also, put a sheet underneath it to catch the needles, because they are a pain in the butt!

But, I also vote for a real tree.

We had a real tree for years. Then we went to an artificial tree because it was more cost-effective. But to our strange cats, for whom real trees are ho-hum, a fake tree was irresistible! They were up and down, up and down. In the interests of getting sleep at night, we went back to a real tree a few years ago.

I think the principal consideration about a real tree is to get one that's as fresh as possible. May I say that loudly? AS FRESH AS POSSIBLE. Thank you. That means not stopping at the corner lot to pick out a tree that was cut three weeks ago, even if their sign says, "Fresh Trees"; it means going out to the local plant nursery and spending a little more money. You won't regret it! I even bought their recommended tree stand because they trim a bit off the trunk and put the tree in the stand for me every year so I don't have to struggle. (That is, I bring the stand with me when I go to pick out the tree.)

Speaking of money, when I go out there I avoid the section of Christmas-tree-farm perfect trees; I choose a "regular" tree because it's more in my budget. The regular trees turn out to have more character when I get them up at home, and they're much more fun to decorate!

If you can avoid setting up your tree near a hot-air register, it would be sensible to do so. Follow carefully the directions they give you at the nursery. I take my tree straight home, get it set up in the place I prepare beforehand, and have water in the base within fifteen to thirty minutes of purchase. I find that I refill frequently the first 48 hours, and then it settles down a bit. Like cut flowers, cut trees need water.

To be on the safe side, we don't have our tree lights on when we're away from the house. (But we follow that rule with artificial trees, too.)

Because we've invested in a good, fresh tree, we've had few problems. It does slowly get dryer and shed needles, but it's nothing that a vacuum cleaner can't handle.

If I had a three-year-old, a sixteen-month-old, and a 70-pound dog, I think I'd consider a beautiful tabletop tree and save the big tree for a later year.

I vote for a real tree, fake is just not the same. As long as you add water everyday it should be ok. I do have to vaccum around the tree occasionally. I don't ever notice needles all over the house though. (i have four kids and two cats)

Growing up we had a horrible artificial tree. When I first had a place of my own, I had a real tree for a few years (to keep it fresh, water it w/ sugar water...the less dry the tree is, the less fire risk there is). They do loose needles (more as they dry) and they are a fire hazard (but so are artificial trees). I started getting sick every year a week or two before Christmas (allergy like symptoms at first) and by New Years I was miserable. Turns out I have severe allergies and trees and grasses are the worst for me. We now have a very nice pre-lit Christmas Tree.

I personally suggest waiting until the day after Christmas and get a great deal on a nice artifical tree.

I love the smell of a real tree. Make sure if you get one it has been freshly cut and before it goes into the stand cut a little off the bottom so it can uptake water.You also have to water the tree daily to keep it from dying, which is when it becomes a real fire hazard- too dry. We also never the tree lights on when we are not home. It will drop needles, but you can vacuum them up, a tree skirt can help with collection. I usually put a towel or an old vinyl table cloth right round the base and under the stand to catch any water that doesn't make it into the tree stand. It should be fairly sturdy and hard to knock over.

We have had a a cat pull the tree over once, the cat was halfway up the tree before anyone noticed. After that if the tree was near a window, it got a string around it and tied to the window, lol. The cat never climbed the tree again and none of the younger cats have climbed, but just to be safe that way the tree had an anchor to keep it from going. Our dog usually gives it a couple of sniffs and then leaves it alone, the cats love sleeping under it, but do not eat it.

allergies are really a tiny tiny possibility. don't let that stop you if you want to try. the main thing is don't get it too early. you can't do thanksgiving weekend with a real tree. a couple/few weeks is safest. good luck. ps - i grew up with real trees too, but since living on my own have always had artificial - we got our current one on clearance the week after christmas and it is awesome - our first prelit one, and i love it! merry christmas whatever you end up with!

I vote for the real tree. Our family, with husband and a young teen, always go out into the country and get one at a tree farm, We pick it out as family and they cut it down for us. I bring hot coco in a big thermos for all. It is a fun family tradition, we even take the dogs with and one is an 80 lb mix. Always had artificial as a child, since 2 family members had alleriges, not me though ,so I think this is why I like real as an adult. We get ours the 1st wkend of Dec and keep it watered daily then take it down a day or so after Christmas. The fresh pine smell in the house couldn't be better. Hope this helps.

We used to get a real tree, then we moved and that tree dried up in 3 days--had a fresh cut on the trunk and plenty of water in the holder. It was so dry, my hubby was scared to turn the lights on. We figured the new house's heating system dried it out fast. We got a good quality artificial one after that.

If you do opt for a real tree, you should inspect (or just go ahead a replace) your Christmas tree lights for any signs of wear, shorted-out lights, etc.

