Page 14 Portland Observer Section II Thursday, December 21, 1978
Christmas Tree hints
Any kind o f containerized
tree to be used as a liv in g
Christmas tree must be moved
indoors gradually.
Even so, chances are poor
that the tree w ill survive the
move indoors and then out
again.
Trees that were grow n in
their containers and have well-
developed root systems are
hardier than those that have
ju s t been dug and tra n s­
planted to large pots. I f you
are buying a containerized tree
this Christmas, find out how it
was grown before making the
purchase.
Once the tree is at home, a
two or three stage relocation
procedure w ill allow the tree to
adjust to warmer inside tem­
peratures. Place it in an
unheated garage for four days,
then in an unheated room in
the house, i f possible.
Place it in the coolest
location in the room where it
w ill be a decoration. Keep it
away from hot air ducts and
large windows where the sun
could cause severe scald. The
tree should be kept at normal
indoor temperatures no more
than four to five days.
The tree may respond to the
higher indoor temperature by
starting to grow. Test the con­
tainer soil surface daily and
add water when it feels dry.
Most people fail to water
the tree enough and as a result
it dries out and the roots are
damaged.
Decorations are fine as long
as they do not break twigs and
branches. Keep hot bulbs
away fro m the foliage and
never use flocking or artificial
snow.
W hen i t ’ s tim e to move
the tree outdoors after the
holidays, reverse the proce­
dure. Move it to successively
cooler locations before placing
it completely ou, o f doors.
For Oregonians, Christmas
trees are only a short distance
from the stump to the market­
place. That means they are
more likely to be fresh.
W ith proper care a fresh
tree w ill be safe and remain
b e a u tifu l th ro u g h o u t the
holiday season.
One o f the easiest ways to
check freshness on a cut tree is
to lift it a foot or so, then drop
it so the butt o f the tree hits
the ground. I f green needles
fall from the branches, the tree
has p ro b a b ly been cut fo r
some time.
Practically all trees w ill shed
some brown needles from the
inner p a rt, but the green
needles are the ones to be con­
cerned about. Select a tree
whose green needles hang on.
When you get the tree
home, cut another inch from
the bottom o f the tru n k to
remove dried and dead cells
and expose live cells that w ill
take in water. Put the base o f
the tree in a bucket o f water
u n til m oving it inside fo r
decorating.
M istin g
the
needles w ill help keep the tree
fresh.
Before taking the tree in ­
side, tap the trunk against the
ground several tim es to
remove the brow n inner
needles. Once inside, place the
tree in a stand that w ill sup­
port the tree firm ly and hold
water against its trunk.
Water, which the tree ab­
sorbs, w ill keep the tree fresh
longer and act as a fire retar­
dent.
Always keep the water line
above the cut end. A fresh tree
may use several gallons o f
water while it is in the house.
Keep the tree away from
furnace vents, warm radiators,
baseboard heaters, wood
stoves and open fireplaces. Do
not use candles or other flame
decorations. Check the lights,
electrical connections and cords
to insure their safety.
A llo w in g paper o r other
flam m able wrappings to ac­
cumulate around the tree will
create a fire hazard.
A fresh C hristm as tree
brightens the home and blesses
the house w ith a fra g ra n t
evergreen scent.
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