CHOOSING A CHRISTMAS TREE

Christmas tree, Brisbane.

CHRISTMAS TREES

Did anyone buy a real cut Christmas tree when they first came into the shops about three weeks ago? If you did please let me know if it is surviving the long wait until Santa comes. Maybe people have started to buy two trees, one for the run up to Christmas and another for when that one looses all of its needles on the front room carpet. We like to buy our tree quite close to the holiday, that way there should still be a few bits of green left on the branches to hang the chocolate ornaments. The only drawback to buying the tree later is that we tend to be left with one that is a bit miss-shaped, so the pruning shears have to come out to perform some cosmetic surgery. The amputated branches can be used for decorating the table and around mirrors though, so nothing goes to waste as it can all be mulched in the New Year (Definition of mulching- throwing at the bottom of the garden and left to rot down!)

KEEPING IT REAL
The real Christmas tree is a living resource, which can be recycled, while the plastic tree consists of metal and plastic materials, which cannot be broken down naturally. This impacts the environment during manufacturing and after use. Plastic Christmas trees are often made of PVC, which also has many negative environmental qualities. They do look pretty though and you don’t have to vacuum the dropped leaves every day!

SELECTION AND CARE OF YOUR TREE
When you are selecting your Christmas tree always bear in mind where you are going to place it in the house. Make sure the size suits your home and the room you are going to put it into. For most modern homes a 6ft Christmas tree is very suitable.

Make sure it has a straight stem, even dense branches and a fresh colour. When you bring your Christmas tree home, cut an inch or two off the bottom of the stem and stand it outside in a bucket of water. Shake off any loose needles before you bring it inside and stand it in a special Christmas tree stand or in a bucket of wet sand with a water bowl to which you should add a pint of water daily (avoiding the electrics!). Try not to let the tree dry out, as the base will re-seal itself and stop taking in water. Water is important as it prevents the needles from drying and dropping off and the branches from drooping. Water also keeps the tree fragrant. Place the tree in the coolest part of the room away from fires and radiators, as central heating is the worst enemy of a tree.

If you have a big garden, then why not consider buying a rooted tree in a pot. Rooted trees in pots have the best chance of survival if they are kept in the house over the Christmas period. If you water them well they should still be alive at the end of the holiday and you can plant them outside in your garden. I have known people successfully re-use their trees for a couple of years. They were planted into a bigger pot every year and it was a good while before the trees got too big for the house. It can be a lot of work keeping them watered in summer though.


TREE SAFETY
Make sure your tree is properly secured and positioned clear of doorways, stairs, heaters and open fires.
Christmas tree lights can be dangerous if not properly wired. There are a lot of different types to go for in the shops. Look for the approved safety standards sign on the box. Remember to unplug tree lights and other decorations when out of the house or going to bed at night. And if you have a cat, make sure that it doesn’t jump up the tree to get to the shiny baubles and bring the whole lot down.

TREE TYPES
The most popular types of Christmas tree sold in Irish garden centres include:

Norway Spruce - the most traditional looking Christmas tree - has a mid-green colour, a fine, delicate foliage and a distinctive 'Christmassy' scent.

Scots pine - a really fragrant native conifer with attractive blue-green foliage and soft needles

Lodgepole pine - a cheerful green colour, tinged slightly with yellow, and a sharp fragrance

Nordmann fir - has distinctive broad, bold green needles with whitish underside
It’s all down to individual taste as to what tree you like the best, so happy hunting!

Horticultural.

LAWN CARE

This month is a good month to seed or lay new lawns. It is also a good time to fill-in the bare spots of the old lawn caused by children playing or dogs burying their bones.

If the lawn needs moss and dead grass removing (scarifying) then gat a springbok rake which will remove all of these. The existing grass will be able to establish better and if there are any bald patches, these can be re-seeded. Most garden centres stock a range of grass seeds in small quantities, which are ideal for repairs. Fertilise after this is done if you want as this will green up the grass over the winter. It might also mean that you have to go out on Christmas day to cut the grass….you have been warned!

This is a good time to sow new lawns. Sow lawn seed into well-prepared, fine soil. Roll lightly when 1in high if the ground isn’t too wet, and when it has grown again top it off lightly with the mower set at 2in, again only do this when the ground is dry as it could cause nasty ridges in the lawn.

Remove the worst broad-leaved weeds from newly seeded lawns by hand; it is too soon to use selective weed killers.

