One of the great Christmas traditions of home was going to a Christmas tree farm, selecting, and cutting our own Christmas tree.
How would we go about that nowadays in Kuala Lumpur? Christmas tree farms do not exist, but one wholesale florist in Bangsar called Floristika, has been importing cut Christmas trees from European Christmas tree farms for some years.
It is not quite the same as heading to the farm to select, but it is as close as we can get. The mighty Douglas Fir is the tree of choice at Floristika. It is available in four sizes and prices:
- 6 – 7ft RM659
- 7 – 8ft RM799
- 9 – 10ft RM1199
- 12 – 13ft RM1899
Also for sale is the cute desktop Silver or Noble Fir, priced at RM119.
A Christmas tree that will last?
I visited Floristika end of November. Many trees were on full display, with many more stockpiled in their mesh wraps. Under normal circumstances it is expected that a cut tree will last up to a month. Remember that these trees have been cut from the farm, transported to shipping container and shipped halfway across the world from Europe to Malaysia.
By the time Christmas day arrives, these trees would have been cut for at least six weeks and possibly more. It is a decent one-off investment and careful observation will describe whether the tree will last the distance.
What to look out for
Douglas Fir is a stiffly branched tree. If the branches are starting to droop and the fir leaf needles are starting to drop, then the tree will not last the distance. If possible, go and inspect at the florist prior to purchasing. If that’s too challenging, do ask them to send a photo of the selected tree as part of the purchasing process.
One way to help the tree vigour is to re-cut the stump about 2 inches up from the original cut. That really helps in the tree taking up water. Please do ask the shop to re-cut the stump, before they deliver the tree.
How to care for your tree
The trees come with a water filled base that just really needs to be kept topped up while at home for Christmas. To assist in the tree longevity, you may use the following mix: add 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 2 tablespoons of standard white vinegar to 1 litre of water, and mix thoroughly. Scale up or down proportionally. This mix works for cut flowers as well.
Useful info
Floristika is located at 16 Jalan Liku, Bangsar. Their opening hours are from 8am till 7pm, seven days a week.
They will deliver to all parts of the Klang Valley for an additional charge between RM15 and RM100. Check out the website and order online here.
Instead of buying a cut tree, how about a potted one?
