Go green: Cut your own Christmas tree
By Earl Horlykehorlyk@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Saturday, December 20, 2008
Dan DeKorne, Ireton, secures a Christmas tree on top of his car at T&S Nursery - Christmas Tree Farm. (Staff photo by Jim Lee)
HAWARDEN -- Wanna go green this holiday? Chop down a Christmas tree!
"Trees are a totally renewable resource," Sue Muth explained. "One of those artificial Christmas trees will sit around a landfill forever but, once Christmas is over, an evergreen can be chopped into mulch."
Muth, co-owner of T & S Nursery aand Christmas Tree Farm, admits people haven't really been flocking to her rural Hawarden tree farm for the past 21 years solely for ecological reasons.
Instead, her customers are looking to make lasting memories.
"I've seen two generations of families pass through my farm," Muth said. "I've seen parents bring their children. And now the children are bringing children of their own."
"It's wonderful," she added. "They all say Christmas wouldn't feel like Christmas without cutting down your own tree."
Ed Mannings knows exactly what Muth is talking about.
Mannings, co-owner of Mannings Garyowen Tree Farm outside of Burbank, S.D., has been helping people create family memories for the past six Christmases.
"I met a fella my first year," Mannings remembered. "He and his wife were expecting their first child. Six years later, they now have five of 'em."
"They've been back every year since then," he said with a laugh.
Muth said there's something "nostalgic" about going to her farm to choose the perfect tree.
"People love bringing their kids or grandkids along," she said. "It isn't necessarily even all about the tree. But they love drinking cider, riding on the wagon into the farm, and spending time with the people they love the most."
But Muth said she does notice some people don't always dress appropriately.
"It gets cold on a farm and it's cold on the wagons," she said, shaking her head. "I've seen women with heels, hoping to cut down a tree."
Muth chuckles at the memory.
"We keep warm coats and boots around just for that reason," she said.
Muth said her farm has plenty of Scotch Pines, Black Hills and Colorado Spruces, along with the popular Fraser Fir.
Mannings also carries the Fraser Fir, which he calls "the Cadillac of Christmas trees."
"When a person thinks about a Christmas tree," he said, "it's always gonna be a Fraser Fir."
But how do you keep a Christmas tree looking its best until the holidays are over?
According to Muth, keep it moist.
"You can refresh a tree by making a straight, one inch cut off of the bottom," she explained. "Then place it immediately in water. This will improve the water intake."
Muth also suggests placing the tree in a stand that can hold at least one gallon of water.
"Always keep the base of a tree in water," she said. "If the base dries out, resin will form over the cut end so the tree won't be able to absorb water."
"After all," she added, "you want your Christmas memories to be picture perfect."
"Trees are a totally renewable resource," Sue Muth explained. "One of those artificial Christmas trees will sit around a landfill forever but, once Christmas is over, an evergreen can be chopped into mulch."
Muth, co-owner of T & S Nursery aand Christmas Tree Farm, admits people haven't really been flocking to her rural Hawarden tree farm for the past 21 years solely for ecological reasons.
Instead, her customers are looking to make lasting memories.
"I've seen two generations of families pass through my farm," Muth said. "I've seen parents bring their children. And now the children are bringing children of their own."
"It's wonderful," she added. "They all say Christmas wouldn't feel like Christmas without cutting down your own tree."
Ed Mannings knows exactly what Muth is talking about.
Mannings, co-owner of Mannings Garyowen Tree Farm outside of Burbank, S.D., has been helping people create family memories for the past six Christmases.
"I met a fella my first year," Mannings remembered. "He and his wife were expecting their first child. Six years later, they now have five of 'em."
"They've been back every year since then," he said with a laugh.
Muth said there's something "nostalgic" about going to her farm to choose the perfect tree.
"People love bringing their kids or grandkids along," she said. "It isn't necessarily even all about the tree. But they love drinking cider, riding on the wagon into the farm, and spending time with the people they love the most."
But Muth said she does notice some people don't always dress appropriately.
"It gets cold on a farm and it's cold on the wagons," she said, shaking her head. "I've seen women with heels, hoping to cut down a tree."
Muth chuckles at the memory.
"We keep warm coats and boots around just for that reason," she said.
Muth said her farm has plenty of Scotch Pines, Black Hills and Colorado Spruces, along with the popular Fraser Fir.
Mannings also carries the Fraser Fir, which he calls "the Cadillac of Christmas trees."
"When a person thinks about a Christmas tree," he said, "it's always gonna be a Fraser Fir."
But how do you keep a Christmas tree looking its best until the holidays are over?
According to Muth, keep it moist.
"You can refresh a tree by making a straight, one inch cut off of the bottom," she explained. "Then place it immediately in water. This will improve the water intake."
Muth also suggests placing the tree in a stand that can hold at least one gallon of water.
"Always keep the base of a tree in water," she said. "If the base dries out, resin will form over the cut end so the tree won't be able to absorb water."
"After all," she added, "you want your Christmas memories to be picture perfect."
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