Andrew Brown and Steve Smith, Plant Managers at Birchencliffe and Pennine, have given their tips on picking and looking after a Christmas tree.

Choose a tree that isn’t pre-wrapped in netting so you can see the shape. Plus, if trees are left in the net, air is not able to circulate, the tree warms up and a micro-climate forms bringing rot.

The colour of the needles should be a dark green rather than pale and washed out and needles should feel waxy to the touch, not dry. Try stroking the tree and seeing if needles come off.

In general the tree should be evenly proportioned – not very dense at the bottom and sparse at the top or have gaping holes.

In pictures: Huddesfield's prettiest Christmas trees

The top of the tree is important too, so look for a straight leader (the long tall part of the tree, at the top)

When first brought home, keep your tree fresh for longer by chopping off the bottom a few centimetres and soaking it in a bucket of water outside at least overnight, but for as long as possible before bringing indoors.

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Keep the tree away from draughts and direct heat and ideally use LED lights, which emit less heat and are better for the environment.

Christmas trees are cut at broadly the same time in the fields in late October/November and the sooner they are bought and taken home, the sooner customers can start to care for them properly. Waiting until the last minute to purchase means that the trees have been in a stored location for a prolonged period out of water, which may result in them not lasting as long.

Christmas

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