Toronto Star
Condos Section
'Tis the season for fresh, homegrown trees
Before bringing your holiday tree indoors, a few preparatory steps will keep it fresh
By CRISTINA DA SILVA
December 8, 2007– Evergreen trees have inspired people for centuries.
In cold and barren winters, it's not surprising that conifers, with their natural textures and colours, fresh scents and continual transpiration, have been used in festivals as a symbol for life.
In Ontario, where more than a million conifers are sold each winter, many households make live evergreens their tree of choice in the Christmas season.
"The top five Christmas trees are Fraser fir, balsam fir, Scots pine, noble fir and white pine," says Paul Smith, assistant manager at Sheridan Nurseries on Sheppard Ave. near Leslie St.
"Fraser firs, with their unbelievable fragrance, hold needles the longest, about one month. Scots pine don't hold their needles as long, only 2 1/2 weeks." The cost of condo-sized trees – 2 1/2 to 4 feet – starts at $18.
Harvesting a tree from a local farm will ensure the freshest tree and a fun Christmas outing. The Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario website has lists of tree farm locations (christmastrees.on.ca or phone 705-429-5328).
Before bringing a tree indoors, a few preparatory steps will help keep it fresh.
"It is essential to cut a couple of centimetres off the bottom of the trunk to provide a clean surface for the tree to take up water," says Carla Grant, executive director of the Ontario Forestry Association.
"If a clean surface is not created, the tree will not take up water. It is also vital that the tree is watered every day and kept away from any heat sources to avoid drying it out."
People with mould sensitivities, asthma or compromised immune systems need to take extra precautions around live trees (as well as artificial trees, which collect dust and mould while in storage).
Recent studies presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology annual meeting last month found that live trees can multiply a household mould spore count by five times the normal level after two weeks.
Keeping a live tree in the house for only four to seven days and/or running an air cleaner in the same room should keep mould spore counts down.
Brain Backik, CEO of Toronto-based Siamons International, which makes Concrobium Mold Control, recommends drying the tree as much as possible before moving it inside.
Then, he suggests spraying it with a mould control to eliminate existing mould and prevent future growth. Concrobium Mold Control is available at Home Depot, Rona, Home Hardware, lumber dealers and grocery and hardware stores.
According to the Ontario Forestry Association, fresh trees are a green choice.
Most Christmas trees sold in Ontario are grown locally and, as the trees grow (for seven to 10 years before being harvested) they remove carbon dioxide from the air.
They also add oxygen to the air, with an acre of trees producing enough oxygen for 18 people daily. With 30,000 acres (12,100 hectares) in Christmas tree production in Ontario, that's a lot of oxygen.
When Christmas is over, the trees don't have to end up in a landfill. Most municipalities recycle them, and this year's tree becomes next year's mulch.