Caring For Christmas Trees

Christmas trees are a long time symbol of the Christmas season, but improperly cared for Christmas trees are unlikely to make it through the entire holiday season. Properly cared for fresh cut Christmas trees, on the other hand, can last several weeks. 

First and foremost, the key to long-lasting Christmas trees is to give them plenty of water. Many people have developed outlandish concoctions for Christmas trees, ranging from mixing things such as bleach, sugar, syrup, 7-up or vodka in the water. Research has shown, however, that plain water is the best bet for caring for Christmas trees. Furthermore, the water doesn’t have to be distilled or bottled or fancy in any way. Tap water is just fine. 

To further ensure the longevity of Christmas trees, it is helpful to make a fresh cut at the base of the trunk. This cut should be straight and made about an inch from the end of the trunk and the tree should be placed in water quickly. This cut helps Christmas trees better absorb water from within the tree stand. 

If the tree is not to be put up right away, it is still a good idea to cut the trunk of the tree and place it in a bucket of water. The tree should then be stored in a shady, protected area that is unheated. When the time comes to set the tree up, the end of the tree should be cut once again to further aid in water absorption. 

The type of tree stand used with Christmas trees is also important in their ability to last. For most Christmas trees, the water reservoir should hold at least ½ gallon of water, but the more water the better. Keep in mind that freshly cut Christmas trees will absorb up to one full gallon of water, or even more, in the first 24 hours after a new cut is made. They will continue to absorb one or more quarts each day, depending on the room temperature and the amount of lights and other decorations on the tree. 

Recognizing Christmas Trees that are drying out: 

One of the surest signs that Christmas trees are beginning to dry out is water absorption. For a tree that is drying out, water use substantially slows down or stops altogether. The needles of Christmas trees that are not watered regularly will dry and fall off as the tree dries. In addition, the boughs will droop and the tree will lose its fragrance. Trees kept near TV’s, fireplaces, air ducts, and radiators have a tendency to dry more quickly. 

It is also important to keep Christmas trees watered because a dried sap seal will form over the end of them within four to 6 hours after the water drops below the base of the tree. This makes it impossible for the trees to absorb water, even after the reservoir is refilled. This problem can be remedied by cutting the bottom of the tree once again, but this is difficult to do with a tree that has already been decorated.

Beginners Guide to Home Composting

Composting your kitchen and garden waste is a great way to reduce the amount of waste you dispose of in your rubbish bin.  By composting your waste you can generate a free source of rich compost to help improve your garden, and also help to reduce global warming in the process.

How does home composting help to reduce global warming?

When sent to landfill organic waste is compressed under tonnes and tonnes of other waste types.  The organic waste therefore does not have enough access to air, which restricts the waste from being able to decompose properly.  Instead of decomposing, methane gas is produced which contributes to global warming.

The Compost Bin

The first step to start composting at home is to get a compost bin.  You can either purchase a compost bin or you can make your own.  Compost bins can be bought from the majority of garden centres.  The government funded Recycle Now Home Composting Campaign also sells discounted compost bins.

The next important step is to decide where to position the compost bin, which can affect the overall quality of the compost that is produced.  For best results place the bin in a well drained area which has good access to sunlight.  The drainage will enable excess water to drain out of the compost and placing the bin in a sunny spot helps to speed up the composting process.

What waste items can I put in my compost bin?

There are lots of everyday waste items from your garden and kitchen that can go into your compost bin.  These are broken down into ?Greens? and ?Browns?.  Greens are the type of items that provide moisture and nitrogen and are quick to rot.  Items classed as Greens includes:

Grass cuttings 

Vegetable peelings 

Leaves

Fruit 

Tea bags 

Weeds 

Browns are waste items that take longer to rot but provide pockets of air, along with fibre and carbon.  This includes items such as:

Cardboard boxes 

Newspapers (scrunched up) 

Toilet roll tubes 

Egg shells (crushed) 

Shredded paper 

Twigs and hedge clippings

How do I make a good quality compost? 

To make a good quality compost it is important to use a good mix of both 'green' and 'brown' wastes.  It is simply a case of monitoring the compost and adding more waste depending on the look of the compost.  For example, if it looks too dry add more ?green? waste, and if it looks too wet add more ?brown? waste.  Every so often it is also a good idea to mix or turn the contents of your compost bin to add air.

How long will it take for my compost to be ready to use?

This will vary depending on the mixture of waste that is placed into the compost bin, the surrounding conditions and the weather.  In general it should take between 6 and 9 months for your finished compost to be ready to use.