We used to always have a fake tree (I did while growing up, too). But a few years ago DH and I ditched the fake and decided to go real! I love how it makes the house smell like pine. We go the weekend after Thanksgiving and decorate it up. If you don't go super cheap, then it should last until the week after Christmas. When shopping for one, run your fingers over the needles. If they fall off easily, go with another tree. Also, shake it (hold it up and either shake it or hit the trunk on the ground a few times) to see how many needles fall off. If it's only a few, it should be alright. I prefer the trees with softer needles (especially with little kids). The needles will fall off, especially the longer it's up. I use my hand vac to quickly and easily pick up the needles (plus it's easier than manuvering a vaccuum around it). Give it a try, and if you really don't like it, just go back to your fake tree next year, or invest in a better fake tree that you like better than your current one.

We always had a fake tree then last real our tree needed to be thrown away so we bought a real one and it was dead before Christmas so this year we went out and bought a new fake one. I will never buy a real tree again.

Also after we bought the fake tree we found out we were allergic to it. It was just a mess with the needles all over the floor.

We have ALWAYS had a real tree!!! Never had a LIVE tree... that is a possibility if you are afraid of fire... it could still burn but not as readily. We put our tree up maybe a week or two before Christmas then keep it up til at least mid January - once had it up til mid march! Yes, it is a little messy... but if you make a NEW cut on the trunk JUST before you put it in a stand with water, it will not lose as many needles... you cut off at least 1 1/2-2 inches. Then never let the water level go below the cut. The first day it will drink the most and second maybe half as much then the following days it will take in less. I keep a bottle (from juice or something maybe 64 oz. filled with water under the tree in the back and use it when needed) Check it a few times the first 12-24 hours then a couple times the next day and then once a day from then on. I love a Fraizer Fir... they smell like oranges when you walk in the room... Blue spruce are the pinchiest... longer needles stay on the best but are harder to decorate. Any more questions? bring em on... we used to grow and sell trees :) Oh yeah, BEFORE you make the FRESH CUT, stomp the tree down on hard ground or cement to get rid of all the loose needles... I like to stomp mine about a dozen times! When they are growing, they drop needles and they don't all fall out and once you cut a tree, it is already DEAD! Some people don't know to make a new cut and therefore (especially if they buy one that is cut in October as a lot of trees are) it turns brown faster... you can go to a lot and cut your own and it will keep its needles a couple months!!! We even had customers tell us that their tree was getting NEW GROWTH on it in their house!!!!!!

Three of us have allergies and the real trees don't bother any of us! Our allergies are seasonal and have nothing to do with food... just pollen.

If you ever decide to try a real one, keep it well watered. Make sure you buy one that is fresh. You can tell buy running your hand down one of its branches. The needles should bend with you and not fall off. When you get home, make sure you water it on a regular basis.

If your 16 month old puts things in his/her mouth, you might want to wait another year to try the real tree because there will be needles on the floor. They do smell so nice, but the needles can be a mess. It is fun to go with the kids out in the cold and get a real tree, but your youngest isn't going to remember that or "get it" until next year anyway. I'd do one more year of the artifical tree.

Growing up, we always got a real tree. we would go with my cousins and parents friends the Saturday or Sunday after thanksgiving. My parents had a tree where all the needles fell off as soon as it was all decorated. One year they had a tree with preying mantis eggs in it and they hatched so they had preying mantis all over the living room. Most of the trees they got shed some needles but not much. I've always liked the real trees. I've never had a problem with tons of needles falling off. I know at first I'd have to water it every day but then maybe 3 times per week after that. just remember to turn the lights out when you won't be home. Its so much fun going out looking for a tree.

Real trees are fantastic. I love the way they make my home smell and they are just so beautiful. However, a live tree will not last from Thanksgiving to New Years. If you cut down your own or go to a tree farm and have someone else cut it down for you, it will last a lot longer than if you buy a precut one from Home Depot. These trees are cut down and shipped from out of state weeks in advance. We put our tree up the 2nd week in December and take it down around New Years....sometimes the following week. The best part is that you get to pick it out with your family and you can always cut branches off of the bottom if you need filler branches for a bare spot on the tree.

We normally have needles a few needles to clean up, but nothing crazy. I clean up more after lunch with two small children than pine needles. The trick is to shake the tree very well outside to get all of the lose needles off of it before you bring it into your home. Then once the tree is up, I check it every few days to make sure it is filled with water and that is it. A.J. Petitti from Petitti's Gardens always says to never add anything to the water because that is not what they normally drink. As I said, you can't leave the tree up for 2 months or longer. Just like flowers, you can't leave them in a vase for 8 weeks.

I just read your response regarding allergies. My husband and daughter both have severe pollen/grass allergies that they deal with every spring. Neither of them have any trouble with the tree.

I know of a great place in Olmsted Falls that charges $20. If you want more info, let me know.

