Real or fake?

[Aphro]

Tree?

(I bet you thought thus was going to be about a different topic, hmmm?)

For me, real all the way. Yes, it's messy to put up and take down. But I love the fact each Christmas the tree is a bit different, not quite perfect, and of course the fresh pine scent in the house. Plus a decent fake tree is really fucking expensive, and it's just one more thing to store in my basement for eleven months of the year.

Fake tree lovers, convince me if you can.

 

[LiamAnthony]

Real Christmas trees have been in decline since the turn of the century.

About 70% of American homes now use fake trees made in China.

 

[XsNrg]

Ever seen real trees in the deep south.............cut six weeks ago? Breathe near them and needles fall......convinced yet?

 

[adrina]

I have my little stoner (even if I'm not one anymore, currently, at this time... ) fiber optic tree I like. It has a little star up top too.

I do miss the Christmas tree scent however. But I'm not about to go hang a car freshener in my living room.

 

[vibes]

Where do all (or most of) the real trees end up on January 7th?

 

[MelissaBaby]

Real is better, cut your own is best.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Where do all (or most of) the real trees end up on January 7th?

Ground up for mulch.

 

[Aphro]

Where do all (or most of) the real trees end up on January 7th?

Around here, they are ground up and used as mulch in the parks. They have two days after Christmas where a big wood chipper truck comes by and mulches up all the Christmas trees.

 

[jaF0]

Fake. One time payment, easy to store for next year.

Not a fan of cutting live trees for a couple of weeks of vanity display, then discarding them with no other use.

I usually get a 'live' wreath for the scent, but didn't this year. They can be made from cuttings and trimmings without cutting trees down for no other purpose. I've even made one or two of my own from pieces trimmed of my own trees.

 

[JohnnySavage]

I used to do a real tree, but it always bothered me to cut down a tree just for decoration. I've had a fake tree for several years.

 

[Bert Notorius]

this is the
first year
we put up
a tree for
the grand kids
to decorate.

it's man made.

 

[vibes]

I know it may make little sense, or even make your eyes roll, but it feels a little cynical to me ... can't help it!

 

[jaF0]

Where do all (or most of) the real trees end up on January 7th?

In other places they're 'placed' (tossed) into the woods as habitat for birds and small critters.

 

[vibes]

In other places they're 'placed' (tossed) into the woods as habitat for birds and small critters.

I know.

One year we had a real one which I later planted in my garden; five or six years later (unforeseen) not enough space resulted in having to chop it off because two other trees were about to die

 

[Rightguide]

Fake tree, safer, cleaner, and a one time expense.

 

[Aglaopheme]

We select our live tree from a locally owned family tree farm. They are collected and used for mulch by the city. I've never had a fake tree, and probably never will.

 

[Radiohead]

Real is better, cut your own is best.

You're my girl.

Never bought one in my life, never will.

 

[silver gurl]

Real. Have a lovely 7 footer this year. Doubt I will ever do fake.

 

[Aquagal]

Real, I think I’d go without before I’d buy a fake one. Cut a few down to 12 ft when I used to have vaulted ceilings.

 

[oggbashan]

Real trees are usually grown specifically for Christmas.

If they weren't sold to the public they would have to be thinned as the plantation grows. If, as our local authority does, they are collected after Christmas they end up just like thinnings - as wood pulp.

 

[Hypoxia]

I worked an XMas tree lot about 50 years ago. The scent of pitch lingers.

We've not cut a tree for decades. We used a large potted rosemary bush for some years. We never used a silverfoil tree as my folks did, but we did have a plastic cannabis plant. Some years ago we bought our current lit life-like (fake) tree from a friend who crafted these electric treats. It's easy and clean.

A cut tree would also be easy and cheap. We're on a couple mountain acres of Western Cedar; we could cut a dozen Yule trees a year and never notice the loss. We thought to buy a flashy little laser to illuminate our forest. Maybe next year. We're lazy.

 

[chillywilly2]

They are called Christmas tree farms for a reason. They are farms and the cash crop is Christmas trees.
They keep lots of people employed and they are biodegradable after they have been recycled as mulch.
They are grown on land that otherwise wouldn't produce a crop. It would be barren land.
Even if you do go cut one down in the woods another would spring up and replace it. They grow to maturity in about 5 years.

I have a fake tree because thats what the war department wants, otherwise I would go cut one on my own property as I did to donate them to many people and good causes like the soup kitchen when they wanted a free tree.
My fake one is 35 years old and still looks better than any I could replace it with so its not like I trash anything in a landfill every few years. 4 more days

 

[jaF0]

^^ The family owned tree farm here went tits up about 15 years ago. The long time operators got old and the kids didn't want to bother --- too much work. Same thing has happened to lots of farms. They end up getting sold off or contracted out.

 

[chillywilly2]

^^ The family owned tree farm here went tits up about 15 years ago. The long time operators got old and the kids didn't want to bother --- too much work. Same thing has happened to lots of farms. They end up getting sold off or contracted out.

There was one in the lot next to our hunting property. Owner passed and the place went up for sale. It was only about 10 acres out of a 100 acre lot and was a good deal so we bought it.
I had free trees for years because nobody else wanted them and they were just there all trimmed and ready to go..
Turned into a great family outing to go cut trees when the kids were young.
Pretty soon I'm going to start doing some trimming on a few wild ones and start cutting again

 

[Wings]

Fake tree all the way.