Is it too early to put your Christmas tree up?

The lights are on and the baubles are out: with trees across the country already decorated and on display, there has been some traditional grumbling about whether commercialism means it gets done earlier every year.

But there’s no right or wrong time to get into the festive spirit, according to BBC Breakfast viewers who debated whether the show “went too early” after putting up their tree on the first day of December.

It’s never too early for Rebecca, from the West Midlands, who sent a photo of her tree that sprouted in August, or Jill who sent her photo last weekend because “it rained all day” and the decorations “made her happy”.

If you are following Christian traditions you can put up your Christmas tree and decorations on the first day of Advent, which is the fourth Sunday before the 25th.

This year it fell on November 30, meaning the festivities could officially begin before December.

Really, the day you plant your tree depends on you and your preferences. For some people, the festive season begins as soon as the spooky season ends, with the trees coming up soon after Halloween, but for others it may be much later.

For example, in Norway there is a tradition of planting trees on December 23.

How you decorate the tree is also a matter of personal preference – some people make every possible decoration, while for others it’s a more sophisticated exercise.

Kate Harrison, who has studied how color affects emotions, says you should decorate according to the atmosphere you want to create in your home.

But first she says you have to make sure you put everything in a specific order to make your tree look “balanced.”

Her advice is, “Lights first, then ribbon or garland, then larger baubles, then smaller pieces.”

When it comes to color, she suggests bright colors to evoke happiness and soft green, white, and champagne to create calmness.

Kate says colors like red and gold are associated with nostalgia and jewel colors or that deep, rich colors feel more magical.

Then you should choose two main colors and one accent color – for example, red, gold and green.

“Great decor is about contrasts.

“Mix matte and shiny baubles, add ribbon or natural materials, and use lots of warm lighting for depth and atmosphere,” she says.

According to the Carbon Trust, an artificial tree – but only if it is used for seven to 20 years, depending on the material – should be environmentally better than buying a new, commercially grown tree every year.

Radio One breakfast host Nick Grimshaw says he bought a fake breakfast for the first time this year, mainly because “his real ones often die in the middle of December”. He says he was surprised by how real it looked.

“So much so that a friend of ours came over and said ‘I love your tree, it smells amazing,'” he joked.

Kate Harrison says that how you decorate your tree also depends on whether it is real or fake.

For a real tree, she suggests “light decorations and glass, wood, paper or dried fruit for an organic look,” while keeping heavier pieces closer to the trunk.

While the “strong branches” of fake trees are perfect for heavy ornaments and structured ribbons, and can take bold colors like metallics.

If you’re opting for a real tree, Anne Delbridge, garden manager at Fullers Mill Gardens, says you should water your tree generously before bringing it indoors. If you have a pruned tree, prune back the base to allow the tree to absorb water.

“If you’re putting the tree in a stand, make sure there’s a reservoir of water underneath it, not just sideways, because then it doesn’t get any good.”

Since then, Annie recommends watering the tree every day to help prevent the pine needles from falling off too quickly.

To help with pine needle fall, she also recommends storing it in a cool part of your home, away from radiators or open fires.

One of the difficulties you may face when buying a tree is knowing how long it has been on display in the supermarket or garden centre, so gardener Shaun Gaggie, who appeared on BBC Two’s Big Allotment Challenge, recommends buying a tree that is already growing in a pot.

He says the downside is that they are “more expensive”, but if you have a garden you can plant it after Christmas is over and use it again next year.

When it comes time to remove the tree, Annie recommends checking if your local authority can pick up your tree from your street or take the tree to a recycling centre. Then it’s time to start the countdown to Christmas again.