Plant Patch
Christmas Trees
The traditional Christmas tree has been in our homes for about 200 years. The idea coming from Germany.Now they are central to the festivities and provide a backdrop of glitter colour excitement and glamour at a time of year when we have short dark days and often gloomy weather.
Here Comes a Problem!
All the photographs are around the tree all the presents are under the tree. All the shops and town centres are decorated with trees each one glittering more than the next. There is a tendency to make the season longer and so it’s not unusual to see Christmas beginning to appear in October! I often wonder who can keep up the enthusiasm for that length of time, certainly not the poor Christmas tree, and here comes a problem.
A Skeleton
Our traditional tree has been a Norway Spruce which was put up perhaps one week before Christmas probably in a cool hallway or a non centrally heated room in a bucket with some bricks for balance and some red paper as disguise. It worked very well. Now the houses are well heated double glazed and much smaller and we want the tree up at the first sign of December. The result is all the needles drop off and we have a skeleton of decorated branches on December 25th.Next year we vow to buy an artificial tree.
Environmentally Friendly
Christmas trees are in fact very environmentally friendly though at first it does not seem so. These trees that we buy each year are specifically grown for Christmas if we did not buy them these millions of trees would not be planted.
Growing the Trees
Previously trees were planted in odd pieces of land unsuitable for anything else and given little attention. The industry has moved on and like every thing else has become highly organized. The trees tend to be grown in areas of good rainfall in soil that is not the most fertile to ensure nice slow even growth the trees are weeded, kept free of pests and pruned to achieve the perfect shape and right density. The leaders[ tops] are often pruned to control excessive growth. Depending on the type of tree your 7-ft tree could be 10 years old.
Types of Tree
There are now a number of different types of trees; Norway spruce the long established tree fairly quick growing [therefore tending to be cheaper] can be shaped to make a good tree nice pine smell but tending to drop needles. Nordman Fir, slower growing with thick green luxurious needles that last well. Noble Fir the most difficult to grow with thick stiffer needles that have a blue lustre and hold on well The branches are regular and evenly spaced. The Fraser Fir originating in America and Canada is faster and easier to grow it produces many branches which when pruned giving a good dense well shaped tree with needles that hold fairly well.
To ensure a beautiful tree at Christmas:
Do not put the tree up too early. Keep the tree as cool as possible before and after putting it up, avoid radiators, sunny windows and fires. Use a stand that can hold water a large tree will absorb at least a litre of water per day. Regular watering will ensure that the needles stay on better. Cut a fresh slice off the bottom of the tree before standing it in water [the water transporting cells tend to seal with resin after the tree has been cut for a few hours] Ensure that the tree you buy is as fresh as possible and not cut in November and traveled half way across Europe.
Enjoy your real tree and enjoy Christmas!
Plant Patch 14 October 2005