As far as a real tree smelling good... My Mom used to buy a spray called bayberry that smelled like a tree. We always had a fake tree... still do... and until now I had forgotten that Mom used the spray to make it smell like the real thing.

I had to respond about the allergy issue. Trees do not produce pollen around the time they are cut down so unless they have pollen left on them since spring, allergies shouldn't be an issue. If one is still concerned they can spray the tree off and let it dry for a day before bringing it inside the house. My son has terrible seasonal allergies which causes asthma and we always have a real tree. He has never been bothered at all. In fact, I just read an article that said it is very rare to have an allergy to a pine tree(the pollen, maybe, but the tree itself, no).

REAL! The experience of cutting a real tree and the smell of it in your home is the best! As long as your hubby can help get it in the stand, all you have to do is water it. They sell great stands now. 100% worth it; great memories. Avoid fires by turning the lights out when you are gone and at night. Won't hurt to try it once at least! Maybe recruit a nice neighbor to help you guys set it up this year. Have fun!

Hi Shaun,

I know you already updated us that you're going to stick with an artificial one, but I found this website to be quite informative: (Maybe for next year)

http://www.christmastree.org/myths.cfm
(one of the myths is about allergies)

I LOVE getting a real tree. I haven't gone to a farm to do it myself, though. There's a church nearby that sells them, but I would like to start a tradition where the family goes to a farm to select one and cut it down. If you get one that's already cut, have them give you a fresh cut so the pores will absorb more water. Also... there are certain types of evergreens that do WAY better in regards to needles falling all over. So some types shed so little with proper care, but of course the price tag is higher for these. I LOVE the smell of a real tree and my kids love it too.

Happy Holidays!

J.

I've had both and I cannot say one is better than the other.

Like other suggestions make sure the real tree has a fresh cut and you will most likely have to water it/7 up it every day. The needles are a pain to clean up when you take it down. Depending on where you live will determine the cost and pick up/disposal of a fresh tree. It's nice but it's an added expense since you'll also have to buy a new stand to go with it.

You may have Christmas up a bit long for a fresh tree.

We've had both over the years - I love the ease of an artificial tree, you can put it up and take it down whenever you want, but I do love the smell of a live tree as well. Live trees can be very expensive, depending on the size of course. We have had the best luck with Frasier firs - they don't seem to drop their needles as quickly as other popular Christmas trees, so you can get a little more mileage out of them. I would say, however, that since you want to put up your tree next weekend and not take it down till New Years, you would probably be better off with an artificial. That's a long time for a live tree to last inside a house.

First real trees die very fast. Second while they smell and look nice, if you don't water them every day the water dries up and it can cause a fire. We always checked it at night and in the day but with a baby you probably won't have much time to always check it. I never had an allergy problem but it maybe that way for some but at the end of every christmas it was a little problematic to sweep up all the dead leaves and sap.

I love real trees but unfortunately I have 2 very allergic boys we bought a lovely fake one last year on black friday it was a $200 tree we paid $60 its beautiful and people actually asked last year if it was real. When I used to get real ones we got them only 2 weeks before christmas and always got a fresh picked one went to the tree farm picked it out and cut it down go earlier then the two weeks so you can purchase it but go back about 10-14 days before christmas to get it it will help minimize how many needles end up on your floor. Anchor it to the wall so it does not fall on anyone. My friends little brother crawled under the tree one year and it fell on him he was luckily okay just a few scrapes. Keep your tree well watered and you won't have to worry about fires.

We always had a real tree growing up. I was always sick when the tree was in the house but would often feel better when we left the house. We chalked it up to winter colds. Turns out I'm allergic to the tree. :( I've had artificial ever since. I miss real trees to a certain degree because the smell always meant Christmas to me but at the same time I don't miss the not breathing because of the smell ;) The one thing I do miss about not having a real tree is the family trip every year to go pick one out. I always found the best trees! I remember my mom vaccuming every day around the tree and pine needles around for a while after the tree was gone. They do seem to get everywhere.
We've got a really nice 7' fake tree. We waited until things went on clearance so we could afford one of the nicer, more expensive ones. We also have a smaller 3' tree that's in a pot. Right now we put that up more than the big one as we'd have to put furniture into storage to have it fit in the living room right now.

We always had a fake tree growing up. I think one year (before we were born) my parents got a real tree and it was such a mess that my mom said never again. I always envied the families that got real trees.

Now my hubby is a "real tree" guy - we even try to go out to a place where you can cut your own down. The biggest thing is making sure the tree gets watered enough - we will give ours 2 or 3 liters a day. If it gets too dried out, it will drop needles like crazy. If you get a tree that's already been cut and it's been sitting around for a while, it might be pretty dried out already. Our trees have done fine for the 6 weeks that they've been up (they start dropping more needles at the end because they just reach a point where they just can't suck up as much water anymore). Shake the tree a bit or run your hands over the needles to see how easily they come off.

