Christmas tree survival guide
Fed up with needles on the floor? Read our guide to stop the drop, so your tree will make it to the 12th Night fully-clothed!
We buy eight million Christmas trees every year in this country – enough to fill a forest the size of 800 football pitches. But these days there is a wide range of varieties available to satisfy demand. The non-drop tree is worth the extra money but you can’t beat the smell of the traditional Norway Spruce.
You can make your tree what ever the variety last longer by looking after it’s two key needs: cool temperatures and plenty of water. Bringing it into the house early means it’s more likely to shed needles than if you stay with tradition and only bring it in on the 24th. And while it’s easy to forget to water the tree with all the excitement, if you don’t your pressies will be adorned with more than just wrapping paper on Christmas morning.
Top Tips to Stop the Drop:
1. Buy from a ‘choose-and cut’ plantation. Walk the rows of live trees, choose your tree and it’s felled for you. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association website lists sites near you – christmastree.org.uk
2. Try a pot-grown tree. Ideal if you only bring your tree in for the 12 days of Christmas, and you have somewhere cool to keep it. In January move it to a sheltered area outdoors and water well.
3. Inspect your tree before buying. Gently inspect the needles at the tip of the branches. If they fall off when you brush past them choose another tree.
4. Treat your tree like a cut flower. Saw off the bottom 2cm from the trunk and scar the bark on the lower part of the stem. This removes the sticky sap, which blocks up the stem, letting the tree absorb more water.
5. Thin out crowded branches. Before bringing the tree inside, cut off congested branches. This gives it a more graceful shape and slows the rate of water loss from leaves.
6. Plunge the base in water. Stand your tree in a bucket filled with pebbles and water, or select a stand that holds water. Top up every few days throughout the season.
7. Shake the tree outside. This will knock off loose or dead needles, before the tree comes into the house, which is especially important with the Norway Spruce.
8. Keep it cool. The best spot to put your tree is in a cool room, away from drafts and heat sources. Also turn off your fairy lights at night, as the heat they produce dries out the needles.
The eazi-spade recommended by Gardeners’ World Magazine
The eazi-spade has been named as top choice in a leading gardening publication.
National magazine, Gardeners’ World, which is Britain’s best selling gardening magazine listed the eazi-spade in a feature entitled “Five to try”, aimed at helping readers make light work of digging.
Of the five tools listed, the tool achieved the ‘Our Choice’ accolade, due to its longer shaft reducing the need to bend and innovative stirrup design requiring less force from the user.
Go Eazi in the Garden this Spring with Eazitools
Whether you’re planning to do some simple odd jobs or carry out a ‘Ground Force’ style overhaul this Spring, gardening activities are often far removed from the tasks we perform everyday and can easily stress muscles and joints, making gardening a painful rather than pleasurable experience.
The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) estimates that an amazing 10,000 people visit a BCA chiropractor with DIY related injuries each month, with laying patios and digging the second most common cause of injury.
Back strain and knee pain are the most common form of ‘horticultural’ injury reported but also at risk are the shoulder and neck areas, the forearms, wrists and fingers.
Gardening should be a safe and enjoyable form of exercise, not a hazard to our health. Follow our key tips below to ensure pain free gardening this season:
· Warm up before beginning – Prepare your body for the activity you are about to do. Some simple stretching exercises or even walking for five to 10 minutes beforehand can help prevent aches and pains.
· Avoid doing one activity for too long – if you have a number of jobs to do, try to alternate them every 20 minutes to prevent over-use injuries. Take regular breaks to reduce the likelihood of injury. Pain acts as a warning sign, if you feel any, stop what you are doing.
· Avoid lifting heavy objects – if you must lift something, remember to bend your knees and keep your back straight.
· Don’t overload your spade – dig a little at a time and use a smaller spade.
· Don’t overdo it – set a realistic pace. Try not to do everything in one weekend and set yourself achievable goals and tasks for each day.
· Drink plenty of water – your body needs water to lubricate the joints and muscles.
· Always warm down after gardening – Also, try and have a long soak in the bath afterwards to ease any aches and pains. It is normal to feel a little stiff the next day, but if pain persists, see your doctor or physiotherapist.
· Finally, maintain your tools – keep garden tools in top working order to reduce the physical effort required and help prevent injuries.
Eazi-edger voted top garden tool
Let’s grow Veg, 2009
The eazi-edger has been named as one of the top five innovative and ergonomic garden tools in a leading gardening publication.
National magazine, Let’s Grow Veg listed the product in a feature entitled “5 of the best garden tools”, aimed at helping readers make light work of plot-based jobs.
Product tester, Matthew Biggs said: “The edger is more efficient than conventional designs, as the blade will not tilt during use. So, you’ll get a crisp, clean finish every time!”
