Down To Earth
By Gerlind Dubey (12/19/2008)

Your Christmas Trees Continued Freshness
Depends Upon The Type Of Care You Provide.

Jim Johnston, of Johnston’s Nursery; beautiful trees, fantastic service!

I finally picked up a tree from Jim Johnston’s Green House in Great Valley; not only does he have great trees, he fresh cuts the trunk and neatens it up for easier installation into a tree stand. This, I believe has probably saved many a relationship! Now if he only would rent himself out to hang the lights! Check out the greenhouse for some great last minute gifts, including bird houses and feeders.

For many families, selection and purchase of a Christmas tree is an annual tradition. Bringing home the tree signals the official start of the holiday season. Proper selection of a tree will help to make the season even more enjoyable. With today’s live-tree market, healthy, fresh, fragrant, and affordable Christmas trees are abundant and available to anyone who wishes to have a real tree.

If you don’t don’t plan to put the tree up right away, cut one inch off of the base, put the tree in a bucket of water and stand it in a shady place, preferably in a garage or shed where it can unthaw and spread its braches. When you bring the tree indoors, cut 1/2 to one inch off of the base of the trunk and place in a tree stand that holds at least one gallon of water. You don’t need those costly additives that claim to keep your tree fresh, plain water will do the trick, just make sure to keep the tree well-supplied with water. Check the water level in the stand several times each day. Trees may use several quarts of water a day. Do keep your tree away from a fireplace, heater vents or other heat sources.

Many tree lovers are purchase living, balled-and-burlapped Christmas trees that can be used as landscape trees after Christmas. These trees need water as well but nearly not as much as a cut tree.

When it’s time to take the tree down, bring their tree outside and turn it into a natural birdfeeder, or weigh it down and gently drop it into the pond- that is if you have a pond and its not frozen over. We actually have a couple of Christmas trees, properly weighted down, in our pond to provide good habitat for fish.