Some species drop more needles than others. Also, some species have "pokier" needles than others, or the branches are softer, so hanging ornaments can be tricky (and/or painful!). That's one pro about the fake tree - you can hang heavier ornaments on them and the branches are not going to bend way down on you.

My daughter is 3 and is good about not messing with things once we tell her not to, so I'm not worried about that part of it in my own house. But you can always put a gate around your tree, whether it is fake or real.

p.s. There are places now where they will sell you a real tree still rooted in the pot - they are more money but then you can go and re-plant it in the yard.

Drive by your local fire dept and stop in and ask them about fire hazards for both real and fake and see what their take on it is. Personally, I have a fake one. Good luck!!!

We have gotten a real tree for the past few years and I just love it! They are so much nicer than ANY fake tree there is (IMHO). We also get ours on Thanksgiving weekend and take it down the weekend after Christmas. If you do get a real tree, be sure that you have them do a fresh cut for you (they will cut the end off of the bottom of the tree so that it will take in more water). It usually costs a little extra, but the tree will live A LOT longer that way. You also need to make sure it stays watered. I realized one year that our cats were under the tree drinking the water, so I had to water it nearly every day, especially at the beginning when the tree was "drinking" so much from the fresh cut. Now, given all of that, it does start to get a little dry by Christmas and the needles do start to drop, so you might have to vacuum that area once every couple of days. If you make sure it has plenty of water (again, especially at the beginning), it will last and I think you will love it! We have looked at fake trees every year, but they just don't look as good as the real ones we have gotten, so we keep getting the real ones instead. I'm looking forward to going to get ours next weekend! Enjoy!

my 2 cents - I do love real trees, but they can be a headache. One year ours died before Christmas.....I had to take it down and go get another one - AHH! I also find that the needles, once they drop, hurt when you step on one - so with the young kids, might not be the best option. We are now trying to go green in our house - so we decided to get a fake tree. We waited until after Christmas so we could get one really cheap and I have to say I love it! It is beautiful even before we put ornaments on it. Yes - I have to spend a few more minutes "arranging" the branches from being stuck in a box for 11 months, but it's so pretty. They have some great fake trees now a days. Ours has a light tint to it so it almost looks like a frost on the branches. Good luck! Since I like real trees also, we normally buy a small one to put on our counter and add a few small ornaments to it....jsut a thought. BTW - if you go with real.....try not to use the tinsel on it. You can recycle the tree, but they won't take ones that still have "decoration' on them.

A real tree makes the house smell so GOOD! But you can only leave them up about 3 weeks max before you get paranoid of fire and of course the needles drop. I remember vacuuming up needles for several months after Christmas, but they always put a smile on my face. Even just a 3 or 4 footer gives your home that pine tree smell that is so wonderful. They are pricey tho and you could buy another gift rather than the tree, but searching for the perfect tree each year is also a fun tradition, carrying it home on top of the car, setting it up with its bowl of water.... it's all fun. But lots of people stick to their tree in a box and have the same amount of fun. It's a personal preference I'm sure.
On lean years I would make a tree on the wall out of garland and decorate it that way too...
You can always go to the Christmas tree farm and get some real wreaths for the aroma.. just a thought.

Updated

A real tree makes the house smell so GOOD! But you can only leave them up about 3 weeks max before you get paranoid of fire and of course the needles drop. I remember vacuuming up needles for several months after Christmas, but they always put a smile on my face. Even just a 3 or 4 footer gives your home that pine tree smell that is so wonderful. They are pricey tho and you could buy another gift rather than the tree, but searching for the perfect tree each year is also a fun tradition, carrying it home on top of the car, setting it up with its bowl of water.... it's all fun. But lots of people stick to their tree in a box and have the same amount of fun. It's a personal preference I'm sure.
On lean years I would make a tree on the wall out of garland and decorate it that way too...
You can always go to the Christmas tree farm and get some real wreaths for the aroma.. just a thought.

I have had both and no problems either way. With a real one you just make sure you keep it watered. I usually add an aspirin to thew water. I have gone through stages of a fake tree for so many years and then real ones. They really are not a big deal. If you don;t water the tree then you have the fire hazard. My father was a fireman and very annal about fires and we had one off and on growing up. Everyone has their own preferences. Fresh pine is a wonderful smell. We would put it up after Thanksgiving maybe 2-3 weeks before Christmas so to ensure it stays healthy. Just vacuum or sweep up the needles. Again if it is watered regularly the needles should not get out of control. You can have allergies with both kind. Fake trees can collect a lot of dust and other things. We had a dead bird one year in our box and I had my husband throw the tree away,. There are risks either way. DO not let fear drive you. Why not try it one year and see how it goes.