Christmas Trees - Real or Fake?

December 24th, 2009 by Chas Parker

I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas and always insist on having a real tree. The artificial ones just don’t do it for me, despite the fact many of them can look very attractive. But what’s best from an environmental point of view?

You’d perhaps expect environmentalists to be against the principle of killing thousand of trees every year simply to decorate or homes, but in actual fact most of them agree that a real tree is the better choice.

When it looks this good, does it matter?

Fake trees may be re-useable year after year but many of them are made of polyvinylchloride (PVC) the production of which generates several carcinogens. PVC is also notoriously hard to recycle and contains lead. Suddenly a fake tree doesn’t seem so appealing.

Farmed trees on the other hand are a renewable resource as well and can be recycled with many local councils offering facilities. Or you can do what I do: saw them up and burn them on an open fire the following year once the logs have seasoned.

You can try re-using a real tree if it has a root ball - plant it in a pot and put it out in the garden. Having said that, I’ve tried it in the past and it hasn’t worked – I ended up with a lot of brown branches by the following year - but just because I failed doesn’t mean you can’t give it a go.

Take your pick - fake…

The biggest drawback of having real tree is when it sheds all its needles over your lounge carpet, and then through the entire house when you try to take it outside after Christmas.

The trick is to keep it topped up with water so it doesn’t dry out. If you’ve got one with a root, plant it in earth in a pot and keep it moist. Make sure you put something underneath the pot to protect the carpet. If you haven’t got a root ball, then when you get the tree home, cut an inch off the bottom of the trunk and stand it in water overnight. Make sure you’ve got a tree holder with a water reservoir. Mount the tree in this and top it up every day – you’d be amazed how much water even a small Christmas tree can drink in a 24 hour period. This way it will stay fresh throughout the holiday period. Just keep the wires from the lights away from the water!