Fresh Cut Christmas Trees: Good for the Environment and the Economy

Some people think it is wasteful and harmful to the environment when Americans cut down and use 30 million live trees to celebrate Christmas.  There concern for tree loss is understandable, but it is important to understand that there are over 350 million Christmas trees growing on farms across the United States as sustainable crops like corn, pumpkins, or tomatoes.  In 2012 alone, over 46 million Christmas tree seedlings were planted on farms where they will be grown, sheared, and protected from insects and diseases for 6-10 years before they are ready for sale.   While those trees are growing they consume large amounts of carbon dioxide (greenhouse gases that are warming our planet), produce oxygen, prevent soil erosion, capture and reduce storm water runoff that can cause stream flooding, and provide habitat and winter cover for many wildlife species.   Better yet, they keep local working farms alive and profitable.  There are more than 12,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States and in 2009 Pennsylvania tree farmers had over $19.3 million dollars in sales, accounting for 7.8 % of the national market.  Nationally over 100,000 people are employed full or part-time by the Christmas tree industry.
  
Once the holidays are over, 93% of real Christmas tree consumers recycle their tree in community recycling programs, their garden or backyard.  Those trees become mulch, compost, or habitat for wildlife and fish (when placed in ponds).  

Now compare that to artificial trees.  The first artificial tree was made largely of aluminum and was manufactured in the United States, first in Chicago in 1958.   Today, most artificial trees are made from PVC plastic with 85% of them being manufactured in China and shipped thousands of miles across the world to a retail store in the United States.  Those artificial trees do not provide oxygen, soils stabilization, or wildlife habitat, although we might be able to recycle the plastic at some point.  In 2011, Americans purchased 9.5 million artificial trees, helping China’s economy. 

So this holiday, as we purchase many of our electronics, toys, and decorations that were manufactured in China or elsewhere, consider taking the family on an outdoor adventure to buy an American grown fresh cut tree from a local farm.  It real does help our economy and our environment.

For more information about selecting and caring for your cut Christmas tree, visit http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny/news/spotlight/selection-care-of-cut-christmas-trees


Vincent Cotrone
Urban Forester
Penn State University

Chipmunks and Squirrels

As you are putting up holiday decorations, doing some last minute outside repairs, or cleaning up around your yard, keep an eye out for two potential problems: squirrels and chipmunks. They can easily settle around and even inside your house for the winter, plus they can damage your plants.

Chipmunks burrow around areas where they are well hidden, such as wood piles, brush, basements, and garages. The damage these spunky little creatures can do is surprising. By tunneling under patios, retention walls, stairs or foundations, they can cause structural problems. They consume flower bulbs, seeds, seedlings, and even pet food.

Exclusion is the best way to manage chipmunk damage. Close all openings where chipmunks can enter the home with caulking or hardware cloth. Covering your landscape beds with this mesh will protect your bulbs and seeds. Spread soil over the hardware cloth.  Exclusion also is the best way to prevent damage.

Certain landscape features provide protection for chipmunks, such as ground covers and shrubs. These make it easy for chipmunks to gain entry to your home. Remove piles of debris and keep grass cut short. Modifying your landscape for the winter will keep chipmunk activity down.

Related to chipmunks, is the squirrel. This omnipresent rodent derived its name from the Greek word meaning “to shadow” referring to their big bushy tails. Once inside your home, they can damage insulation, walls, and electrical wires. Squirrels do damage because of their propensity to gnaw on structures.  Once inside they chew on insulation and electrical wires. This is dangerous as bare wires are a fire hazard.

Of less of a danger, but still a nuisance, is a squirrel’s relentless pillaging of bird feeders. Adding to the list of annoyances is their habit of damaging your landscape through their quest to find or hide their cache of nuts. They feed on seeds, mature fruit, and grains.  As squirrels clip shrubs and trees to build their nests, they make them susceptible to winter damage.

Exclusion is the first step. It is important to make certain no squirrel is inside your home before blocking entrances. Squirrels will do even more damage trying to get out. Baited box traps in an attic may catch a locked in squirrel. Lighting attic space has been a deterrent. Chemicals and repellents are costly and have shown only modest success.

Habitat modification is effective. Trimming trees six to eight feet from buildings will keep squirrels from jumping onto roofs. If they are attacking bird feeders, consider nailing an ear of corn to a fence post far away from the problem area. There are squirrel baffles and many kinds of squirrel resistant feeders on the market.

For more help on protecting your home and landscape from these four-footed nuisances, contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County at 570-963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu and request the free publications on chipmunks and squirrels


Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator