Why people in the Edmonton area are renting Christmas trees for $50

A tree farm near the Alberta capital is offering people the option of a real Christmas tree, without the guilt of it dying at the end of the holidays.

For the second year, Farlinger Farms in Strathcona County is renting living Christmas trees.

"We can take and reduce the amount of Christmas trees going in landfills. These are live Christmas trees and we can rent these out year after year," Mike Farlinger told CTV News Edmonton.

Instead of searching for the perfect tree to cut down or take home from a lot, people can rent one.

"It has the fabric pot and it has the soil in there and whatnot, and you take it home and you keep it as a house plant for up to 24 days," Farlinger explained.

This is the farm's second year renting trees.

Last year about 100 were rented and so far this season about 70 have gone out.

The cost to rent one is $50.

"There’s a lot of people who are into renewables that are coming to get these. It’s a little bit more of an ecologically friendly alternative to the standard Christmas trees where you cut them down and then take them away to the dump afterwards," Farlinger said.

"Water it and we ask that you keep it in a little bit of a cooler spot not next to a heat register or a heater."

Getting a tree also requires a $50 deposit that is returned if the tree is returned in good shape. Farlinger also offers a $100 drop-off and pick-up service.

They have blue and white spruce as well as Scotch pines to choose from.

Once the trees outgrow their pots, they're usually sold for landscaping, but people who rent also have the option of getting the same tree year after year.

"Watch it grow and if you decide that you like that tree you can actually purchase that tree and put it in your yard and you can keep it there forever," Farlinger said.