HOT TOPICS >> Free-range Eggs • Bailout • Poverty • Homebrew • Wood heat

Save A Tree...and Trim A Trimmings

Article Tools

But suppose you don't want pseudospruce or fake fir? And suppose you don't have any more room to plant a tree in your yard?

Well, don't despair, because we've discovered a way to have a "real" holiday evergreen without cutting it down. We simply make our Christmas tree . . . from prunings!

GETTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Almost anyone should be able to find the raw material for a prunings tree. Just about any type of evergreen will do. We've used pyracantha, holly, juniper, and arborvitae as well as the more familiar (in this application, at least) spruce, pine, and fir. Rural homesteaders will probably be able to simply prune trees in the back forty ... improving their woodlots while they do so. Folks in urban or suburban areas can trim branches from evergreen shrubs ... or even pick up—often free of charge-trimmings from Christmas tree lots.

In order to construct a do-it-yourself tannenbaum, you'll first need to gather [1] a supply of evergreen branches from two to six feet long, [2] a big waterproof "planter" such as a plastic wastebasket or trash can, glazed ceramic pot, or large stoneware crock (don't use an ungalvanized steel container, because it might rust through after weeks of contact with water), [3] wire for fastening branches in place, and [4] enough sand or pea gravel to fill your container threequarters full.

There are probably any number of ways to assemble a batch of limbs into an attractive tree. However, we've found it easiest to first center the tallest branch in the empty container, and then wire the smaller limbs to it—one by one—making sure the cut end of each branch extends down to the bottom of the container (where it can pick up moisture and stay fresh).

It's best to start with the limbs that will form the upper branches of your tree. Begin wiring them to the "trunk" at a point high enough to cause their tips to splay out prettily around the central branch (you might also want to wire these upper limbs to the trunk at regular intervals below the top tie). Then just work your way downward, attaching each consecutive whorl of branches at a point a bit lower on the trunk than the previous—higherlimbs, and allowing their ends to drape out farther to give the festive fir its taper.

Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >>



Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

  

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

 

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.

 

First Name: *
Last Name: *
Address: *
City: *
State/Province: *
Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, $15.50 (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, $18.00. U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here