Zombies are big deal these days. Seems like you can hardly turn on the TV these days without seeing someone (or someTHING) coming back from the dead. Turns out Christmas trees are no exception. Every so often during the Holidays I will get a call or an e-mail that starts off, “My Christmas tree is starting to GROW!” And indeed they are. Under certain circumstances, conifers that are cut and brought indoors can break bud and begin to grow; sometimes putting on considerable new growth.… Continue reading this article “The Walking Dead: Christmas tree edition”
Tag: Christmas trees
Silence of the lamb chops
One of my ‘other duties as assigned’ this time of year involves serving as The Christmas tree Guy and responding to various media inquiries about Christmas trees. Last week I posted a link to a media story about Christmas trees on the Garden Professor Facebook page. That post drew a response from Kyle Fletcher Baker who derided cut Christmas trees as “murder of the innocent.” My initial reaction was, “Jeez, Kyle we’re talking about fir trees here not lamb chops or veal.”… Continue reading this article “Silence of the lamb chops”
A Tree Story
Given my line of work, it’s probably no surprise I’m a sap for tree stories (no pun intended). Last week I was in Nova Scotia for the biennial International Christmas Tree Research and Extension conference. The conference and associated tours provided an opportunity to learn about Christmas tree production in Nova Scotia, one of the leading Christmas tree producing regions of North America. During the conference I also learned about the annual tradition of Nova Scotia’s Tree for Boston.… Continue reading this article “A Tree Story”
Must we continue to bring in exotics?
A couple weeks back I posted about a collaborative research project that I am involved with to identify seed sources of two Mediterranean fir species (Turkish fir and Trojan fir) for use as Christmas trees in various locations around the country. The post prompted a question from Monta Zengerle who asked, “Must we continue to bring in exotics to satisfy the nursery trade?” Since our intended purpose is Christmas trees and people move plants around the world for purposes other than nursery stock, I’ve broadened the question to “Must we continue to bring in exotics?”… Continue reading this article “Must we continue to bring in exotics?”
You don’t have to be crazy to work here, but it helps
Recently I spent a week in Oregon working on a Christmas tree genetics project along with my colleagues Chal Landgren( Oregon State University), Gary Chastagner ( Washington State University), and John Frampton (North Carolina State University). The objective of the project is to identify superior seed sources of Turkish fir and Trojan fir for use as Christmas trees around the United States. We refer to the project as the Cooperative Fir Genetic Evaluation or CoFirGE – remember, the most critical step in any experiment is coming up with a catchy acronym. … Continue reading this article “You don’t have to be crazy to work here, but it helps”
Finding agreeable things not sought for
As a graduate student at the University of Georgia many years ago I took a course in research methods. One of the discussions that stuck in my mind all these years centered on the word ‘Serendipity’. The classic definition of the word is “the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.” As scientists we rely heavily on the scientific method as a systematic method of inquiry to make new discoveries. But we also need to need to keep our eyes and minds open to serendipitous discoveries along the way as well. … Continue reading this article “Finding agreeable things not sought for”
Last minute advice about Christmas trees and other fun stuff
The next podcast is up and running for your listening pleasure. I’ve got an interview with Dr. Gary Chastagner, WSU’s Christmas tree expert. He’ll tell you about his latest research and share some tips for keeping your tree happy and your carpet needle-free.
Here are some photos from Gary’s “dungeon” where he’s been comparing needle retention with some new promising conifer species from other parts of the world:
In the dungeon with Gary Chastagner
What dungeon would be complete without a rack or two?… Continue reading this article “Last minute advice about Christmas trees and other fun stuff”
What fir?
OK, it’s the middle of December so I get to indulge my passion for Christmas trees. One of the most interesting projects I’ve gotten to work on during my time at Michigan State is a study to look at alternative species of firs (Abies spp) for Christmas trees and well as for landscape conifers. Firs are fascinating trees that are distributed throughout temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. There are about 50 species, many of which are important for timber, landscaping or Christmas trees.… Continue reading this article “What fir?”
And now for something completely different…
From this week’s e-mail file…
“Dear Dr. Cregg:
As I’ve done for many year, this year I harvested my “wild” Christmas tree from the Huron-Manistee National Forest. I cut the tree at ground level. Soon after I brought it home, it started sprouting new light green clumps of needles at the tips of many branches. Is the tree actually growing? It doesn’t seem possible that it’s still alive, but it seems to be thriving and I hate to toss the tree to the curb if it’s fighting for life.
O Tannenbaum!
Twas the blog before Christmas… My last chance to post about Christmas trees for another year. I’m always surprised when I troll around the web or do interviews how many myths about Christmas trees still abound. So in the spirit of the season, a little Christmas tree myth-busting.
“Good grief. I’ve killed it.”
Using a real tree hurts the environment
Here’s a real post from the e-how.com website:
“Its so not fair to cut down all those baby trees, use them for a few weeks and then toss them by the curb for garbage removal.… Continue reading this article “O Tannenbaum!”