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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1997)
DEC. 17, 1997 Pa«e A5 Consider Future Use of Live Christmas Tree Many people prefer a live Christmas tree over a cut or artificial tree for ecological and aesthetic reasons. Before purchasing a live tree, consumers need to think about what they w ill do w ith the tree when the holidays are over, advised B ill Proebsting, professor of horticulture at Oregon State University. W ill you keep the tree in a pot and use it again next Christmas or w ill you plant it out in the yard? Certain types o f evergreens work well as potted plants and others do best in the yard, said Proebsting. Choose a slow-growing evergreen if you want to keep your tree living in a pot and use it as a Christmas tree again next year. Pines, cedars and spruce are slower growing, are easier to prune and keep looking nice in a pot longer than Douglas-fir, grand fir or noble fir. I f you plan on planting your living Christ mas tree on your property after the holidays, think about how big a tree your yard can handle. A tiny Douglas-fir or Deodar cedar may grow into a 40-foot giant by the time your toddler goes to college. Avoid planting trees too close to a house because their roots may cause damage to cement foundations. If your space is limited, Proebsting recommends purchasing a slow- growing spruce or pine. Consult u ith your local nursery for particular species recom mendations. Whatever the choice, a living evergreen tree should be kept indoors no longer than a week, advised Proebsting. ?\ warm house w ill cause the tree to lose hardiness and it may begin growing. “ The major problem with a living tree is leaving it inside too long and having it break dormancy," he said. “ Then it is vulnerable to cold damage when you put it outside." W hile the tree is inside, water it suffi ciently and keep it away from sources o f heat such as wood stoves, radiators and heating duct outlets. A fter the holidays, plant it out side as soon as possible if the weather is moderate. “ I f you are planning on planting the tree out in the yard, it is better to get it into the ground right away," said Proebsting. "Its roots are more vulnerable to freezing if it is still sitting in the pot.” Providence Family Medicine welcomes new clinic manager V Ask C arolyn A. Get rid of that cheese mess with a steel wool soap pad, (like S.O.S. or Brillo). Don’t worry about ruining the finish. Steel wool won’t remove the porce lain coating used in continuous cleaning ovens. After you have removed the cheese, rinse com pletely with water because any remaining soap becomes a big brown soap stain when the oven heats up again. In the future, put some heavy-duty aluminum foil on the second rack to catch the spills. But, don’t cover the rack entirely because you need room for the air to flow. Do you have a home manage ment question? Why not ask an e x p e rt — W h irlp o o l Home Economist Carolyn West. Write to her at: Ask C aro ly n , Whirlpool Brand Appliances, Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor. MI 49022. You just m ight see your q uestion answ ered in an upcom ing Tips for "fresh cut" Christmas tree safety A freshly cut, green Christmas tree is a beautiful sight. But it is also a potential fire hazard if not properly cared for. The im por tance o f keeping the tree as fresh as possible while it's in the home can’ t he overempha sized. B ill Proebsting, Oregon State University professor o f horticulture, shared some tips on keeping your cut Christmas tree safe: - Supply plenty o f water. II the tree is to be stored for some time before being moved indoors, stand the tree trunk in a container tilled with water. If the tree is to be displayed immediately, set the trunk in a tree stand that is designed to hold water. - Saw one-fourth to one-half inch o ff the bottom o f the tree trunk before placing the tree in the stand . to allow the tree to take up water. - Keep you tree stand filled for as long as the tree remains in the home. Check it daily, especially the first few days after it is cut. - Do NOT add bleach to your Christmas tree water, stressed Proebsting. Last year, some media reports recommended that a anetta A bdellatif recently joined Providence Family M edicine as clinic m an ager for the Gateway and North Port land clinics. A bdellatif has a broad background in health care m anage ment. She will be utilizing her skills to manage both clinics with special concern for the care and treatm ent for the undeserved population. Some of her special duties will include supervision, financial m anagement, m arketing and advertising, as well as quality assurance. Providence Physician Services and Developm ent em ploys family physi cians, internists, pediatricians and nurse practitioners. C linics are lo cated in the north Portland, south east Portland, W ilsonville, Newberg Vanetta Abdellatif and Sherwood. Q. Recently my children made pizza in the oven and spilled cheese on the inside. I bought a spray-on oven cleaner but it states not to use it in a continu ous cleaning oven. Now when we use the oven it smokes enough to set off the smoke detectors in the house! Can you help me with this predicament? The Oregon Ballet Theatre Presents The Imperial Russian production o f The Nutcracker The Nutcracker will be performed at the Portland Civic Auditorium, December 11-27. (Photo by J. David Straub) Holiday Light Festival bleach solution be used. This is a bad idea, he said. "Unfortunately, this recommendation to use bleach is incorrect and potential ly dangerous," said Proebsting. “ Bleach can quickly kill cut Douglas fir. The dead trees the become lire hazards. Generally, the best way for keeping trees fresh is to re-cut the base o f the tree and place it in water. Well-watered trees should remain fresh for three o f four weeks." - Locate the tree away from heat sources and away from doors in the home. In the event o f a fire, the tree could block escape from the room. - Keep the Christmas tree room cool. The cooler the room temperature, the longer the tree w ill stay fresh in the house. - Turn your tree lights o ff when not around the tree. - Do not burn candles on or near the tree. - Avoid overloading electrical cords. - Make sure your home’ s smoke detector is working properly and keep a portable fire extinguisher handy just in case. Arc Lights w ill illuminate the Aloha campus o f the Arc o f Washington County The l.ight Festival began November 28th - the first night was in honor ot the Beaverton Kiwams - who donated the land and building for the Arc in 1959. "This is our way o f giving back to the community that has given so much to us." remarked executive director. Dr. Ted Brandhurst. The display is designed for vehicles to tour the campus taking in the visual splendor o f the Arc Lights. The Light Display w ill be shinning brightly Thursday - Sunday through the holiday season ending December 28th. There is no admission charge to view the Festival o f Lights. Entry to the Arc Lights w ill be from 185th Ave. in Aloha For directions call The Arc at 649-61 10; or look to the illuminated sky near Aloha High School The follow ing businesses made the Arc Lights possible: Platt Electric. Pacific Lamp Wholesale, SAFECO, Pacific One Bank, anil Bales Thriftw ay MERRY CHRISTMAS Open C hristm as Eve ‘til 6p.m. C lose Christm as Day Open Regular Hours, D ecem ber 26th. 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