This might be the one TLR was talking about? Anyway I had a Norfolk pine in a windowless office once & I still didn't kill it for a couple of years so you would probably do better!
Everything I've read about potted Christmas trees has made me decide that it's not a feasible option.
1. The tree can only be inside for 7 to 10 days, and in the coolest part of the house away from any heat sources (so if you have central air, it's going to have to be as far away from your heating vents as possible).
2. After the 10 days, you just can't take it outside, you'll need to "harden-off" your tree ... essentially you need to allow it to acclimate, which entails bringing it out for a few hours, then putting it in your garage, repeat, repeat, repeat. This may not be a problem for people living further south but ... it still sounds like a pain in the ass.
3. They're shit ass expensive.
I dunno, I'll probably just buy a friggin fake one. China churns them out by the friggin millions, and it's not like they're all "made to order". So sue me. If I can find one "Made in the USA" I'll do that, at least then I'll know I'm safe from any sort of contact dope that may be on the piece of shit.
Bah humbug.
__________________ Of Courtesy, it is much less than Courage of Heart or Holiness. Yet in my walks it seems to me that the Grace of God is in Courtesy.
Sounds like you're talking about full-size Christmas trees, no? I don't think a small potted plant is quite so challenging to deal with.
As far your humbugging into a falsie, seems to me that if you can make it last nigh on a decade like some of the folks in this thread have done, you'll be amortizing the petro-footprint into near nothingness.
You should see if maybe you can find a used one locally. There's gotta be a garage sale or a charity shop around you that has holiday decorations.
Sounds like you're talking about full-size Christmas trees, no? I don't think a small potted plant is quite so challenging to deal with.
No, I'm talking about the 3 to 4 foot jobbers.
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As far your humbugging into a falsie, seems to me that if you can make it last nigh on a decade like some of the folks in this thread have done, you'll be amortizing the petro-footprint into near nothingness.
I'm a cheap bastard, so getting ten years out of it is probably the minimum.
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You should see if maybe you can find a used one locally. There's gotta be a garage sale or a charity shop around you that has holiday decorations.
Excellent idea. I'll look around.
__________________ Of Courtesy, it is much less than Courage of Heart or Holiness. Yet in my walks it seems to me that the Grace of God is in Courtesy.
If you don't mind spending $100 or thereabouts, you could help preserve an ancient and critically-endangered species by buying a "Wollemi Pine" for use as a Christmas tree.
I had a link all loaded up about the Wollemi Pine and you beat me to it!
The problem with the monkey puzzle tree is the needles are sharp. To decorate it, would be painful!
Last year I bought a full size living tree, in a pot (some sort of cypress I think) from the local tree farm. After Christmas we planted it in the front yard and it's growing nicely and can get up to 30 feet tall over the years.
We kept it on the porch, in front of the windows, watered it, and it cost about 40 dollars (not much more than some of my other landscape purchases). Since it was our first Christmas in this house, it will be a nice reminder too. They had smaller ones at the tree farm though...all sizes. I'll bet there are farms near you, though with the drought in your area possibly not.
We had a fake tree inside, it had been gifted to us by someone who wasn't using it anymore. So reusing is part of the three R's, in my book.
I know you rent but surely your landlord wouldn't mind an extra piece in his landscaping?
I know you rent but surely your landlord wouldn't mind an extra piece in his landscaping?
And if (s)he does, there's probably a nearby park that would appreciate the donation of a healthy (native) tree ...
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Originally Posted by Pinecone
This might be the one TLR was talking about? Anyway I had a Norfolk pine in a windowless office once & I still didn't kill it for a couple of years so you would probably do better!
That's one of the species I often see for sale as "living Christmas trees" around this time of year. They tend to do pretty well indoors, and they're rather slow-growing. It will eventually get big-enough to need a new pot and then eventually it'll need to go outdoors, though.
Cheers,
Michael
__________________
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.”
The house we bought in Utah had a row of about a dozen pine trees along the back fence, each one progressively larger than the next one, the largest was about 18 feet tall on one end, the smallest was about 7 feet tall at the other end. I assume the previous residents purchased live trees and planted them. It is a cool, green idea.
We buy a live tree every year (about 35 dollars). It sits on our front porch and is decorated. After Christmas it is planted outside. When it gets about 5 feet tall it is then cut down and brought inside as our Christmas tree. So for 35 dollars we have about 5 years worth of enjoyment outside and have the best looking Christmas tree that would cost a lot more than our initial investment.
