Blog  December 9, 2011

A truly green Christmas tree

Check out our locally grown Christmas trees, grown in Everette, Ont. (Photo: Yuliya Tsoy)

Every holiday season, many Canadians wonder whether it’s eco-friendly to get a real Christmas tree, or to reuse the fake, plastic kind. For us, the answer seems pretty clear.

While plastic Christmas trees last longer, the need to manufacture and transport them means a large carbon footprint. And when they’re tossed out for new ones, the non-biodegradable trees end up in already-packed landfills.

Christmas tree farms, on the other hand, act as carbon sinks, soaking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere before they’re ready for your living room. According to the Ontario Forestry Association, one acre of planted Christmas trees provides enough oxygen for 18 people every day, and is habitat for local wildlife. 

If you’re looking to get a real tree for your home, Evergreen Garden Market is fully stocked with locally grown and sustainably harvested Kriss Kringle Christmas trees, wreaths and garlands from Somerville Nurseries in Everette, Ontario.

Kriss Kringle Christmas trees grown by Somerville Nurseries. (Photo: Yuliya Tsoy)

A family owned business since 1950, Somerville Nurseries trees are sustainably grown with the proper horticultural practices in use, ensuring there is little impact on the environment. The nursery is also a major producer of conifer and deciduous seedlings and transplants, used for reforestation and conservation plantings.

At EGM, you’ll find Balsam Poplar and Fraser Fir, traditional White Pine and Scots Pine, and the highly sought-after but hard-to-find, Concolor Fir. With some trees soaring up to four metres tall, our tiny condo-sized trees, at less than a metre, are small enough to fit onto our free, daily shuttle from Broadview Station.

We also carry locally grown wreaths and garland. (Photo: Yuliya Tsoy)

Want to keep your tree fresh until Christmas? Here are some great tips courtesy of Evergreen Garden Market manager Aaron Harpell:

• Needles should bend, not break, and should be hard to pull off the branches. Bang the tree on the ground, and check to see how many needles fall off
• Choose a tree with sap coming out the bottom of the trunk, and when you are ready to put up the tree, cut off 2 cm from the trunk with a saw, allowing the tree to absorb water
• Keep your tree away from direct heat, and check it often to make sure it has enough water
• Lowering your thermostat will also help extend the life of your tree, and cut back on heating costs!

This Christmas, pick-up your fresh, local tree at Evergreen Garden Market! And if you’d like to learn more about having a “green” Christmas, check out the DIY Christmas workshops supported by The Home Depot.