Christmas Trees Are Green

Nothing beats the smell and look of a real Christmas tree. Some people worry about the waste of a real tree but in actual fact they are not unfriendly in environmental terms, provided you buy a locally grown tree.

Real Christmas trees benefit the environment from the time they are planted until after the Christmas season when they can be recycled. While they are growing, Christmas trees support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and emitting fresh oxygen, while manufacturing artificial trees burdens the environment with damaging emissions.

If you buy a Christmas tree with roots, to plant in your garden for future years, that is the greenest thing to do. Or how about buying a dwarf conifer that will remain in a planter permanently, so you will not have to damage the roots digging it up each year. But if you buy a cut tree, it can still be recycled. Most Local Authorities collect trees for shredding in January. Artificial trees aren’t biodegradable so once they have come to the end of their life, they will remain in landfills for centuries after disposal.

Follow these guidelines for finding your perfect environment-friendly tree.

First, find a source of locally grown trees which have not been transported for miles.

Then decide where to put your tree. Always avoid placing it near a heat source, so keep it away from sunny windows, radiators and fireplaces. For safety reasons, try to place the tree where it cannot easily be bumped into or overturned, or where someone might trip on light cords.

When you look at a tree in the open air it isn’t easy to get a feel for its height and spread. Before you go shopping or hunting for your perfect tree, be sure to measure both the ceiling height and the maximum diameter. Remember to add the height of the tree stand as well as the treetop decoration. Also, measure the maximum diameter for your sturdy tree stand.

Trees with shorter needles, such as Fraser or Noble Fir, are often easier to decorate than others, as they offer some space between branches for decorations as well as some stronger stems to hold heavier ornaments. Keep in mind that a tree looks better when the ornaments hang straight. Many trees today are groomed to be lush and full, so be aware that ornaments may hang at an angle on these sheered trees. For ornaments to hang straight you should look for a tree with some space between the branches.

Your perfect tree should have needles that look shiny, green, and fresh, not dry or brown. Check the resilience of the needles by holding a branch and lightly pull your hand toward you allowing the branch to slip through your fingers. Most, if not all, of the needles need to stay on the tree.

Once you are home, cut off at least half an inch from the bottom of the trunk so the tree will begin to soak up water immediately. However, depending on your ceiling height, you might want to cut more off the bottom of your tree so it fits perfectly in your space. If you’re not going to display the tree inside your house right away, stand it in a bucket of warm water in your garage or on a sheltered patio out of the sun.

Always keep your fresh tree in a stand that holds lots of water. Check the water level daily. For the first few days, you may even need to refill the water every few hours.

Every acre of Christmas trees grown produces the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people. As most Christmas trees come from sustainably managed forests, which means that they are replaced when cut down, this is an ongoing solution.
When Christmas is over, don’t forget to recycle your tree.

P.S. If you are very short of space, John Lewis are selling an upside down tree, with one being sold every hour since they went into store in October. Perhaps not for the traditionalist, but love it, or hate it, the upside down tree saves space, has more room for placing presents at the base, allows decorations to hang freely, keeps delicate baubles out of reach of small children and pets – and what a conversation piece!

The upside down Christmas tree first became popular amongst New York apartment dwellers because it frees up floor space with a smaller ‘footprint’. Yet, although it may seem radical, the ‘upside down tree’ has its roots in the Middle Ages, coming from the pagan tradition of spreading evergreen boughs across the floors, windows and hearth in order to keep evil spirits from invading the home.