Garden Thoughts

Hello again,

Here are some tree-mendous Christmas tree tips from the folks at www.gardenplace.com.

*The key is making sure your tree stays watered. So, before you set up your Christmas tree, make a fresh, straight cut across the base of the trunk (about a quarter inch up from the original cut) and place the tree in a tree stand that holds a gallon of water. A tree will absorb as much as a gallon of water in the first 24 hours, plus one or more quarts during the first week.

*Be sure to keep the tree stand filled with water. A seal of dried sap will form over the cut stump in four to six hours if the water drops below the base of the tree and will prevent the tree from absorbing water. If a seal forms, make another fresh cut to the base of the trees stump.

*For safety, the best way to keep a tree fresh and fire resistant is to keep it supplied with water at all times. As long as the tree takes up water, it will be relatively fire resistant.

*Do not decorate the tree with cotton, paper or any other materials that are flammable. Wax candles and other types of open flame should be avoided.

*Keep your tree away from heat and draft sources like fireplaces, radiators, heating vents, televisions and stereos.

*Lights and wiring should be checked for worn spots and cracks before hanging them on the tree. Never overload your electrical outlets. Use only UL-approved Christmas lights and nonflammable decorations. Be sure to always unplug the Christmas lights before you go to bed or leave the house.
Here at Skillin's we are offering for sale many varieties of the economically friendly LED Christmas lights. LED (light emitting diode) lights cost a little more BUT they use only about 10 to 20% of the electricity of regular Christmas lights (sock that carbon footprint!) and also have a considerably longer life expectancy.

We sell fresh Maine grown trees right here at Skillin's. We grow quite a few of our own and the rest are grown by some long-time Maine growers who we have come to know and trust over the years.

You may ask is buying a cut Christmas tree a "good thing" for the environment. Check out our Maine Christmas Tree posting of November 12 to see why we believe buying a locally cut Christmas tree is in fact good for our environment.

Another "tip" I just thought of. Prepare for your tree's removal by buying a Tree Removal Bag here at Skillin's. Put it down on the floor under the tree just before you set your tree stand and tree up. Later, when it is time to remove the tree simply pull the big bag up over the tree and haul the tree package out the door. Very few needles will escape!

If your town does not have a tree pickup, bring the tree back to Skillin's and we will compost the tree for you. Your tree will become part of a compost heap that will be new precious soil in just a short amount of time! How environmentally cool is that? For a minimal charge we will also pick your tree up for you if you need!

The folks at www.gardenplace.com also remind us that now winter is a fine time to try some indoor gardening:

Just because it's winter doesn't mean you stop planting. Gardeners can keep plenty busy by nurturing plants on window sills inside the house. But, for best results you need to match each plant with the right conditions:

North-facing windows favor low-light plants like philodendron, fig and the wandering Jew.

South-facing windows, which get the most sun, suit plants such as cacti, trailing begonias, geraniums and ivy.

East and west windows get a moderate amount of light and are ideal for plants like cyclamen, cute bulb plants like hyacinth and daffodils and African violets.

Finally, remember to clean the old wet food out of your bird feeders and replace that food with some nice dry fresh food for our feathered friends. Birds hate wet seed and wet seed can harbor salmonella and other diseases that are not good for the birds!