The pros and cons of Christmas trees

I LIKE to think of myself as a traditional sort of fellow.

Geoff ‘Tobiasson

OVER THE GARDEN GATE

I don’t mean a stodgy, stick- in-the-mud, small ‘‘c’’ conser- vative. I would rather you view me as one who believes in apple pie and yet still has the courage to try a little pavlova now and then.

It is this traditionalism which causes me to be protective of Christmas.

While revolutionaries of all ages attempt to turn the plum pudding ‘we call Christmas into a Hostess ‘Twinkie, I shall staunchly defend your right to hack down a cute ‘little tree and cover it with tinsel, plastic baubles and garish lights.

Before you Earth Firsters out there begin burning crosses on my front lawn, let’s talk about the environmental implications of putting up a Christmas tree.

The Pros “ "Phe vast majovity of the trees ‘we are about to see on the lots are

cultivated or farm-grown trees; this means that for every tree that

eAvant

44 Your tree should really be in the house for no more than 14 days; up on Dec. 20 and down and out on Jan. 3.99

is harvested another is planted. This is far iess harmful to the en- vironment than the effect of pro- ducing plastic, artificial trees. Trees pump oxygen into the at- mosphere, not noxior:. “:mes and smoke.

Although the creatier of jobs is not an environmental issue in the normal sense, it does have an im- pact on the economic environment in smaller B.C. communities. And even though ihe super stores seem to have undermined the ability of charitable organizations such as the Boy Scouts to use Christmas tree sales as a method of raising funds, it still helps.

If the real Christmas tree can help us maintain our connection to the natural world, should we abandon it? I think not, we seem to need as much help as possible with the matter of remembering our roots to the planet, lex alone our past. And this brings us back to tradition. The way I see it, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without one. _

The Cons

Cons? No such thing! Well, I guess you could bring up the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in production. I must admit to their existence and only hope that those few growers who

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continue to use them soon realize the error of their ways.

We do have a problem with some people who continue to burn their tree after Christmas rather than taking it to one of the free municipal chipping services. As with all things, the more we can do to recycle the better. Even the few nutrients found locked up in your Christmas tree are put to better use when returned to the earth than blown out the chimney.

Speaking of up in smoke, the various fire departments on the North Shore informed me _ that there are still an average of five to 10 fires per season attributed to the unsafe maintenance of the Christmas tree. You would think that in this age of high-tech, safety-conscious products people

- would take advantage of all the

information out there in an at- tempt to have a safe Christmas.

Here are a few tips to help you and your tree stay green.

First, look for high-quality, fresh-cut trees. Many of those cheaper trees found at the mass merchandisers were cut weeks ago, kept in coolers and then trucked from as far away as Oregon. If it is already dropping needles at the store, it will be as dry as bone within days of coming into the house.

Untie the tree and store it out-

doors where the rain can’t fall on it. Although it will not dry out as quickly in a cool spot like the garage, it will still get drier than if altowed to bask in some of our wonderful liquid sunshine.

Do not be in such a rush to put it up. My wife may view my lack of enthusiasm as another example of my penchant for procrastina- tion, but I see it as a desire to keep the family safe. Your tree should really be in the house for no more than 14 days; up on Dec. 20 and down and out on Jan. 3. Any longer than this and you will have kindling plugged into the wall rather than a tree.

Cutting at least one inch off the trunk at the bottom of the tree will reopen the ‘‘arteries’’ that send moisture up, inte the surface area but not to such a degree that any of the heartwood will be above the water line of your stand. This cut should be made immediately before bringing the tree into the house.

Use CSA-approved lights and keep the tree away from all sources of heat. This means heat registers, fireplaces, televisions and other heat-producing appli- ances. Fill the water tray in your stand daily and use a good-quality tree preservative.

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