Caring for Christmas trees

By Paul Schnare

Christmas is in the air. I have been driving around town and seeing Christmas trees for sale on tree lots. They have lots of beautiful fresh Christmas trees, garlands, swags, roping and wreaths for sale. This really puts me in the Christmas spirit.

These sights also remind me of my growing up years around Christmas. Dad would put us all in the car (Mom and my brothers) and we would drive to a tree lot. We would look at several trees and try to figure out which one Dad would buy. After the purchase, the tree would get tied to the top of the car and we would make the trip home. What an exciting time for a youngster.

After we got the tree home, Dad would put it in a Christmas tree stand and place it in the corner of our living room. Then he would put water it the bowl part of the stand. He said that was to keep the tree fresh.

Next would come the decorating with lights and ornaments. What a beautiful sight it was after Dad was done. We could hardly wait until Christmas evening. That was when we got to open presents. Santa Claus would always come to our home while we were attending the Christmas Eve Church Service.

We enjoyed seeing the decorated Christmas tree for the next few days. Then on New Year's Eve it was time to take down the tree. I nor my brothers really wanted to help but we knew we would have to. Our job was to find all of the needles that were shed during the holidays. Ugh! What a job.

We would have to sweep the floor all the way from the living room, through the dining room, through the kitchen, through the screened in back porch, and finally off of the back patio. What a mess.

If you have the same experience when you put up and take down your real tree each Christmas season, let me make a suggestion. Before you put up the tree, spray it with a product called Anti-Stress 2000. You will not have nearly as much of a mess this season.

Anti-Stress 2000 is an acrylic polymer that you spray on the tree before you take it into the house and place it in the stand. Let the polymer dry on the tree before you take it in. Then set up the tree in the stand and enjoy the Christmas season. You won't have to dread the cleanup process after New Year's.

Evergreen needles have very small pores in them. While the tree is growing in the field, the roots of the tree find moisture in the soil. This moisture moves up through the tree and slowly escapes out of the needles. This is the natural way for trees to get their "drink" and to keep the trees growing naturally.

When you cut down a tree, the roots are no longer there. There is no way for the tree to draw up moisture. At the same time, the pores in the needles continue to allow moisture to escape. Over a few days much of the moisture in the tree is gone and the needles slowly dry out and begin to fall.

In order to reduce the loss of needles from a tree that has no attached roots spray the tree with a Anti-Stress 2000. This product plugs up the pores in the needles and moisture is not lost during the time the tree is decorated and on display inside your home.

I hope this helps you and your family from saying "Ugh!!!!" when you take your real Christmas tree down after the holidays. Merry Christmas!!!