Real Christmas trees

Christmas icon: when choosing your tree look for a British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association label

Some are still grown in this way, but a reluctance to spoil the woodlands and the quest for better quality trees has led to the practice of growing the trees as a crop in special Christmas tree plantations.

The trees are now sold by garden centres, supermarkets, from garage forecourts and many other outlets above and beyond the greengrocer’s and Christmas markets. Growers are also selling trees direct from their estates and many allow people to choose and cut or dig up their own tree.

British-grown trees are likely to be fresher than imported trees. The freshest trees will be those that are bought direct from the grower. Look for a tree with a label showing it was grown by a member of the British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association.

In Britain, the Norway spruce has always been the most popular species for a Christmas tree but owing to its habit of dropping its needles when brought into a centrally heated room and not given any water, other varieties of tree are being introduced with better needle holding characteristics. These include Scots and Lodgepole pine, Noble and Nordmann fir and other species.

Every acre of Christmas trees grown produces the daily oxygen requirement for 16 people, and a hectare of Christmas trees will absorb six tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. Farms growing Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide refuge for wildlife while creating scenic green belts. Often, Christmas trees are grown on soil that does not support other crops.

A natural tree, grown in natural surroundings, is five times more environmentally compatible than a plastic tree. Such are the findings of a Swedish study undertaken by the Institute for Air and Environment in Gothenburg. The study is based on an analysis of the life cycle of natural trees and plastic trees (artificial vs. Christmas trees).

Dr Patrick Moore, founder of Greenpeace says, “I often say one way to protect the environment is to choose renewable materials and energy wherever possible. Artificial trees are made from non-renewable plastics and petroleum-based products. Although some people claim these trees last a lifetime, most are thrown away within nine years - and remain in landfill sites for centuries.

“For me the choice is not real or artificial, but whether to buy a cut tree or one that is growing in a pot, which I can plant outside after the holidays.”

Some of the environmental benefits of real Christmas trees…

They are recyclable
After the festive season, trees can be chipped into biodegradable mulch, which can be used for playgrounds, gardens, hiking trails and animal stalls. Whole trees are also used on beaches to prevent shore erosion, and in lakes, streams and ponds to provide hiding spots and feeding areas for fish. Contact your local authority to check if it has a scheme for recycling Christmas trees.

They grow back
For every tree harvested, up to three more are planted to ensure a steady supply year after year.

Growing forests are an important part of the fight against global warming
Put simply, trees grow by taking carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere and releasing clean oxygen. This helps to offset the CO2 released into the environment when we burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. (That said, trees can only do so much. To reverse the effects of global warming, it is vital that we also reduce fossil fuel consumption.)

Whether you choose a cut or growing tree to enjoy this Christmas, a sensible environmentalist would opt for renewable over non-renewable every time. Roger Hay, from the British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association says, “a plastic tree is unable to provide the sensual experience a real tree embodies. There is no way to synthesise the smell of a real tree and the magical quality this gives a festive house.”

How to care for your Christmas tree

Cut trees
This is the usual way to harvest Christmas trees, especially if the tree is over five foot. It is essential that cut trees should be fresh when purchased. The needles should not be dull and dried up. The branches should not be brittle. The outer needles should not fall off if the tree is gently shaken.

The tree should be kept outside in a cool place, preferably standing in water, until it is required.

Before bringing the tree indoors it is an advantage if about half an inch is cut off the butt, in order to open up the pores of the tree. Mount it in a water-holding stand or wedge it in a bucket with pebbles, small stones or screwed up newspaper (not earth or sand), and place it away from direct heat. Keep the container topped up with water every day; you will be surprised how much it needs.

Trees with bare roots
These are trees that have been pulled up with their roots. They should be freshly harvested. It is best to soak the roots in water before potting the tree in moist earth. The earth should be kept moist and the tree kept away from direct heat. There is a slight chance that these trees will survive if planted out after Christmas. They should be watered very well.

Root-balled trees
These are trees that have been carefully prepared so they can be dug up without disturbing the earth round the root system. The earth is retained by wrapping the roots in sacking or similar material. The roots should be kept damp and the trees, having had the sacking removed, should be potted in moist earth. These trees should remain fresh, retain their needles, and have a reasonable chance of survival if planted out after Christmas.

Potted trees
These are trees that have been dug up with their roots and potted by the grower or a garden centre. It is important to check these trees look fresh. Sometimes the roots have been allowed to dry out between harvesting and potting. In this case they will not last as well as a tree that has been carefully potted with the minimum of root disturbance.

The chance of survival of a potted tree if planted out is not as good as properly root-balled tree.

Container grown trees
These are trees that have been grown in their pots. The trees themselves should look fresh. The trees will be small and seldom more than three foot.

After Christmas they can either be planted out with a very good chance of success or they can be left to grow on in their pot, but it is much better in this case to re-pot the tree in a larger pot. It is seldom possible to re-pot trees in this way for more than one season.

Blocked trees
These are cut trees that have been fitted into a block of wood for the convenience of the customer. They do not survive in a centrally heated house quite as well as a tree that is kept in water. They will last a bit longer if they are sprayed with water, which will reduce the transpiration of moisture from the needles. If a bowl of water is placed beneath the tree it will help to keep the air around the tree moist.

This feature has been created in partnership with British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association. Find out more about the association and its members at www.christmastree.org.uk

This article appeared in Aga magazine, Issue 5 2007. Subscribe today at www.agamagazine.co.uk