Blue & Norway Spruce
Farmer Gow's Oxfordshire Christmas Tree Barn and Farm Gift Shop, located between Oxford and Swindon, are both open every day until Monday 23 December. Farmer Gow has personally been supplying locally grown Christmas trees for over 30 years
Open Every Day - 9am - 5pm
From 16 December, 10am to 5pm
* Free entry to Christmas Tree Barn and Christmas Gift Shop
* Open EVERY DAY until Monday 23 December
* Choose your real Christmas tree in a traditional manner with the whole family and with expert advice on hand; our fabulous selection ranges from Christmas Pot Grown Trees to Non Drop Fir Trees - we can also net your choice for you to ease transport home. If you would like us to deliver, that's absolutely fine too. We deliver to a fairly wide area (delivery charges apply).
Queries/Questions - 07714 455 400 or 01793 780 555
Download our guide to looking after your tree
Open Every Day - 9am - 5pm
From 16 December, 10am to 5pm
* Free entry to Christmas Tree Barn and Christmas Gift Shop
* Open EVERY DAY until Monday 23 December
* Choose your real Christmas tree in a traditional manner with the whole family and with expert advice on hand; our fabulous selection ranges from Christmas Pot Grown Trees to Non Drop Fir Trees - we can also net your choice for you to ease transport home. If you would like us to deliver, that's absolutely fine too. We deliver to a fairly wide area (delivery charges apply).
Queries/Questions - 07714 455 400 or 01793 780 555
Download our guide to looking after your tree
Norway Spruce trees
The modern preference for a full, dense Christmas tree means that Norway Spruce trees are pruned every year, from about 4 years of age. The pruning encourages the tree to grow more side branches and year on year the tree gets denser and denser.
Gradually the inner leaves are cut off from sunlight, they turn brown and die. This is completely natural.
When growing in the field environment, surrounded by many other trees, there is little wind to dislodge the inner brown leaves. The leaves which die therefore tend to stay within the density of the tree branches.
Cutting and moving spruce trees to Christmas Barns, starts to dislodge the brown leaves. This continues as the tree settles into your home.
Decorations and lights add weight to the branches, which are quite light, and tend to open up the branches. You may therefore notice the inner branches more when you are decorating, than when the tree was in the Christmas Barn.
Needle Drop - the natural behaviour of Spruces is for leaves to fall off the branch when the leaves start to die - as deciduous trees. As above, this is similar to many other shrubs, trees and flowers.
Firs behave differently and have come to be known as 'non-drops' because their larger, glossy leaves tend to darken and lose their gloss but the leaves tend to cling on to the branches of the tree.
Needle Fresh trees are best kept as cool as possible to prolong their display life. Underfloor central heating is particularly problematic, as are radiators.
As Spruces are much easier to grow than non-drop Fir species and because they respond well to pruning they are generally offered at a much lower price than non-drop Firs. The smell of a spruce is very Christmassy and many families choose Norway Spruces year on year.
We suggest that Spruces are ideal for about 2 weeks in the home environment. Less for very warm houses/underfloor heating, more for cool and outdoor environments.
The modern preference for a full, dense Christmas tree means that Norway Spruce trees are pruned every year, from about 4 years of age. The pruning encourages the tree to grow more side branches and year on year the tree gets denser and denser.
Gradually the inner leaves are cut off from sunlight, they turn brown and die. This is completely natural.
When growing in the field environment, surrounded by many other trees, there is little wind to dislodge the inner brown leaves. The leaves which die therefore tend to stay within the density of the tree branches.
Cutting and moving spruce trees to Christmas Barns, starts to dislodge the brown leaves. This continues as the tree settles into your home.
Decorations and lights add weight to the branches, which are quite light, and tend to open up the branches. You may therefore notice the inner branches more when you are decorating, than when the tree was in the Christmas Barn.
Needle Drop - the natural behaviour of Spruces is for leaves to fall off the branch when the leaves start to die - as deciduous trees. As above, this is similar to many other shrubs, trees and flowers.
Firs behave differently and have come to be known as 'non-drops' because their larger, glossy leaves tend to darken and lose their gloss but the leaves tend to cling on to the branches of the tree.
Needle Fresh trees are best kept as cool as possible to prolong their display life. Underfloor central heating is particularly problematic, as are radiators.
As Spruces are much easier to grow than non-drop Fir species and because they respond well to pruning they are generally offered at a much lower price than non-drop Firs. The smell of a spruce is very Christmassy and many families choose Norway Spruces year on year.
We suggest that Spruces are ideal for about 2 weeks in the home environment. Less for very warm houses/underfloor heating, more for cool and outdoor environments.