From: Ryan McDaniel
Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2006
To: info@realchristmastrees.org
Subject: third xmas tree option?

Everyone knows about the two options available for xmas trees--real or fake. But what about this one: get a variety of pine that only grows to the average height of a cut xmas tree (about 8 feet?), and just bring it in every year. Or if there is no xmas-looking tree that only grows to this height, you may be able to keep it the right height by pruning its roots like a bonsai tree, which would make it easier to bring inside too. And then the amount of oxygen produced by the trees would be greater than the amount that you talk about on your website because the trees would be alive and photosynthesizing all year long. And there would be no need to recycle them. Do you think this is possible? Is there a variety of tree that would work?

Thanks,

RM

2005 Season

3/18/06 - Spring Work; Starting a Farm
12/30 - Christmas Tree Fires #%?!
12/23 - Christmas Funnies
12/21 - Bird Flu Vaccine
12/18 - Contest Entry
12/16 - Cats, Shearing & Helicopters
12/15 - Don't Be A Fake
12/14 - Water Level; Politics
12/13 - Smelly Tree; Mail Order
12/12 - Interesting Questions
12/09 - Watering; Longevity
12/06 - Allergies
12/03 - Trees for Troops
12/01 - Hot Water for Trees?
11/30 - Colorants
11/29 - More Pets; Trees for Troops
11/28 - Pets & Trees
11/27 - Flocking
11/26 - First Blog Entry
  When to Buy a Real Tree
  Real Tree Care
  White House Tree; Grand Champions

Next, I would say that none of the conifers used as Christmas Trees are going to stop growing at 8 feet, and even if they did, digging them up multiple years in a row would probably kill it. I suppose you could keep shearing off the leader each year to keep it at 8 feet tall, but the tree would respond by growing VERY wide.

And, at the risk of sounding lecture-ish (which is not my intent), the point about trees grown on farms producing oxygen is made mostly because the trees on farms wouldn't be there if they weren't planted by farmers for the purpose of being harvested. There are an estimated 500 million trees on 21,000 acres of tree farms growing and producing oxygen. Young, small, fast-growing trees produce a lot of oxygen while "trapping" carbon in the plant tissue. I'm not sure you could convince homeowners to plant that many trees to replace those grown by farmers.

We look forward to your input – if you have a question or comment to share, send it to info@realchristmastrees.org

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