The 'living Christmas tree' you'll never need to get rid of
In 1988, Larry and Anstace Esmonde-White were picking pines that could be perpetual Christmas trees
Why toss away your Christmas tree if it can live on in your home or garden year-round?
That's the argument Anstace and Larry Esmonde-White made to viewers, when they suggested picking out a pine tree that could become a permanent part of your life.
"We like the notion of a living Christmas tree — that is to say, one that we can plant out in the spring, or else keep indoors as a houseplant," Larry told Midday viewers back in December of 1988.
As Anstace pointed out, the majority of Christmas trees in Canadian households had been freshly cut, which meant that as soon as the season was over, they were headed to a garbage dump.
"If you have a living tree, you'll have that tree for years and years to come," she said.
Fine pine picks
Larry said a Scotch pine would be a good choice for a living Christmas tree and he showed off one that had been put in a container.
"It's always lived outside so it's dormant. Bringing it indoors will break the cycle and it will therefore receive a shock," he told viewers.
He sprayed it with an anti-desiccant "to ease that shock" and to prevent the needles from drying out.
Larry further explained that the tree would have to stay indoors until at least the spring, so it wouldn't undergo another temperature shock. At that point, it could be left in the pot or replanted, he said.
Anstace talked to Midday viewers about the Norfolk Island pine, a tropical variety that she said could thrive in an apartment.
"The maintenance of them is just the same as your other houseplants," she said.
"The foliage is very attractive and they stay green like this year-round and you'll have it all the time."
Popular and pricey
The star gardeners also went over the potential problems with their respective pine picks.
Larry said a Scotch pine could be hard to find in a container. But he said they were gradually getting more popular and thus becoming easier to obtain.
And Anstace acknowledged that a Norfolk Island pine was pricier than a typical Christmas tree, but she said it would be worth the money in the long run.
"After the initial outlay, you've got your Christmas tree for years to come," she said.
