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Before all Puna folks go out and buy mainland trees next weekend, stop and consider a grown-in-puna tree. Not only will your tree be fresher, and you'll be helping sustain a Puna farmer, but you'll be helping to stop the influx of invasive and dangerous species.
Just this morning on HPR, they mentioned that a couple of containers of Christmas trees from Oregon had been quarantined due to yellow jacket infestations. When you think mainland trees, think about yellow jackets, garter snakes, and the horrible potential of bringing Sudden Oak Death disease here. Many of our native species are susceptible to SOD (ohias and such), and fir trees and products are one of the most common carriers. Hawaii is currently SOD-free, and it would be good to keep it that way!
In this case, "Buy Local" is the very best option!
Jane
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Second that emotion!!
The local trees are beautiful!~ I've been by the local farm. Wish I had a photo to post of the local Christmas trees to share on the PWFriends photo album, but unfortunately I don't.
mella l
mella l
Art and Science
bytheSEA
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Or try this: Abandon this Germanic custom of having a festooned tree altogether, and just focus on the spirit of the season.
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I'm with Glen. If I want a tree in my living room I'll camp out in the front yard. Decorations I enjoy but you can keep the tree. "Pass the egg nog mother lovers".
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quote:
Before all Puna folks go out and buy mainland trees next weekend, stop and consider a grown-in-puna tree...
Or go a step further - buy a local live tree and plant if afterwards!
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I will be buying a Christmas palm tree
since it's my first Christmas in the tropics.....
"How do you know i am mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the cat "or you wouldnt have come here."
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Why kill a tree? Norfolk Island Pines can be domesticated and trained to live in a large pot for up to five or six years before they go completely feral and have to be set free to "live in the wild" again. We've usually got two potted Norfolk Island pines, one the "official" Christmas tree and one in training. As the big one gets too big, it gets planted out somewhere and the one in training becomes "the tree" for several years while another small Norfolk goes into a pot.
Norfolks are nice since there is a lot of room to hang ornaments between the branches. They don't look like much when they are undecorated, but once there are lights, ornaments and tinsel on them, they are quite jolly. Most mainland Christmas trees are so full there is no place to actually put ornaments except to sort of drape them on the exterior.
When I lived on a boat, there wasn't much room for a big tree, so for several years I had a small rosemary bush which had been trained into a cone shape. It had the added benefit of an almost piney scent. Also used some sprigs of it in the turkey dressing.
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
Or decorate the tree in your yard. I got these, 8 cook island pines (norfolk) as my front fence and they're a good 50-75 feet each. You all know you cut the top off for a christmentree the tree will grow 2 for next year.
One trick is if they are too sparse, I've tied 3 together and it makes it pretty darn full.
This year I'm just gonna put some on afan palm across my pond so it will reflect a mirror image and should look.........weird. That's ok
I live for differences.
KEEP PUNA RURAL
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Absolutely! While I've loved having a tree "forever", and am not at all religious, I do it for the pure pleasure of the antique ornaments and stuff collected over the years. Just didn't get around to it last year, though...
Comment about Norfolks... live is best, and then it turns into a perpetual tree producer when planted. When you top it for your indoor tree, it sprouts side shoots. Same with the junipers in the guy's field at the corner of Rubbish Dump road. Sustainable Christmas trees! Yeah!
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quote:
I will be buying a Christmas palm tree since it's my first Christmas in the tropics.....
We did that last year (thank you punafarmboy for the palm loan) - took about 1/2 string of lights!
