Vermont-grown Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes are currently for sale by the Brattleboro Rotary Club in front of Brattleboro Bowl on Putney Road. Sale hours are Monday-Thursday 11-7; Friday 11-6 and Saturday-Sunday 10-6.
All trees are $40 with proceeds supporting the club’s annual local student scholarship awards.
The Brattleboro Rotary Club offers the following tips to keep your Christmas tree fresh.
• Once you and your Christmas tree have safely returned home, make a fresh cut across the bottom of the trunk, to open up the pores in the wood, allowing it to absorb water readily.
• Make the cut about 1 inch above the old base, at a very slight angle. The tree should be immediately set in the stand, and placed where it will spend the season. Be sure to use a stand with a large enough water reservoir so that it won’t need refilling too often.
• Depending upon the size, species, and location of the tree, it may absorb a gallon of water in the first day, so it should be checked frequently and re-watered as necessary. As long as the tree is able to absorb and transpire water, it will stay reasonably fresh and fire-resistant.
• It is important that the tree always be kept watered and not allowed to dry out. Once the reservoir dries, a seal of pitch begins to form on the cut. After 6 hours, the tree will no longer be able to absorb water, and will quickly dry out. To remedy this, it will be necessary to recut the stump again, or the tree will begin to lose its needles.
• Keep your tree away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators and television sets.
• Make sure that all of your light cords are in good shape. If the insulation on the wiring has become brittle or cracked, discard it. It’s time to buy a new set!
• Be sure to unplug the lights before you go to bed or any time you leave the house.
• Never overload electrical circuits.
• After Christmas, recycle your tree, rather than sending it to a landfill with the rest of your trash.
Use common sense. Taking precautions such as these will help preserve the unique beauty and tradition that only a real Christmas tree can provide.
The Brattleboro Rotary Club, founded in 1950, is an active community service club of over 80 members who engage in community and human service projects both locally and internationally.
For more information please visit the Brattleboro Rotary Club Website www.brattleboro-rotaryclub.org
