How long
will My Tree typically stay fresh?
It depends
on how well you take care of it. Approximately 30 days if proper
care is taken.
What is
the best way to care for our Christmas Tree?
Make
a Fresh Cut.
Make a fresh
cut on the butt of the tree to open up the pores, which have been
clogged by sap. Cut off at least one-half inch. The fresh-cut surface
should be cream-white, not yellow or brown. If you do not make a
fresh cut, the tree will not be able to drink water.
After the cut
is made, put the tree in water as soon as possible. The longer the
time between when the tree is given a fresh cut and when it is put
into water, the less ability the tree has to absorb water.
Even if a hole
is drilled to accommodate a pin-type stand, a fresh cut also should
be made on the butt.
Put in Water.
Check stands
for leaks.
Rinse water
reservoir of the tree stand with a mixture of one capful of bleach
and one cup of water before inserting the tree. This reduces the
growth of micro-organisms that can block the tree's ability to absorb
water. Great care should be taken to avoid spilling or splashing
the bleach on carpeting, etc.
Place the tree
in a sturdy stand which will hold at least one gallon of water.
Fill with plain water.
If the tree
is not going into the house soon after purchase, it should be stored
in a bucket of warm water on a cool porch or patio away from wind
and sun in warm climates and protected from freezing and wind in
cold climates.
An average tree
may consume between a quart and a gallon of water per day.
If the water
level drops below the cut end of the trunk, a seal will form and
no more water will be absorbed by the tree unless another fresh
cut is made. So don't forget to add water every day.
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Why
should I choose a REAL Christmas tree?
There is nothing
like a natural Christmas tree to enjoy at Christmas time. The look,
the scent and the very feel of a REAL tree are integral parts of
the warm, homey atmosphere of our most festive season. Choosing
the perfect tree is a cherished tradition in many families. Whether
you visit a retail lot or join the tens of thousands who treasure
their annual visit to a choose-and-cut farm, you will enjoy knowing
that your natural Christmas tree is great for the environment and
provides employment for thousands of Americans!
Am I
harming the forest by choosing a real tree?
Definitely not! Christmas trees do not come from the forest! Almost
everywhere in North America, Christmas trees are grown as a crop
on tree farms. For every tree harvested, there are ten more coming
along, otherwise the farmer could not harvest each year.
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Is tree
farming harmful to our environment?
NO! Christmas
trees are, except for cultivated forests, the most environmentally
friendly crop around. This is because a tree is harvested only after
ten years. To ensure future harvests, ninety percent of the farm
must remain in trees all the time .
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How are
real Christmas trees beneficial to our environment?
Just one acre
of Christmas trees produces enough oxygen to support eighteen people.
In the process, CO2 is taken out of the atmosphere, counteracting
the production of CO2 resulting from human use of fossil fuels.
Trees also act as air pollution filters and can remove up to 13
tons of airborne pollutants per acre per year. Christmas tree farms
are havens for a wide variety of bird and mammal species including
grosbeaks, sparrows, chickadees, foxes, coyotes, mice, voles, and
squirrels. The "edge effect" created by a stand of Christmas trees
next to a woodlot or an open field is known to increase wildlife
species diversity.
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Will
my Christmas tree cause problems at the landfill site after Christmas?
No. Most municipalities
collect discarded natural Christmas trees and chip them for use
as mulching materials. Real Christmas trees are completely biodegradable
and will, on their own, break down and return their stored nutrients
to the soil from which they came.
There are also other ways in which REAL Christmas trees go right
on giving long after the Christmas season is over. They can be used
as bird feeders, wood products can be made from their stems or they
can be used as wildlife cover in fish ponds and woodlots alike.
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Where
does the tradition of evergreens at Christmas originate?
Legends tell
of the decorated tree used in winter celebrations long before the
advent of Christianity. Plants and trees that remained green all
year had a special meaning for people during winter. Just as people
today decorate their homes at Christmas with pine, spruce and fir
trees, ancient people hung evergreen boughs over their doors and
windows.
In many countries people believed that evergreens would keep away
witches, ghosts, evil spirits and illness. Egyptians brought green
palm branches into their homes in late December as a symbol of growing
things. Romans trimmed evergreen trees with trinkets and topped
them with an image of their sun god to celebrate Saturnalia. Druid
sorcerers hung golden apples and lit candles on oak trees to celebrate
the winter solstice.
In the middle ages, the feast of Adam and Eve was held on December
24. Its symbol was the Paradise Tree, a fir tree hung with red apples.
It is generally agreed, however, that the use of an evergreen tree
as part of the Christian Christmas celebration started 400 years
ago in Germany and spread to most of northern Europe by the l9th
century.
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