Some of the trees we have kept over the years as they were too beautiful to cut. Like our Korean fir, Abies koreana, that gives these beautiful blue cones that bleed white sap. It's like Christmas in summer and fall.
I want a little tree this year. Nothing fanceh. Just something small and pretty to perch on a tabletop.
At first I thought about getting an artificial one, possibly with built-in LED lights for their low electric footprint, but they're all petroleum based and often made in China so not very green at all, in the end.
Now I'm thinking more along the lines of a little evergreen that will live happily in a container without direct sunlight for its whole life. Is there such a creature? Google hasn't been very helpful so far.
Any ideas? What do y'all plan to do in the reduce-reuse-recycle vein for the holidays?
I know I've seen little evergreens in stores before, if not an evergreen specifically something along those lines. Actually last weekend I saw rosemary and thyme "trees" which I thought was the cutest idea. Decorate it for the holiday and then enjoy it all year round.
__________________ Don't make me break out my ninja powers..
Okay....The first "Green" activity of the season is coming up this Friday.
AdBusters has announced the repeat of their annual "Buy Nothing Day" celebration, set for November 23 (the day after the US Thanksgiving, and reputedly the biggest shopping day of the year).
I know I've seen little evergreens in stores before, if not an evergreen specifically something along those lines. Actually last weekend I saw rosemary and thyme "trees" which I thought was the cutest idea. Decorate it for the holiday and then enjoy it all year round.
I'd love to, but again, the sunlight issue interferes. Herbs don't respond well to a life lived in full shade. Dammitall.
godfry, I can't remember the last time I hit a post-Thanksgiving sale, so sloth and indolence suit me just fine.
We buy a live tree every year (about 35 dollars). It sits on our front porch and is decorated. After Christmas it is planted outside. When it gets about 5 feet tall it is then cut down and brought inside as our Christmas tree. So for 35 dollars we have about 5 years worth of enjoyment outside and have the best looking Christmas tree that would cost a lot more than our initial investment.
Some of the trees we have kept over the years as they were too beautiful to cut. Like our Korean fir, Abies koreana, that gives these beautiful blue cones that bleed white sap. It's like Christmas in summer and fall.
That's beautiful, PW. Do you think that tree would do well in the hot dry southeastern US? I can think of a great place for one or two of those in my yard.
The only thing I'll be buying this coming Friday is lunch out. I have to work and Friday is our lunch out day.
Regardless though, I've never gone shopping the day after day. I don't usually enjoy shopping as it is and try to go when it's not so busy. The day after day is definitely NOT that day.
As to the subject of this thread, I'm following what people have for ideas for small trees as I'm interested in possibly next year putting up a small tree on a table top perhaps.
Okay....The first "Green" activity of the season is coming up this Friday.
AdBusters has announced the repeat of their annual "Buy Nothing Day" celebration, set for November 23 (the day after the US Thanksgiving, and reputedly the biggest shopping day of the year).
Join me in sloth and indolence this Friday?
I'm very unlikely to buy anything on Friday, as I am flat fucking broke.
I came into this thread to talk about christmas witches, but they're not here. What thread was that?
That's beautiful, PW. Do you think that tree would do well in the hot dry southeastern US? I can think of a great place for one or two of those in my yard.
It doesn't do well in heat and humidity. So most likely not. Sorry!
BTW, I just found this, which says that fake trees are pretty much always vinyl, so you're not allowed to do that.
Wotcha. I'm intrigued by the make-your-own-tree suggestion at the end of that article. I'm not particularly crafty, but I might be willing to give something like that a whirl should I not find the right sort of vegetation.
Ooooo....Here....liv!
Hey....it's green....it's tabletop...and it got gummi bears.
What do y'all plan to do in the reduce-reuse-recycle vein for the holidays?
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Originally Posted by Ensign Steve
Oh, and my green effort this year is to re-use the same fake tree I've been using for the last 7 years, despite its looking pretty pathetic and deserving to go in the garbage after about 4. This is going to be the last year with it, though. I keep telling myself that anyway.
Same here, my spouse and I have been using the same fake tree for over 12 years now. Allergies sort of rule out indoor plants for me.
When I was single, I used to have a little fake tree that went on a tabletop. And I bought presents for my cats, wrapped them, put them under the tree for 3 weeks, and opened them up with the cats on Xmas morning. I miss that little tree.
I think liv should try a bonsai like lisarea's. That was adorable.
Re: I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas
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day. I don't usually enjoy shopping as it is and try to go when it's not so busy. The day after 
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