ME AND MY MOTOR-JOHN BARR

John Barr is better known as a local businessperson than a car fanatic. In fact John doesn’t even know the make of his own van. Better still, on more than one occasion, he has been known to get into the wrong white van and try to start it up! (“They all look the same,” he claims) John might not know what his van looks like but he certainly hasn’t lost his edge as a trader. “I might not know any make of cars on the road but I could tell you the price of anything in 1972”. His van is a 2000 VW Caddy by the way.

John has been trading for thirty years and Barr’s shop has been open in Buncrana for 160 years. As well as clothing and flags, John also supplies a whole range of printing and embroidery items. Whether it is a corporate logo, workwear on a large scale or just a few shirts for a hen or stag night, John can supply the lot. (That’s if he can find his van!)


How long have you had the van?
Let me think….about five years now. I bought it used and as I don’t know the first thing about cars I couldn’t even tell you the registration number.

Any plans to change?
It will get replaced when it stops working.

Is it reliable?
Yes. Patrick Grant here in the town takes care of all of the servicing. He just appears and drives it to his garage then brings it back all serviced and ready to go.

Best and worst thing about the van?
The worst thing is that I have to drive it. The best is that it starts and moves when I want it too.

How often do you wash it?
I have never washed it in five years! It does get cleaned every two years. Patrick cleans it for me before it goes to get an NCT.

What was your fist car?
I had a Fiat 850 bubble car. I bought it for £25 and spent £25 putting in an engine. Putting in the new engine only took a few hours and we were out on the road the next day. It was only small but we could squeeze seven people in it! I drove it for six months until the brakes seized up (at least I think that was the problem) outside the Culdaff Arms. I had to get a lift home but not before I sold the car to someone as it sat on the street for £60. I got a Ford Escort after that but it was a nightmare. I remember it always overheated but I had to travel to Dublin every week. Poor Afke (my wife) had to get out and push many a time - much to the disapproval of the pedestrians on O’Connell Street! I must point out here that I didn’t push because Afke couldn’t drive at the time...honestly!

What would you do to help motorists given the chance?
Do away with cars and get Scotty from Star Trek to beam us where we wanted to go. I think a few good manners on the road will have to do in the mean time.

POND CARE

You mentioned about stopping putting food out for the fish in winter a week or two ago. Is their anything else that I could do to protect the fish and the pond as winter approaches? L.E.

Reply.
I mentioned that fish don’t feed in temperatures less that 48-50 degrees Fahrenheit. They will eat the algae on the sides of the pond if the temperature rises at all in the winter months. Our goldfish that lives in the bathroom has to survive quite often on the green gunge that grows on the glass of the tank as we forget to feed him quite often. This does him no harm at all. The other point about the fish outdoors is that there should be a deep place in the water (about 2 feet minimum), where the fish can hide from the frost and herons. Here are some other jobs to do if you have a pond.

Keep the pond clear of fallen leaves and other debris. The rotting leaves can poison the water by becoming gungy and rotten. If there are a lot of them they could block out all of the natural light. The quality of water in the pond should be maintained even during the winter months to insure the survival of the pond inhabitants. Remove debris and decomposing leaves with a net often

Frost tender floating plants should be removed from the pond before they start to deteriorate and foul the water. Try to keep them over winter in a bucket in a sheltered spot you never know, they might survive.

Tropical marginal plants that live on the edge of the pond could be moved inside and treated as houseplants during the winter months. For better appearance, trim any roots that have grown outside the pot. Keep them in a cool, frost-free place and make sure they have plenty of light so they don’t grow straggly.

Hardy marginal plants just need to be trimmed and moved low enough into the water to avoid freezing. All dead foliage should be cut off and discarded.

Hardy Water Lilies will survive winter in the deeper parts of the pond and the fish can hide from the herons as well. Tropical Water Lilies will have to be brought inside or put in a bucket and put in the same sheltered place as the marginal plants.

Submerged oxygenating plants can be trimmed back at this time. They can be left in as they will keep the water fresh in the winter months.

Disconnect, clean and store away external filters. Drain all pipes and tubing to prevent bursting during freezing weather.Electric pumps can be left in the pond if they are located well below the freezing line. In ponds with a large fish population it may be necessary to continue to run the pump to keep a sufficient supply of oxygen. The pump should be moved just below the surface of the water under these circumstances to avoid cooling the lower layers of water too much

Horticultural.

COMPOSTING MADE EASY

Hi and welcome to Inishindie. If you are linking in from the article in the Inish Times this weeks edition then you would like to know more about composting.

There are articles on this site to help you (just type "composting" into the search box.)

For a great site then go to the Compost Association of Ireland

Happy composting!!