PERHAPS more than any other single purchase, the Christmas tree is for most people the clearest signal that the festive season is approaching.

Some keen souls have already bought their tree, as twinkling lights in windows in the evening will attest.

But this weekend is the one during which Christmas tree sellers begin to get seriously busy. Tomorrow is December 1, and for many people, that is the day they like to either put up their tree, or buy it in readiness for decorating.

The latest research suggests that around one-in-seven households (13 per cent) invests in a real Christmas tree, and that the expected price is likely to top £30 for one of a decent size, around six-eight feet.

Real trees can be bought for considerably less than that, though it depends on height, and also whether it retains its roots, or is a cut tree.

Perhaps the biggest issue for buyers of real trees however, is the shedding of needles and how to prevent it or at least, minimise it After Christmas, having to take the decorations off a tree is a pretty downbeat business, and one that is often made more so by the propensity for said tree to drop its needles at the slightest touch or draught.

By far the biggest part of this operation can be the sweeping or hoovering up of thousands of needles, many of which have an uncanny knack of lodging in carpets, rugs and between the slats of a wooden floor. A stubborn few missed during the initial clear-up often appear days, weeks, even months later, the clue to their reappearance from carpet pile or gap in the wood being a sharp pain on the bottom of a stockinged but unshod foot.

Personal experience suggests the popular Norway spruce is the biggest culprit for dropping needles - their small size contributing to the problem - though it is by no means the only one.

Nordmann fir and Scots pine are other popular varieties that are less likely to drop heaps of needles, but irrespective of type, and whether yours is a cut tree or one with roots, there are a range of measures you can take to help your tree keep its needles for longer.

Bear in mind that if you are buying and decorating a tree to mark the beginning of December, and it is to remain on show until traditional 12th day after Christmas, it will have to last five weeks, in a warm, indoor environment.

Cut, or with roots, a Christmas tree will need watering regularly and generously, so it is important to make sure its container is waterproof. The soil should always be damp to the touch. It is a good idea to keep the tree outdoors until it is required for decorating.

With cut trees, it is advised that about half an inch again be cut off the butt before standing, to open up its pores for easier intake of water.

All trees should also be kept away from direct heat. The danger form open fires is obvious, but prolonged exposure to the heat from radiators will also test the most ideal trees’ capacity for retaining shape, sheen and those needles.

The Nordmann fir is traditionally the biggest selling real Christmas tree in the UK, accounting for around four in every five trees sold.

But there are plenty of varieties to choose from, and plenty of places to go and buy them. Garden centres and supermarkets are usually well stocked in the run-up to Christmas, and there are specialist stockists too.

The British Christmas Tree Growers Association has a handy website - www.bctga.co.uk - including a handy search facility for sellers, and it is also packed with advice and information on how to choose and look after your real Christmas tree.