http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/12/03/1687693/hiss-the-season-to-be-jolly.html
Funny (and disturbing) question:
From: Martha
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 7:19 AM
Subject: Very Strange Tree Question
Hi Rick~
I have been searching all over the internet this morning about something the man who helped me purchase a Christmas tree at Home Depot told me last night. He said that many of the trees they get are cut months in advance, are bundled and then submerged in lakes where they freeze and are taken out when ready to be shipped. He said many of the trees they get are full of ice and debris from the lakes...cans, bags, even fish skeletons! I had never heard of this and was fascinated. Is this true? Thanks!
That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. Can you imagine how much extra work and equipment it would take to pull off such a thing? And I can’t even imagine how awful a tree would look if it went through that. Tree harvest starts in mid-November and continues until about a week before Christmas when most retail outlets want their last delivery of trees. Harvesting, baling, loading and hauling is a very efficient process and most trees get to their destination within 3 or 4 days.
From: Gretchen
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2011 11:53 AM
Subject: Question
My greetings to you!
I just purchased a fresh cut Christmas tree. Unfortunately, when I placed the tree in the stand, I realized the tree is too fresh. Despite tighten the tree stand screws, the tree is ‘slipping’ out of place. In double checking what could be causing the difficulty, I concluded that it is not the stand itself, the trunk size, or not having tightened the screws. Instead, It seems, the tree is still to “wet” from sap?
Is there way to “dry” the tree or do you have an alternate solution?
Well, you could leave it out of water for a few weeks, but that’s a bad idea. The 4 screw type stands really should have a plastic/rubber tip on the end of the screws so they don’t penetrate the bark as much. There are other styles of stand beside the 4 screw if you want to look into that, but if not, I would recommend tightening the screws even more if you need to for the tree to be more stable. Penetrating the bark with those small screws won’t hurt the tree or really inhibit its ability to absorb water.
From: joel
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2011 7:19 AM
Subject: Christmas Tree misting question...
I hope that subject line makes it through your spam filters...
My wife and I just bought a 7ft Fraser fir last night, and I'm trying to do everything I can to keep it alive for as long as possible. My wife has decided that if we can't keep this one alive 'til Christmas, then we're going to plastic next year, and I REALLY don't want to have a plastic Christmas Tree. I think you're probably on my side on that one.
Anyhow, the clerk at the tree place told me that Frasers (maybe all evergreens? Dunno.) take in enough water through the needles and bark that regularly misting them can help to keep them alive for quite a bit longer. If this is true, I'm all for spraying the thing down as much as I can.
So. Is this actually true? If so, to what degree (if it's only going to give me an extra 2 days, I'm not sure it's worth the effort)? And are there any concerns beyond the obvious (making sure the lights are off and will be off until the water is either absorbed or evaporated, being careful of drenching the presents and ornaments that water may damage, etc)? Or was he just trying to help me feel better about the potential life span of my cut tree?
Please help me keep this tree alive so I can help keep a real tree in my home. Thanks!
You guess correctly, I would never get a plastic tree. Ask your wife is she makes you buy a plastic Christmas Tree, then is it OK to also buy some plastic flowers and just give those to her every Valentines Day.
OK, if I come across as perturbed, it's not directed at you at all. Stories like yours make me frustrated that people in the industry, for which I work, are sometimes our own worst enemy. That guy at the tree place is completely wrong. Spraying water on a tree will do NOTHING to improve moisture level or needle retention, it will simply get your tree and anything under it wet. Trees don't absorb water in that way. It will absorb water, at a molecular level, through the stem (trunk) of the plant and move moisture up and out the branches and foliage as it evaporates OUT OF the foliage. It doesn't work in reverse.
If you got the trunk in water within 3 to 6 hours of a fresh cut off the bottom, then that's what you should do. Keep the stand filled with water so the cut surface is not exposed to air.
Full care tips page http://www.christmastree.org/care.cfm
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2011 11:53 AM
Subject: Question
My greetings to you!
I just purchased a fresh cut Christmas tree. Unfortunately, when I placed the tree in the stand, I realized the tree is too fresh. Despite tighten the tree stand screws, the tree is ‘slipping’ out of place. In double checking what could be causing the difficulty, I concluded that it is not the stand itself, the trunk size, or not having tightened the screws. Instead, It seems, the tree is still to “wet” from sap?
Is there way to “dry” the tree or do you have an alternate solution?
Well, you could leave it out of water for a few weeks, but that’s a bad idea. The 4 screw type stands really should have a plastic/rubber tip on the end of the screws so they don’t penetrate the bark as much. There are other styles of stand beside the 4 screw if you want to look into that, but if not, I would recommend tightening the screws even more if you need to for the tree to be more stable. Penetrating the bark with those small screws won’t hurt the tree or really inhibit its ability to absorb water.
From: joel
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2011 7:19 AM
Subject: Christmas Tree misting question...
I hope that subject line makes it through your spam filters...
My wife and I just bought a 7ft Fraser fir last night, and I'm trying to do everything I can to keep it alive for as long as possible. My wife has decided that if we can't keep this one alive 'til Christmas, then we're going to plastic next year, and I REALLY don't want to have a plastic Christmas Tree. I think you're probably on my side on that one.
Anyhow, the clerk at the tree place told me that Frasers (maybe all evergreens? Dunno.) take in enough water through the needles and bark that regularly misting them can help to keep them alive for quite a bit longer. If this is true, I'm all for spraying the thing down as much as I can.
So. Is this actually true? If so, to what degree (if it's only going to give me an extra 2 days, I'm not sure it's worth the effort)? And are there any concerns beyond the obvious (making sure the lights are off and will be off until the water is either absorbed or evaporated, being careful of drenching the presents and ornaments that water may damage, etc)? Or was he just trying to help me feel better about the potential life span of my cut tree?
Please help me keep this tree alive so I can help keep a real tree in my home. Thanks!
You guess correctly, I would never get a plastic tree. Ask your wife is she makes you buy a plastic Christmas Tree, then is it OK to also buy some plastic flowers and just give those to her every Valentines Day.
OK, if I come across as perturbed, it's not directed at you at all. Stories like yours make me frustrated that people in the industry, for which I work, are sometimes our own worst enemy. That guy at the tree place is completely wrong. Spraying water on a tree will do NOTHING to improve moisture level or needle retention, it will simply get your tree and anything under it wet. Trees don't absorb water in that way. It will absorb water, at a molecular level, through the stem (trunk) of the plant and move moisture up and out the branches and foliage as it evaporates OUT OF the foliage. It doesn't work in reverse.
If you got the trunk in water within 3 to 6 hours of a fresh cut off the bottom, then that's what you should do. Keep the stand filled with water so the cut surface is not exposed to air.
Full care tips page http://www.christmastree.org/care.cfm
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1 comment:
You just can't expect when these pests will appear at your home.
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