ecotip
The Greenest Tree Go Natural for Christmas
The star of many families’ seasonal décor, the annual Christmas tree does not need to become an environmental burden if selected with care. While some individuals have strong opinions about the virtues of a natural tree versus an artificial one, each can have pros and cons.
The National Christmas Tree Asso- ciation points out that 85 percent of the plastic trees sold in the United States are imported from China and may contain toxic chemicals, while evergreen trees can be grown in all 50 states. Even with a real tree, however, there are factors to consider. How far did the tree travel? The dis- tance traveled from its source impacts the carbon footprint, due to the fuel expended to transport it. Most vendors can tell you the state of origin, but how about pesti-
cides? Conventional Christmas tree farms are reputed to use abundant pesticides to keep their product looking picture-perfect. Ask if the seller is the grower and/or knows the answer. Typically, a temporary sidewalk or street corner seller may not; a better bet can be a u-pick-it tree farm.
Put a cut tree in water within a few hours after trimming the base a flat one- half to one inch; some people add an aspirin to the water to enhance absorption. According to the 2009 National Geographic Green Guide, Americans an- nually discard 30 million cut trees after the holidays, with the wood wasted in landfills. Alternatively, a program in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, collects them to combat coastal erosion.
Locate tree growers by state and learn how to dispose of trees responsibly at
PickYourOwnChristmasTree.org.
GreenPromise.com publishes a list of organic Christmas tree farmers at
Tinyurl.com/65oqh9.
When choosing a live tree, keep it properly hydrated and just repot it in the yard after the celebrations conclude. Find detailed steps for care and planting from
WikiHow.com at
Tinyurl.com/6dyauj and
Tinyurl.com/3rj582n.
Pick the Freshest Christmas Tree
by Susan Aimes
Following this month’s Eco Tip for picking out the greenest tree and going natural can be more challeng- ing in Southwest Florida, because conventional Christmas evergreens don’t flourish in the area’s sandy soil. To select the freshest-cut tree possible, Ian Orlikoff, founder of Eco Logic Land Care, suggests lifting a potential choice a few inches off the ground and letting it drop on the cut end. “Some inner brown needles should fall off, but very few green needles should drop,” he advises. For an outside-the-box fresh solution, Orlikoff proposes either arborvitae or bald cypress, which can be purchased in a container and planted outdoors on New Year’s Day. The arborvitae is actually a shrub, not a tree, but its pyramidal shape resembles a traditional Christ- mas conifer and it’s frequently used as a privacy hedge. Bald cypress are stately trees that are adaptable to wet or dry conditions. “My wife and I buy a tree we can plant outdoors; it’s a nice way to remember the holiday long after it’s passed,” says Orlikoff.
For more information, contact Eco Logic Land Care at 239-348-1302, 239-348-1330 or info@EcoLogic
LandCare.com or visit EcoLogic
Landcare.com. See ad, page 51.
Take me to the places on the earth that teach you how to dance, the places where you can risk let ting the world break your heart. And I will take you to the places where the earth beneath my feet and the stars over head make my heart whole again and again.
~ From the poem, The Dance, by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
22 Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.naturalawakeningsmag.com
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