Bio/Organic or ordinary?

[ioan]

No it is not about food.
However strange it might be it is about Christmas trees!

Today while driving to work, on the radio they were talking about this year's Christams trees and especially about buying Bio (Organic in the US) Christmas trees.
They went to great lengths explaining why a Bio tree would help you lower your carbon foot print and so on, while the only thing I was thinking about was that the best way to lower your carbon foot print and help keep the environment a cleaner place would be to let that small tree grow up and absorb lots of.... well, carbon.

Long story short, I buy bio/organic food whenever the product is available, I also try to buy bio/organic clothes etc... but the tree I would rather leave it grow.

What about you?

[Mark]

I believe trees take up more carbon when they are young so the Christmas tree industry itself must soak a bit of carbon. Probably completely offset by the distribution.

[gloomyDAY]

I want to move to Texas, buy a house with a backyard, and plant a southern oak. I told my lady that she can decorate it for Christmas since she's into the whole deal. The real estate prices for young people here in Southern California are cost prohibitive, and the managing companies are pretty draconian in terms of what you can and cannot have on the property. Renting is pretty much my only option. The amount of money paid for rent now can easily pay for a mortgage in Austin, TX.

[ioan]

I believe trees take up more carbon when they are young so the Christmas tree industry itself must soak a bit of carbon. Probably completely offset by the distribution.

Possible.
To be fair they also mentioned that one shouldn't drive to far to get one of those Bio Christmas trees.

[ioan]

I want to move to Texas, buy a house with a backyard, and plant a southern oak. I told my lady that she can decorate it for Christmas since she's into the whole deal. The real estate prices for young people here in Southern California are cost prohibitive, and the managing companies are pretty draconian in terms of what you can and cannot have on the property. Renting is pretty much my only option. The amount of money paid for rent now can easily pay for a mortgage in Austin, TX.

You'll need quite a bit of decoration by the time you'll get grand-kids.

[schmenke]

What the heck is an organic tree? :crazy:

[ioan]

According to the radio it's a tree that has never been treated with any chemicals.
By this rule the trees in most of the woods are organic, but the ratio is reversed in Christmas tree farms so they will be able to charge a hefty price for one.

[Starter]

According to the radio it's a tree that has never been treated with any chemicals.
By this rule the trees in most of the woods are organic, but the ratio is reversed in Christmas tree farms so they will be able to charge a hefty price for one.
I always thought that the inorganic trees were the artificial ones. Or are these new trees non - organic? Being politically correct can be so confusing. :rolleyes:

[gadjo_dilo]

That's another affecation fuss.

If the bio trees are those from the woods we are encoureged to chaotically cuts.
On the other hand even the woods needs regeneration and it's made with seedlings from tree nursery.
Then ( at least here ) there is a large action of afforestation which is possible only with those seedlings.

In Romania the Christmas trees that are legally comercialized have 2 sources:

- import
- trees from the national forest fund provided by National Forestry Administration (a state company).

I think that private owners of forests may also sell trees but to my knowledge the cuts should be aproved by NFA

[schmenke]

I can understand consumers wanting organically produced food to avoid ingesting potentially harmful chemicals, but a Christmas tree…? :crazy:

[BDunnell]

According to the radio it's a tree that has never been treated with any chemicals.
By this rule the trees in most of the woods are organic, but the ratio is reversed in Christmas tree farms so they will be able to charge a hefty price for one.

I was under the impression that, in order for something to be described as 'organic', it has to meet very specific criteria regarding its growing that go beyond a lack of chemicals being used. Certainly, in the UK, use of the term 'organic' is quite strictly governed by the Soil Association.

[BDunnell]

I can understand consumers wanting organically produced food to avoid ingesting potentially harmful chemicals, but a Christmas tree…? :crazy:

I think the rationale is that organic growing is better for the natural environment.

[race aficionado]

I like my christmas tree medium well.

[Bagwan]

I did a short stint as a tree planter once upon a time(1,200 a day , with a bucket a spade) , and it is typical for the planting crews , where they can do it easily , to give a quick , round the trunk spray of a weed killer , to give it a fighting chance to survive in the tall grass .
I guess that would cancel any possibility of them being truly "organic" with the no chemical criterion .

But , my trees , planted by my next door neighbour , who , rather than have the chemicals put down , sat on a lawn mower , sliding adeptly between the wee white pines on about forty acres for at least the first five years of them being there , are absolutely organic in every sense .
Cool , eh ?
But , crazy , or what ?

Its really nice to buy Bio (Organic in the US) Christmas trees.All living things are made of organic material.The should be natural but if someone like to buy this then there should be no objection and its up to him/her.

[Firstgear]

We usually get ours right out of the forest. Forestry Branch| Conservation and Water Stewardship | Province of Manitoba (http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/forestry/timber-admin/xmas.html)
The extended family is around 20 people, and most of us usually make it out. We make a (half) day of it - first tromping around the forest until we find the tree(s) we like, then building a fire and making a wiener roast. Some of us have birthdays this time of year so sometimes it turns into a birthday party as well. It's one of my favorite things in the Christmas season.